Calls for applications in DRS programs and sub-programs

Humanities and Social Sciences:

current and upcoming:

Friedrich Schlegel Graduate School of Literary Studies (FSGS)

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 

Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS)
The call for applications will start on September 14, 2026; further information.

Doctoral Studies Program History and Cultural Studies (HCS)
The call for applications will start on September 15, 2026; further information.

past:

SCRIPTS Academic Accelerator Fellowship 2026
Deadline: 28 February 2026; further information. 
 

Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Society (BGSMCS)
The call for applications will start on September 15, 2025; further information.

EQUALFIN Doctoral Program
The call for applications will start on August 15, 2025; further information.

Berlin Graduate School forGlobal and Transregional Studies (BGTS)
The call for applications will start in December, 2025; further information.

Natural and Life Sciences:

current:

Doctoral Program PharMetrX

The call for application 2026/27 is now open to start the PharMetrX Research+ Program or the PharMetrX Teaching+ Program with the tailored Module Curriculum in March 2027. 

Interdisciplinary PhD program PharMetrX
…to understand the drug-patient-disease interaction by analysing data of drug concentration, effect & disease profiles of pre-/clinical trials and of therapeutic care by developing and using mathematical & statistical models

Your background: pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, mathematics/statistics, bioinformatics, life sciences, medicine, data sciences or some related field
Application Deadline: 06 Sept 2026

Further information: https://www.pharmetrx.de/news/join-us-apply-now-2.html ; https://www.pharmetrx.de/files/pdf/PharMetrX-Call-for-Application_Poster2026_final.pdf 

past:

Berlin Mathematical School (BMS)

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).
Application Deadlines
The BMS application period consists of two application rounds. For admission to our program in 2026, applications will be accepted via our online portal from
1 October to 1 December 2025 (first round) and
1 March to 1 April 2026 (second round).

(for Phase I Master studies please refer to BMS website)
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 2026.
Further information: Application

International Max Planck Research School for Infectious Diseases and Immunology (IMPRS-IDI)

The International Max Planck Research School for Infectious Diseases and Immunology (IMPRS-IDI) is looking to recruit up to 6 doctoral students for exciting projects in immunology, infection biology and parasitology, starting in 2026 in Berlin.
The IMPRS-IDI is the structured graduate program of the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin. We invite highly motivated candidates to join a dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment, with projects at the forefront of infectious disease and immunology. Successful applicants will engage in innovative research at renowned institutions, including the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin.
Submit your application via our online application platform until 10 December 2025: Call for applications 2026.
For more information on available projects, eligibility criteria and the application process, please check the IMPRS-IDI website.
Contact: IMPRS-IDI Coordination Office (imprs-office@mpiib-berlin.mpg.de)

International Max Planck Research School for Biology and Computation (IMPRS-BAC)
The new call for application has been opened, the deadline for submitting applications is January 7, 2026 (18:00 CET).  Further information.

Research Training Group (RTG) 3096 "One Health approach to soil-transmitted helminths" (subprogram of DRS-member program Biomedical Sciences)

9 PhD student positions in One Health Helminthology in Berlin
Are you interested in interdisciplinary research on Helminth infections?
Are you interested in parasitology, immunology, social sciences, ecology modeling, economics, data sciences, biophysics, or veterinary medicine?
Come to Berlin and start your PhD project in the interdisciplinary Research Training Group 3096 “One Health Helminthology”!
We offer 9 PhD student positions in 9 different projects in different subjects.
Find more information on our internet page:
https://www.vetmed.fu-berlin.de/en/einrichtungen/sonstige/grk3096/index.html
The call closes on October 30, 2025. Project start is on April 1, 2026.

Research Training Group (RTG) 3051 "3RTG - Assessment of Behaviour and Stress Responses to Understand and Improve Veterinary Infectious Disease Models" (subprogram of DRS-member program Biomedical Sciences)
The RTG 3051 will start at April 1, 2026.
The call for applications for vacant doctoral researcher positions and on postdoc position has started, Applications will be considered between September 22nd and October 31st, 2025. Further information.