Doctoral Researcher Network

The Doctoral Researcher Network at the MPI in Marburg is part of the Doctoral Researcher Network of the Max Planck Society Max Planck PhDnet. Its major task is to offer opportunities to optimize the working environment for graduates enabling them to maximize their scientific achievements and to provide a platform for exchange among doctoral researchers at the institute.

Each of the departments of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology has a PhD representative. These four internal PhD representatives are the contact persons for doctoral researcher matters within the institute. They organize a number of activities to enhance the exchange between doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers, group leaders, and other faculty members from all departments of the institute.

• Monthly "Stammtisch"
• Welcome breakfast for new doctoral researchers
• Annual MPI "Sommerfest" 

In addition, the representatives stay in contact with the Directorate on topics concerning doctoral researcher matters.

Additionally, one doctoral researcher is the external representative of the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. She or he is the official link between the Doctoral Researchers Network and the institute and attends the annual Max Planck PhDnet meeting to keep up with recent society-wide changes.

Applying for a doctoral student position at the MPI in Marburg
Open positions for doctoral students are listed on the MPI homepage. Group leaders can also be contacted directly. Another possibility is to apply for a position at the institute's International Max Planck Research School for Environmental, Cellular and Molecular Microbiology (IMPRS-Mic). Questions can be directed at the representatives shown above.

Our activities in 2020/2021

IT MA(t)TERs Conference 2021

IT MA(t)TERs is a conference focusing on marine and terrestrial microbiology, organized jointly by the Doctoral Reps from Marburg and Bremen. In 2021, the conference will take place online from April 12-14th. More information can be found on the official website https://it-matters.online/.  

Stammtisch 3

The last Stammtisch of 2020 happened on December 17th. As the previous Stammtisch, X-mas Gathering was held online and was attended by many researchers wearing stylish sweaters. The event featured group games, a Secret Santa and lots of fun.  

Stammtisch 2 - Online Bingo

After personal contact restrictions were imposed, the traditional Stammtisch had to adopt an online format. On 26th of November 2020, the Doctoral Reps organised a virtual Bingo for researchers to have fun together outside the lab and to promote contact between people from different labs/departments.   

Advertising the Mental Health Awareness Week

From 5th to 10th of October 2020 the Mental Health Collective of Max Planck Society organised the Mental Health Awareness Week, an initiative to engage researchers to learn about and to discuss strategies to improve mental well being. Aware of the importance of such initiative, particularly in the challenging year of 2020, the Doctoral Reps in Marburg created posters and flyers to advertise the event locally and to help spread its message.  

Stammtisch 1 - hiking to Spiegelslustturm

On16th of April 2020 the Doctoral Reps organised the last in person Stammtisch, which consisted of a hiking session to a must see touristic point in Marburg: the Spiegelslustturm.