The EpiCrossBorders: International Helmholtz-Edinburgh Research School for Epigenetics Program offers a truly international Graduate Program:

• Graduate Projects are collaborative projects between a group from the epigenetics@HMGU community and a group from the University of Edinburgh
• The supportive Training Program contains a core international and supplemental training structure with opportunities to customize your complementary training to your scientific and professional career goals

As the EpiCrossBorders Program at the Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU) operates under the umbrella of the general HMGU graduate program HELENA, all students in the Research School Program at the HMGU are required to enroll in HELENA and the courses offered through the our program fit within the HELENA structure and count towards your progress in HELENA. Here you can find an overview of the HELENA program.

Graduate Students accepted to the EpiCrossBorders Program at the HMGU will be offered a 3 year contract. This contract will be offered to you either as a grant by the the EpiCrossBorders Program or by the group where you will perform your graduate work.

Students who successfully complete their Graduate thesis will obtain:

• their Doctoral Degree from the Technische Universität München (TUM) or Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (HMGU students) or from the University of Edinburgh
• the EpiCrossBorders Graduate Certificate

All projects within the EpiCrossBorders: International Helmholtz-Edinburgh Research School for Epigenetics are collaborative projects with one PI at the Helmholtz Zentrum (HMGU) and one PI from Edinburgh University.

All research school students are supported by a personal Thesis Advisory Committee (TAC). The Thesis Committee provides mentoring and guidance in the scientific project. This committee needs to consist of at least three members (advisors) and should meet at least once per year.

For each TAC meeting, PhDs prepare a written progress report. For the first Thesis Committee meeting, this includes the project proposal with project title, outline, objectives and milestones which has to be signed by all Thesis Committee members and submitted to the research school office.

During the meeting graduate students give a presentation where they outline their research results. Based on the goals and actual results, the research progress and future perspective is reviewed and discussed.

After each meeting the Annual Thesis Committee Meeting Feedback Form has to be submitted to the Research School Office.