Solar System School: PhD Positions in Planetary Science

The International Max Planck Research School for Solar System Science at the University of Göttingen in Germany (Solar System School) offers a research-oriented doctoral program in Solar system science.

The Planetary Science department at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) offers a wide spectrum of open PhD projects. We study the origin and evolution of the early solar system, the structure, composition, formation and chemical differentiation of planets in our solar system, as well as dynamic processes. The research includes the deep interior, surfaces, mineralogy, geochemistry, atmospheres and the plasma environment (thin hot charged particles in the environment) of the planets. The main focus lies in the research of the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) and the gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) as well as planetary building blocks including comets and asteroids. We study similarities and differences among the various objects and compare them with each other to better understand the evolution of our solar system.

A list of open PhD projects in planetary science is available at http://www.mps.mpg.de/phd/open-projects

Solar System School students collaborate with leading scientists in these fields and graduates are awarded a doctoral degree from the renowned University of Göttingen.

The Solar System School is open to students from all countries and offers an international three-year PhD program in an exceptional research environment with state-of-the-art facilities on the Göttingen Campus. Successful applicants will be offered a three-year doctoral support contract as well as postdoc wrap-up funding.

The language of the structured graduate program is English, with complimentary German language courses offered (optional). The program includes an inspiring curriculum of scientific lectures and seminars as well as advanced training workshops and provides relocation costs and travel funds to attend international conferences.

Applicants to the Solar System School should have a keen interest in Solar system science and a record of academic excellence. They must have, or must be about to obtain, an M.Sc. degree or equivalent in geosciences, chemistry, physics or a related field, including a written Masters thesis, and must document a good command of the English language.

Review of applications for a starting date of September 2023 will begin on 1 November 2022

, but other starting times are also negotiable. The positions are awarded on a competitive basis. Applicants must submit the following documents through the on-line application portal between 1 September and 1 November 2022:

• an application form to be filled on-line, including two short texts describing the applicant’s scientific interests and their motivation to apply for PhD projects in the Solar System School, along with the applicant’s choice of up to three PhD projects;
• a curriculum vitae in pdf format;
• degree certificates and full transcripts of all academic records: i.e. scanned copies of B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree certificates (or equivalent), and lists of all courses with credits and grades issued by the respective school or university, with English or German translations;
• certificate to prove proficiency in the English language, for candidates whose most recent academic education has not been in English or German for at least two years (e.g. transcript of TOEFL / IELTS scores or equivalent);
• contact details for two or more referees who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation on behalf of the applicant. The referees will be contacted by the School upon submission of the application by the candidate and will be asked to submit their letters through the on-line portal no later than 10 November 2022.

It is highly recommended to also submit

• GRE Physics test scores or equivalent for candidates who have obtained their Master’s degree at a university outside of the European ECTS area.

The Max Planck Society strives for gender equality and diversity. The Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of individuals of underrepresented genders and therefore explicitly encourages individuals of underrepresented genders to apply. The Max Planck Society is committed to employing more individuals with severe disabilities. Applications from individuals with severe disabilities are explicitely encouraged.