Carry out your own PhD project in natural sciences & engineering

The Hector Fellow Academy (HFA) offers fully-funded PhD positions in natural sciences, informatics, mathematics, medicine, psychology, or engineering. Ambitious prospective PhDstudents get the chance to realize a self-developed research project within the discipline of a Hector Fellow.

Hector Fellows are a community of 24 outstanding professors from different research institutions across Germany who have been recognized by the Hector Foundation for their excellent performance and their merit in research and teaching.

PhD students get the opportunity to carry out a self-developed research project under supervision of one of the Hector Fellows. They are employed as full-time research assistants at the university of the corresponding Hector Fellow for three years. The salary is determined by the institute’s guidelines (according to TV-L 13, up to 100%, based on the funding rates of the DFG for PhD students). In addition, they receive grants for research expenses and can participate in selected training activities.

Apply with your innovative, high-quality research proposal via our ApplicationPortal.

Skills/Qualifications

• An excellent master’s degree
• Very good English language proficiency
• Willingness to move to the Hector Fellow´s home university
• Supervision of the Master thesis by a person other than the selected Hector Fellow

Eligibility criteria

Your application will be evaluated according to your academic grades, the feasibility and maturity of your research proposal, and how well the chosen topics fits the research field of the preferred Hector Fellow.

Selection process

Current application period: January 15th - April 30th, 2020

After the application deadline has expired (April 30th), the Hector Fellow Academy Office goes through all applications and hands over the most promising projects to theaccording Hector Fellow.

Afterwards, the Hector Fellows coordinate interviews with selected candidates (May - June). The final candidates have to present their research project on July 9, 2020 to the selection committee. Thereafter, the final decisions will be made.