Requirements
The program is open to students from Germany and abroad. Applicants should hold a masters degree / diploma or equivalent comparable to a German university degree in an area related to Health Sciences.
The applicant should hold or expect a funded doctoral student position in a research group within the Faculty of Medicine. Please note, the IPHS does not provide scholarships.
Applications are accepted throughout the year.
Counselling session
As soon as you start your PhD at the medical faculty of the University of Cologne please contact Dr. Christoph Aszyk stating your plan to apply for the IPHS.
A counselling session in the Office of the Associate Dean for Scientific Affairs is mandatory.
Please contact Dr. Christoph Aszyk for an appointment. Counselling sessions on request.
Docfile
As soon as you start your PhD work, please register in docfile - the online system for doctoral candidates at the University of Cologne.
Application
A) Documents to be submitted by the Doctoral Student
To apply, please submit the following documents as one PDF document. Please note that other formats are not accepted. You can find the application guidelines as download here.
- IPHS Application Form
• Please download from homepage and fill in
• Including two academic references (names and contact data sufficient) - Letter of Interest (max. 1 page)
• Personal statement, describing why you are interested in participating in the IPHS program including your future scientific career goals - Curriculum Vitae
• Personal data
• Individual achievements (e.g. scholarships, prizes, publications) - Secondary School Certificate
- University Degree Certificates and Academic Record
• Proof of initial enrolment (‘Ersteinschreibung’) for Bachelor and Master studies (e.g. proof of matriculation from first semester, ‘Studienverlaufsbescheinigung’, etc.)
• Bachelor's degree certificate
• Master's degree/ diploma certificate, academic record, abstract of master's/ diploma thesis (1-2 pages)
• Copy of master's/ diploma thesis (as extra PDF) - Doctoral Project Proposal Focused thesis proposal in the field of Health Sciences including: subject and summary of the project (max. 3 pages, in English)
• short introduction to the state of the field (background),
• specific aim(s) of the project,
• working hypothesis/scientific question,
• description of the experimental strategy/methods,
• working and time schedule (e.g. as Gantt chart),
• alternative plans for unforeseen obstacles (optional),
• integration of the planned project into the surrounding of the Clinic/Institute,
• literature and list of abbreviations (as Appendix, can be placed on page 4). - Letter of Recommendation from your supervisor
- Supervision agreement
Please send your application as one PDF document to Dr. Christoph Aszyk (Program Coordinator).
B) Documents to be handed in by the Supervisor of the Doctoral Student
The following documents only need to be submitted, if the supervisor has not yet supervised another IPHS Doctoral Student
• CV and publication list
• Overview of research group composition: (Post Docs, doctoral students, technical assistants)
• Overview of former doctoral students (name, title of research project, academic degree, research period)
• Overview of third party funding
Please send the documents as one PDF document to Dr. Christoph Aszyk (Program Coordinator).
Interview
Candidates fulfilling the formal requirements will be invited for an interview (in English) conducted by the IPHS selection committee. The interview will take place about six month after the beginning of the PhD and comprises:
- 10 min presentation about the doctoral project
- 10 min discussion with the selection committee
Positively evaluated candidates are admitted to the program anytime throughout the year.