Undergraduates
Undergraduate students are an active and important part of everyday life at the Max Delbrück Center
Undergraduates
Please note: The Max Delbrück Center does not centrally place or coordinate undergraduate internships. Information on how to find an internship is available on the “Join Us” page.
Who are undergraduate research interns?
At the Max Delbrück Center, all pre-doctoral students - i.e. students of bachelor, master, MD or equivalent studies, are considered undergraduates. They may join the Center as interns, for example to conduct summer research projects or, most commonly, to work on bachelor’s or master’s thesis projects. Students who wish to broaden their research experience, learn new techniques, or further develop their skills are also welcome to apply for an internship at the Max Delbrück Center.
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Who can apply for an internship at the Max Delbrück Center?
Research at the Max Delbrück Center is highly interdisciplinary and spans a broad range of scientific themes. Collaborative projects across disciplines provide insights into many aspects of life and disease. Undergraduate students from all areas of the natural sciences—including biology, biotechnology, molecular medicine, chemistry, physics, and mathematics—as well as computer science and engineering are invited to join one of our research teams for an internship or to carry out bachelor’s or master’s research projects in one of our research teams.
Join us
How to apply for an internship?
Please note: The Max Delbrück Center does not centrally place or coordinate undergraduate internships.
As a first step, applicants must independently identify research groups and projects of interest. Please browse the profile pages of our research labs and, after selecting a suitable topic or project, contact the relevant Group Leader(s) directly. Applications sent to central administrative or support offices cannot be processed.
In your application letter, briefly introduce yourself and your academic background, and clearly explain your motivation for joining the selected research group.
Your application letter should include:
- A short CV, highlighting your educational background and research experience (if you have any)
- Motivation letter explaining your research interest, motivation and the purpose of your stay (e.g. bachelor or master research thesis project)
- Information on a potential funding source available to you (exchange program, scholarship, e.g. Erasmus internship)
- Information on the potential start date and duration of your stay
- Contact details of potential referee who could support your application with a recommendation letter
Funding
The Max Delbrück Center does not have a central program for internship funding, however, some of the research groups do have funds available for this. This should be discussed with each group leader individually. Some universities, local governments, or funding organizations and agencies (e.g. Erasmus, DAAD) also provide financial support to visiting young researchers. You can browse through databases of funding organizations, such as those available on Research in Germany information platform.
How does an internship at the Max Delbrück Center influence your possibilities of becoming a part of our International PhD Program?
If you wish to continue your research career as a PhD student at the Max Delbrück Center, there are three possible routes to joining our International PhD Program. Eligibility depends on the duration and timing of your previous affiliation with the Center and on the research group you wish to apply to.
1. International PhD Program Recruitment (Open Call)
You may apply through the regular International PhD Program recruitment if both of the following conditions apply:
- You have worked at the Max Delbrück Center for less than three months during the two years prior to your application, and
- You apply to a different research group from the one in which you completed your internship or student research.
If more than two years have passed since the end of your last affiliation with the Max Delbrück Center (contract or guest registration), no restrictions apply, and you are eligible to apply to any research group through the International PhD Program recruitment.
2. Internal PhD Fellowship Positions
You are considered an internal candidate if:
- You have spent more than three months at the Max Delbrück Center within the past two years as an intern or student, or
- You wish to apply to the same research group in which you completed your internship or student research.
In this case, you may apply only for Internal PhD Fellowship positions (internal access only).
The application deadline is May 1st each year.
3. Direct Contact with Group Leaders
At any time, you may contact a Group Leader directly by sending your CV and a motivation letter to express your interest in joining their research group as a PhD student. This option is independent of the duration or timing of any previous internship or affiliation with the Max Delbrück Center.
Please note that the availability of positions depends on the interest, capacity, and funding of the individual research groups.
Collaborations
Erasmus+ Program
As a part of the Erasmus+ agreement between the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin (HU) and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (KNU), students of the KNU have the opportunity to carry out their Master thesis research at the Max Delbrück Center.
KNU conducts an internal selection of candidates who can then find a suitable research project within one of our research groups, mentored by a HU-affiliated MDC Group Leader. Selection process is finalised in mid-May. Duration of the program is typically five months.
The Erasmus + internship was a truly important life experience. I have radically changed my views on science and plans for the future.
Unipharma-Graduates Program
Unipharma-Graduates, the EU Erasmus+ Program, coordinated by the Sapienza University in Rome and Noopolis Foundation, selects MSc students from Italian universities to perform a six-month internship abroad. The students should have a background in biology, chemistry, pharmacy and/or biotechnology and are preselected by the coordinator of the program. Typically, the fellowship is awarded to 8-10 out of 150 candidates per year.
Apart from getting new skills in a wet lab, I also attended many lectures and conferences which gave me new information about the state of the art science. I am completely sure that this experience will be helpful for my future career.
DAAD RISE Germany program
The DAAD has initiated the RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) Germany Exchange program, whereby undergraduate students from North America and UK can stay in Germany for a three-month internship, hosted by a university or a research institute.
The most interesting part of this initiative is that the research projects and the shortlisting process are managed exclusively by the PhD students from the host institution. This gives them the opportunity to submit a proposal for a short project that would be beneficial for their PhD research, as well as the possibility to gain the experience in selecting and supervising an undergraduate student.
The undergraduate students that are eligible for this program have a background in biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences, engineering, or a closely related field, and have completed at least the first two years of their program by the time of the internship start.
Contact
Internship enquiries are not handled centrally.
For internship opportunities, applicants must identify suitable research groups by browsing the profile pages of our research labs and contact the relevant Group Leader(s) directly. Internship requests sent to central or administrative units cannot be processed.
The Scientific Talent Unit can be contacted only for general questions that are not related to internship applications.
Email: scitalent@mdc-berlin.de