PhD Programme

The SFB 1361 offers a structured training programme for its PhD students. The goal of this programme is to ensure that junior scientists are prepared to meet the challenges they will face in establishing a career in the quickly evolving field of life sciences. It will provide them with a broad education, not only in scientific topics and techniques but also in the transferable skills that are essential for a successful career in academia and beyond.

In addition to working on innovative projects and the day-to-day training in their group, students will receive training that includes:

• Thesis Advisory Committees (TACs) that regularly meet with each student. They ensure that the students have promising projects and adequate resources to complete them successfully, are well supervised, and receive independent feedback and advice.
• A comprehensive training programme that will make sure that all students are up-to-date with the latest findings and concepts in the field of genome stability and associated subjects. In addition to scientific topics, the training will comprise lectures and courses on a range of modern research methods and technologies as well as transferable skills that are essential for a successful career in the life sciences.
• A range of networking events, such as PhD student symposia and retreats. These foster a tight-knit community and promote the exchange of knowledge, ideas and tools between the participating students and their groups. They are complemented by events involving leading external scientists from the field of genome stability, e.g. international conferences, workshops and seminars. These initiatives will give students access to the international research community and the latest advances in the field.
• Career events and professional skills workshops that will prepare students for various careers both within and outside of academia.

Taken together, this comprehensive training and career development programme will foster the students’ scientific autonomy and ensure their success whilst they are part of the SFB and beyond.

The structured PhD programme of the SFB 1361 is integrated in the International PhD Programme (IPP) in Mainz. This programme was established in 2011 and is coordinated by the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB). It comprises 67 research groups at IMB, Johannes Gutenberg-University, and University Medical Centre Mainz. There are currently more than 200 PhD students in the IPP, more than 65% of whom are international students. Research approaches within the IPP range from structural biology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics and proteomics via molecular, cell and developmental biology to systems and computational biology, behaviour and evolutionary biology. The IPP provides for a highly international and interdisciplinary research environment. For details on the programme's training activities please see here.