Please visit the Eligibility section for a description of the entry requirements for the EpiCrossBorders: International Helmholtz-Edinburgh Research School for Epigenetics. To be eligible for the programme, you also need to provide all required documentation.

Applicants still studying for their Master's degree are able to apply to the EpiCrossBorders Research School providing they will complete their Masters degree before the start of their PhD work. Applicants in this situation, must provide a provisional certificate or bona fide statement from the University stating the marks already obtained and estimated graduation date with their application.

Accepted students are expected to start their PhD work latest on October 1st, 2023.

There is one call for applications each year. Please check the webpage for information on the next call.

Yes, the PhD degree will be awarded by the Ludwig Maximilians Universität (LMU) or Technische Universität München (TUM) in Munich.  You will have to register with one of these universities within the first three months of your PhD studies. The decision where to register depends on your supervisor, your specific project and your background.

You can find the registration requirements here (TUM), here (LMU faculty of Biology) and here (LMU faculty for Chemistry and Pharmacy) and here (LMU faculty of Medicine).

Helmholtz Zentrum München does not charge any tuition fees. The Universities (LMU and TUM), however, charge a small fee per semester. For the winter semester 2023/2024 this amounted to approximately 144,40 Euros. On payment of this fee, you will receive a student card, be eligible for student discounts and receive a discount for public transport.

The language of the Epigenetics Research School is English.

We highly recommend you to provide a document with proof of your English proficiency.  You can do this by providing us with proof that a significant part of your university education was conducted in English, with a statement from your university or a supervisor you had during your latest degree training or by providing certificates from English language tests you have taken (e.g. TOEFL, IELTS, CAE).

A GRE or GATE is not required for application to the Epigenetics Research School, but it may be advantagous.

In order to apply for a project through the Helmholtz International Epigenetics Research School you do not need to contact group leaders before you apply.  All applications must be made via the Research School online application system.

However, not all group leaders recruit in every call. If you are interested in working with a group leader who is not recruiting in the current call, please contact the Epigenetics Research School Office.

Please verify that the file size does not exceed 10 MB, and make sure your browser is fully updated. If this does not solve the issue please contact the Research School Office.

Please verify that the correct email address was entered into the online application system. If the address was correct please request your referees to verify their spam box.

If the email is still not received, please contact the Research School Office.  Please do this before the application deadline: Only complete applications (including reference letters) received by the deadline will be considered.

Please do not send the reference letters to the Research School office yourself. We can only accept reference letters submitted directly by your referees.

No, you can submit the application as soon as you have completed it. The reference letters are send through a different form by your referees. Please be aware that the reference letters need to be received by us before the deadline.  Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered for selection.

Please note: after submission you can login to the application system and check the status of your reference letters.

If you have not yet submitted your application, you should be able to correct the mistake using the "edit" function.

In case you have made a mistake in the referee information or if you have already submitted your application and it is before the application deadline, please send us an e-mail with the following information:

• First name
• Surname
• Login e-mail address
• Detailed description of your problem

After the application deadline modifications to your application are no longer possible.

Your application will be evaluated based on scientific excellence, motivation and presentation. The time line of the application process can be found here.