Job Description

The DKFZ International PhD Program lays the foundation for a career path as a world-class researcher for the Center’s over 500 PhD students.

The DKFZ International PhD Program is a fully funded, structured program within the DKFZ Cancer Research Academy, providing all DKFZ doctoral researchers (PhD students) with tailored mentoring and training in cancer research. The doctoral research projects are conducted at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg or Dresden, or its partner sites across Germany within the German Cancer Consortium, National Centers for Tumor Disease, the Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology and the DKFZ-Hector Cancer Institute at the University Medical Center Mannheim.

Reflecting the breadth of scientific topics represented within the Program, our doctoral researchers are enrolled in top universities across Germany, pursuing doctoral titles that best suit their scientific expertise. These range from Dr. rer. nat. (natural sciences), Dr. sc. hum. and Dr. med. (human sciences and medicine) to Dr.-Ing. (engineering sciences).

The DKFZ International PhD Program has a lively network of active members, who organize regular scientific networking activities and social events. In collaboration with the DKFZ Career Service & Alumni Relations, the Program offers comprehensive guidance and career development resources, providing a strong foundation upon which our members take their next career step. Our alumnipursue a diverse range of career opportunities in academia and industry.

We warmly invite you to apply to join the DKFZ and our many distinguished scientists in cancer research!

The next application deadline is 15 December 2025. Find out more by following the links below!

Contact DKFZ International PhD Program

The DKFZ International PhD Program is managed by Dr. Lindsay Murrells. 

If you aren’t able to find the information you’re searching for on our website, please contact us by email!

Program Overview

General Information

The typical duration of the doctoral studies at the DKFZ is three to four years. More than 52 % of our PhD students are international, so the curriculum is in English and includes scientific and professional training.

Degree

Once you have completed and defended your PhD project and attended the necessary courses, you are granted your degree by the university with which you initially registered. For most PhD students at the DKFZ, the doctoral degree is awarded by the Biosciences Faculty, Medical Faculty or Physics Faculty of the prestigious Heidelberg University, the oldest university in Germany (founded in 1386). The degree you are awarded depends on your area of research and the university faculty you registered with. In Germany, although the term “PhD” is used to refer to the doctoral project (as in this website), the actual doctoral title that is conferred is not the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), but rather an equivalent doctoral title. For example, a Doctor of Natural Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.) is conferred by the Biosciences or Physics Faculties and a Doctor of Human Sciences (Dr. sc. hum.), or in some cases where the candidate has a medical background a Doctor of Medicine (Dr. med.) is conferred by the Medical Faculty.

Funding

All PhD positions at the DKFZ are fully funded for (at least) three years. The salaries are competitive by (inter)national standards. There is no tuition fee.

Candidates awarded a PhD Program position through the biannual selection rounds are funded by a DKFZ PhD contract, which includes social security contributions (pension, health insurance etc). The amount of this contract is approximately equivalent to a TVöD contract with 65% working time, in the E13 level. Candidates may also receive offers of funding from a PhD supervisor directly, or obtain their own scholarship from foundations or funding agencies such as theGerman Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and their Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP);Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds; Deutsche Studienstiftung; Volkswagenstiftung; China Scholarship Council (CSC)…

All PhD students at the DKFZ are enrolled in the DKFZ International PhD Program, regardless of how they are funded.

Research Projects

Research at the DKFZ is highly interdisciplinary and our over 500 PhD students are working in research groups at the DKFZ in Heidelberg and Dresden, as well as at our partner sites within the German Cancer Consortium, HI-TRON, and at the National Centers of Tumor Diseases. Our research is dedicated to unravel the causes and mechanisms of cancer development and to identify groundbreaking tools for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This interdisciplinarity is reflected in the wide range of academic backgrounds of our PhD students, which includes (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, data/computer science or epidemiology/public health studies and psychology. 

Follow the links below to find out more about our research:

• Research at the DKFZ
• Groups recruiting PhD students in the next PhD Program selection

Admission Requirements & ­How to Apply

By the time you have reached this page, you might be thinking that the DKFZ is the right place for you to do your PhD. If so, then why not send us your application?

Before you do, please read this page carefully and check the Frequently Asked Questions for more information. If we are currently accepting applications, you can then proceed to apply via our Online Application System.

We support and value diversity and encourage applications from qualified individuals from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to persons with disabilities, and those from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.

Selection Dates

The application deadline for the next selection is 15 December 2025.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in two online panel interviews. Following these, the highest scoring candidates will proceed to the final step of personal interviews with PhD project supervisors and will be invited to an on-site visit in Heidelberg  Further details about the selection process are provided below.

Admission Requirements

Applicants holding (or expecting to hold) a university master’s degree (MSc or equivalent) including a written master’s research thesis are eligible to apply. Our PhD students typically have a background in (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, computer science or epidemiology/public health studies.

Applicants still studying for their degree should anticipate to receive it not later than 6 months after the application deadline. A provisional certificate or bona fide statement from the University, stating the examination marks already obtained, should be provided. During completion of the online application form, you will be required to upload a scanned copy of your certificates as a PDF file of not more than 5MB.

In case you hold a degree that is NOT a MSc but that you think is equivalent to a MSc (including a written master’s thesis), please contact the Graduate Program Office, listing the name of the degree in the original language and the English translation and we will inform you whether you are eligible to apply. 

Degrees from countries outside the European Union are subject to a recognition procedure if a faculty of a German university is chosen. The faculty may ask for additional qualifications or an entrance examination to be completed in the early phase of the thesis work.

If you hold a bachelor degree, you are unfortunately not eligible to apply. However, you might be interested in the Master’s Program Major Cancer Biology, organized by the German Cancer Research Center in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg.

A language test for English is requested for all applicants except those coming from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), as well as native English speakers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK and USA. If your studies were in English, then please upload a PDF document from your University (or Director of Studies) in which this is stated and select “Degree in English” in the section “Proof of English” in the online application system.

The following proof of English is accepted:

• TOEFL test with a score of 95+ (internet-based), 240+ (computer-based) or 587+ (paper-based)
• IELTS certificate with a band score 7.0+
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

If you are planning to take a TOEFL test for your application to the DKFZ International PhD Program, you may have the results sent directly to us by quoting the DKFZ code number, 4320, when you take the test. If not, then you will be required to upload a scanned copy of the certificate as a JPEG or PDF file of not more than 3MB.

A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not mandatory. If you have a GRE certificate, please scan and upload this to your online application under the “Documents” section. Both English proficiency certificates and GRE score certificates can be uploaded under the tab “English Certificate”.

We also require a copy of your high school certificate.

As part of the online application form, you are asked to provide the names and contact details of two referees. As soon as you have entered the name and contact details of your referees we will automatically send them an email with a link, requesting that they provide us with a letter of recommendation online.

Note: Please submit your application once you have completed the online form. Your letters of recommendation do not have to be submitted by your referees in order for you to submit your application.

However, please be aware that the deadline for your referees to submit their letters of recommendation is the same as the application deadline. Therefore, you need to make sure that you register with the online system and enter the contact details of your referees in good time, so that they have time to submit their letters before the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that they provide these letters.

If you are not (yet) eligible to apply for the PhD program at the DKFZ, why not join one of our programs for bachelor’s and master’s students?