Calls for applications in DRS programs and sub-programs

Humanities and Social Sciences:

current and upcoming:

For admission in October 2027, the BGSMCS will award the following places and grants:

• 2 scholarships from the Gerda Henkel Foundation to projects with a historical focus. These scholarships include a monthly stipend for living expenses, as well as travel and research funds. 
• 8 places at the graduate school on the condition that the selected candidates raise their own external funding (private funding is not permitted). The selected candidates will be supported by the BGSMCS in applying for external funding, for example from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Avicenna-Studienwerk, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, or the Elsa Neumann Foundation.

Application Deadline: 31 October 2026 at 12:00 noon CET

Further information: Application • Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies

For 2027, the FSGS offers the following positions and grants:

• up to 10 PhD positions for the duration of 3 to 4 years for candidates
  • with secured external funding (scholarship or position as a Research Assistant) 
  • without external funding
    • Up to 5 outstanding applicants without external funding will receive a nine-month scholarship of EUR 1103 starting in June 2027 and take part in a series of workshops to secure external funding.
    • Accepted applicants who cannot be offered a scholarship will be supported by the management in obtaining scholarships or other external funding and can participate in selected events of the workshop series and complete digital modules.

• 3 Fellowships for graduate students of literature from the Global South for the duration of 3 months (subject to the availability of funds)

• 1-2 CSC-Fellowships as part of the FUB-CSC program for graduate students in humanities with a focus on German Studies from the People’s Republic of China

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026 at 23:59 CET

Further information: FSGS-Ausschreibung-2027.pdf 

For admission in October 2027, the GEAS will award the following places and grants:

• up to 9 doctoral places for 3 years for dissertations 
  •  for doctoral researchers with secured external funding (scholarship or position as research assistant).
  • 2 candidates with Chinese citizenship can be nominated for a scholarship through the cooperation of Freie Universität and the China Scholarship Council (FUB-CSC) in March 2027.
  • 3 outstanding candidates can additionally be nominated for a six-month Starting Grant from the Graduate School in 2027.

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026 

Further information: Application • Graduate School of East Asian Studies

For admission in October 2027, HCS offers the following places:

• up to 10 doctoral places for 3 years for dissertations focusing on German or Anglo-American cultural studies. The selected candidates will be supported by HCS in applying for external funding.

Application Deadline: 15 November 2026 

Further information: Call for Applications HCS • Doctoral Studies Program History and Cultural Studies • Department of History and Cultural Studies

Natural and Life Sciences:

current:

The International Max Planck Research School for Biology and Computation (IMPRS-BAC) is now recruiting doctoral candidates for a start in 2027.

If you possess a strong understanding of genome science and a passion for areas such as epigenetics, developmental biology, gene regulation, RNA biology, protein biochemistry, stem cells, bioinformatics, sequence analysis, mathematics, statistics, molecular evolution, or biophysics, and wish to work at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics or Freie Universität Berlin, this doctoral program is your ideal pathway!

Application:
Fill out the online application form by the 7^th of December 2026 (18:00 CET). Check the IMPRS-BAC website and FAQ for more information. 

The IMPRS-BAC is a collaboration between Freie Universität Berlin (Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy; Department of Mathematics and Computer Science) and Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics. 

Further information: https://www.molgen.mpg.de/IMPRS/application 

The Berlin Mathematical School is the graduate school of the Cluster of Excellence MATH+ (https://www.mathplus.de) and a joint endeavor of the mathematics departments at the universities in Berlin: Freie Universität (FU), Humboldt-Universität (HU) and Technische Universität (TU).
We offer an excellent doctoral program taught in English in a broad and active research environment together with mentoring programs, soft-skills seminars, travel funding for conferences and research stays, language courses, and an extensive and welcoming support system facilitated by the BMS office and vibrant student community. https://www.math-berlin.de/students

Mathematics as a whole“ is a leading principle of the BMS. Its focus encompasses fields that are traditionally termed “pure“ or “applied“ mathematics, though we prefer not to make that distinction. Instead, research topics are grouped into eight parts, each covering a broad, but coherent, part of mathematics:
Area 1: Geometry and topology; Area 2: Algebraic geometry and number theory; Area 3: Stochastics and mathematical finance; Area 4: Discrete mathematics and optimization Area; 5: Discrete geometry Area; 6: Numerical mathematics; Area 7: Applied analysis; Area 8: Mathematics for AI

Application Deadlines:
The BMS application period consists of two application rounds. For admission to our program in 2027, applications will be accepted via our online portal from
1 October to 1 December 2026 (first round) and
1 March to 1 April 2027 (second round).

 Phase I (Master studies):
Deadline for application requiring admission with scholarship: 1 December 2026 Number of available places with scholarship: 10 Deadline for general admission without funding: 1 April 2027 Number of available places without funding: 10

Phase II (Doctoral research):

For Phase II applicants, the BMS serves mostly as a “matchmaker” with faculty members in Berlin. 
The BMS can fund max. 1 Phase II position per year. The start date is 1 October 2027.

Further information: https://www.math-berlin.de/application