The fully funded PhD positions in Germany offered by the IMPRS for Science and Technology
These are jobs, not scholarships. The fully funded PhD positions in Germany offered by the IMPRS for Science and Technology of Nano-Systems (IMPRS-STNS) in Halle (Saale) come with a salaried employment contract instead of a stipend, plus health insurance, pension contributions, 30 days of annual leave and no tuition fees. The call closes on November 15, 2026 at 23:59 CET, and positions start from spring 2027.
The school welcomes applications from any nationality, and the official FAQ says four out of five of its doctoral researchers come from outside Germany. You need a Master’s degree in physics, materials science, chemistry or a related field, with a final thesis project, finished before you start. You apply to one specific research project, not to the school in general. We found no Pakistan-specific route on the official pages, and no visa information either. As of October 10, 2026, the call is open and the deadline is about five weeks away.
The fully funded PhD positions in Germany IMPRS-STNS Halle (Saale) at a Glance
| Programme | International Max Planck Research School for Science and Technology of Nano-Systems (IMPRS-STNS) |
| Institutions | Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, on one campus in Halle (Saale), Germany |
| What you get | A salaried employment contract with the Max Planck Institute or the university, not a stipend |
| Contract length | 3 years to start with |
| Tuition | No tuition fees. The university charges a semester contribution if you enrol as a doctoral researcher |
| Working language | English. No German needed to apply or to work |
| Deadline | November 15, 2026, 23:59 CET. IMPRS calls it a hard deadline |
| Result of first review | You are told by December 18, 2026 whether you move to the next round |
| Start | From spring 2027, most positions in summer or autumn 2027 |
| Size of the school | 42 doctoral researchers from 13 countries, 17 principal investigators, founded in 2017 |
| Contact | imprs@mpi-halle.mpg.de |
What the Position Pays and Includes
- Contract: a fully funded employment contract with either the Max Planck Institute (TVöD pay scale) or the university (TV-L pay scale).
- Benefits: statutory health insurance, pension contributions and social security, 30 days of annual leave plus German public holidays.
- Costs: no tuition fees for the doctorate or for the IMPRS-STNS programme.
- Training and support: courses in scientific communication, project management, teaching and science policy, an annual retreat run by the doctoral researchers, mentoring, and childcare and family support at both institutions.
- Language: German and English language courses are provided.
The degree itself comes from a university. IMPRS says only universities award doctorates in Germany, so for this school the degree normally comes from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, even if the Max Planck Institute employs you.
Pay is not one fixed number. The FAQ says salary follows German public-service pay group 13, but at 65% of the full TVöD rate at the Max Planck Institute and at 50% or 75% of the TV-L rate at the university. The application portal listing shows 3,185 euros per month and does not say whether that is gross or net, or which percentage it reflects. So treat that figure as a pointer, not a promise. The FAQ says the project description names your employer, and the one project page we read did not make this clear, so ask the IMPRS office which employer and percentage apply to the project you choose.
Who Can Apply
- A Master’s degree in physics, materials science, chemistry or a related field, including a final thesis project, finished before you start.
- Applications are welcome from any nationality. IMPRS says it particularly encourages applications from women.
- No publication is needed. Published work is welcome but is not a condition.
- Good English. The portal listing says knowledge of German is a plus, while the FAQ says no German is needed.
- Fit with one specific project. Individual project pages list their own profile, such as a thesis project, a record of excellence in research and coursework, and solid knowledge of the project’s field.
The portal listing adds that you may apply before you have your final degree, as long as you will have it by the start date.
