Göttingen IMPRS Molecular Biology 2027 — Funded MSc and PhD

The MSc/PhD programme in molecular biology at Göttingen is one of the few European graduate routes that funds every admitted master's student rather than a ranked subset. Its online portal for the autumn 2027 intake opened on 15 September 2026 and closes on 15 January 2027 at 24:00 CET.

What it covers

Students in the master's phase receive an International Max Planck Research School stipend each month for the whole year, plus a health insurance subsidy of up to €100 a month where the student is not covered by a home or family policy. There are no tuition fees; the semester contribution at Göttingen is around €400 and includes a regional transport ticket.

The doctoral phase is funded differently. PhD students are normally employed by the supervising institution through a work or funding contract rather than paid a stipend, which changes both the tax treatment and the social insurance position. The programme also holds a small budget for start-up, bridging and wrap-up funding.

Who can apply

You need a bachelor's degree or equivalent with at least 120 ECTS credits completed at the time of application, in molecular biosciences, cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, biotechnology or a closely related discipline. Final-year students are considered if the degree is awarded before enrolment.

English is the working language and German is not required. The programme asks for very good English and accepts an internationally recognised test, an English-taught bachelor's or an extended stay in an English-speaking country as evidence.

Eligibility self-check

• Will you have 120 ECTS or the equivalent finished by January 2027, not by September?

• Is your degree in molecular biosciences or a directly adjacent field, with laboratory experience you can describe?

• Can you name two referees who will actually submit letters, and have you warned them about the 17 January cut-off for references?

• Can you write about a research question you want to pursue, rather than a subject you find interesting?

• Are you able to cover roughly €900 to €1,000 a month of living costs in Göttingen alongside the stipend, or have you checked whether the stipend covers it?

• Do you understand that this is an integrated programme, and that progressing into the PhD depends on performance rather than on a second application?

Deadline

Online registration closes on 15 January 2027 at 24:00 CET. Reference letters arriving after 17 January are not considered, and the programme's own pages have given 18 January in one place, so treat 15 January as the date that matters for everything.

Shortlisted applicants take 15-minute online interviews on 25 and 26 January 2027. Around 60 candidates then sit two 30-minute interviews between 8 and 10 February, with results by the end of February.

How to apply

1. Open the programme's online application portal and register for the autumn 2027 round.

2. Complete the personal, academic, language and motivation sections, and select the research groups you would like to join.

3. Upload a CV with a photograph, your current transcript, and your degree certificate where it has already been issued.

4. Enter the contact details of two referees and tell them to expect the automated request; certified copies are only needed after admission.

Application materials checklist

• CV with a photograph, including laboratory techniques you have actually used.

• Current transcript showing at least 120 ECTS or its equivalent.

• Degree certificate if issued; otherwise the registrar's confirmation of completion date.

• English evidence: a test score, an English-taught degree, or documented professional use.

• Two referees with working academic email addresses.

• A short statement of research interest that names groups from the programme's list.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying in December with a transcript that shows 110 ECTS and a promise of more. The 120-credit threshold is checked at application, not at enrolment.

• Naming famous labs rather than the three or four groups whose current papers you have actually read.

• Leaving the referee step to the applicant. The portal emails referees directly, and a referee who ignores that email costs you the application.

• Treating the interview as a formality. Two 30-minute interviews decide admission, and they are technical.

• Assuming the stipend is a salary. It is not, and the difference matters for visa financial proofs and for tax.

Tips to win

Write the research-interest section as a short proposal. A paragraph that names a question, a method and a group reads as scientific thinking; a paragraph about how much you enjoy biology does not.

Use the lab rotations deliberately. The master's year includes three eight-week rotations, so an applicant who says which rotation they would start with, and why, is already thinking like a student of this programme.

Prepare for the interviews as you would for a lab meeting: be ready to explain one experiment you did, including what went wrong. Committees use that question to separate people who watched a protocol from people who ran one.

Check the German residence rules early. Non-EU students need proof of financing for the visa, and a stipend letter is not always accepted in the same way as a contract — ask the international office before you accept.

https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=88

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https://www.oeacnetwork.com/index.php?page=post&id=87

https://uni-goettingen.de/en/overview/663763.html

Applications go directly to the University of Göttingen through the portal linked from the official programme page. If you want help turning a lab-heavy CV into a research statement that survives a first read, an OEAC advisor can go through it with you.

Last updated: 29 October 2026. Source: University of Göttingen, MSc/PhD Molecular Biology (International Max Planck Research School) — official programme and application pages (uni-goettingen.de). Photo: University of Göttingen, Aula at Wilhelmsplatz — Wikimedia Commons.