The Twelve Research Topics
IMPRS lists these projects for the 2026 call. The pages do not say how many positions are open, so we cannot give a number.
| Project | Focus in brief |
|---|---|
| Controlling the direction of supercurrent in quantum devices | Superconducting diodes, controlled with quantum interference and microwaves |
| Creating quantum materials and exploring unconventional superconductivity | Building materials atomic layer by atomic layer where magnetism meets superconductivity |
| Chirality in 3D twistronics | Fabricating and characterizing twisted 3D structures with glovebox and ARPES techniques |
| Exploring quantum nanodevices with atomic-scale precision | Next-generation quantum material devices, studied at temperatures as low as 20 milli-kelvin |
| Josephson-Junction Arrays | Josephson junction arrays, with nanofabrication and cryogenic measurement tools |
| Transfer of Chiral Information: Modulated Chemical Induced Spin Selectivity | Helical polymers and centrochirality, and their effect on spin selectivity |
| Emerging Spin Dynamics towards Next-Generation Spintronic Devices | Spin-dependent phenomena in atomically engineered spintronic materials and devices |
| Opto-Spintronics | Photons, spins and charges in quantum materials, studied with optical microscopy and spectroscopy at low temperatures |
| Engineering quantum coherence in Josephson junctions | Superconductivity, magnetism and topology combined |
| Coherent spin transfer in Spin Triplet Superconductor-Magnon Hybrid Structures | Spin angular momentum transfer in superconductor-ferromagnet structures |
| Study of the skyrmion-superconductor interface in van der Waals heterostructures | Fabricating heterostructures and magnetic imaging with electron or force microscopy |
| Atomic Layer Engineering and 3D Nanofabrication for Emerging Quantum and Spintronic Devices | Atomically engineered materials for spintronics, oxide electronics and cognitive devices |
How to Apply and Key Dates
The steps are short, but the rules around them are strict. Pick one project, then apply through the online portal and choose that research topic there.
- Choose one project. IMPRS strongly recommends focusing on your top-priority topic. You cannot propose your own research topic in this call.
- Prepare your documents. The standard set is a CV, full transcripts, your degree certificate or the date you expect it, a letter of motivation naming the project, and two reference letters from academic supervisors you have worked with. Individual project pages may vary, so read the instructions on the project page.
- Submit in the portal by November 15, 2026, 23:59 CET. If your reference letters are not ready, apply without them. IMPRS says it will explain how to upload them later or ask your referees to send them directly.
- Wait for the first review. All applications are reviewed after the deadline, and you are notified by December 18, 2026 whether you go on to the next round.
- Interview. The next step is an interview with your prospective supervisor. IMPRS suggests using it to ask about daily supervision, lab training and workflows, which vary between groups.
As our own calculation, 23:59 CET (UTC+1) on November 15 is about 03:59 on November 16 in Pakistan (UTC+5). Do not plan around that gap, and submit earlier.
November 15, 2026 at 23:59 CET is a hard deadline, and IMPRS cannot consider applications submitted later. The call is for specific projects only, so a general application or your own topic will not fit. And the Master’s degree, with its final thesis project, must be finished before you start, so check that your degree includes a thesis before you apply.
Notes for Pakistani Applicants
IMPRS accepts applications from any nationality and names no countries, so Pakistani graduates are not excluded. The official pages give no Pakistan-specific route. They also give no visa details, and the FAQ page still carries an unfinished editor note about visas, so ask the IMPRS office for visa guidance instead of relying on third-party sites. The pages do not discuss how overseas Master’s degrees are compared either, so email imprs@mpi-halle.mpg.de with your degree title and whether it includes a final thesis project before you invest in the application. Reference letters must come from academic supervisors you have worked with.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. IMPRS says English is the working language in the labs, seminars, courses and supervision, and no German is needed to apply or to do the work. Language courses in German and English are available.
No. IMPRS says published work is welcome but is not a condition. The requirement is a Master’s degree with a final thesis project.
IMPRS says you start with a 3-year contract.
Official Sources
- IMPRS-STNS: IMPRS Call 2026 (programme, benefits, how to apply, dates)
- IMPRS-STNS: Call FAQ (pay, contract, documents, deadline, next steps)
- IMPRS-STNS: Research Topics for the 2026 call (project list)
- IMPRS-STNS: example project page, Emerging Spin Dynamics (project profile and application instructions)
- Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics application portal (online applications)
Information in this guide was checked against the official pages above on October 10, 2026.
Scholarship requirements, deadlines, and funding details can change. Always verify current information directly with the official provider before applying.
ScholarshipOrbit is an independent guidance resource and is not affiliated with the Max Planck Society, the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, or any organization mentioned above.
