Financial Support

Our doctoral school is a cooperation of three partner institutions: the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG), the University of Cologne (UoC), and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Applicants to the IMPRS-SPCE are asked to identify a faculty member as first advisor according to thematic fit. The place of work for doctoral researchers is determined by where the advisor of their choice is based, which is either at one of the universities or at the MPIfG. Our doctoral school is a cooperation of three partner institutions: the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG), the University of Cologne (UoC), and the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). Applicants to the IMPRS-SPCE are asked to identify a faculty member as first advisor according to thematic fit. The place of work for doctoral researchers is determined by where the advisor of their choice is based, which is either at one of the universities or at the MPIfG.

Successful applicants will be funded through contracts based on the German "Collective Wage Agreement for the Civil Service" and will receive compensation corresponding to 65% percent of pay group 13. Different legal conditions apply to the cooperating institutions: the remuneration structures of the federal government (TVöD) to the MPIfG; those of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (TV-L) to the two universities. Health insurance and social benefits like unemployment and pension contributions are included in both types of employment contracts (either TVöD 13 or TV-L 13).

The annual gross salary is between 35,000 and 38,000 euros and depends on the academic year and the collective agreement (TVöD Bund or TV-L) to be applied by the employer (MPIfG, UDE, or UoC). Pro-rata contributions to health, long-term care, unemployment and pension insurance must be paid in all employment relationships, i.e. they are automatically deducted from the salary. The net salary depends on personal circumstances, such as marital status, tax class, etc.

Please note: The Capacity Ordinance applies to universities, which means that contracts issued by the university partners are bound to teaching obligations. Teaching full courses is not mandatory for doctoral researchers at the MPIfG, but they are asked to become teaching assistants for courses taught by MPIfG directors and research group leaders.

Further funds are available for fieldwork trips, stays abroad, and conference travel. These funds are allocated according to project-specific agreements with your advisor and the respective regulations of the institution financing your contract. The three institutions reimburse the costs of the flight/international train ticket for international doctoral researchers traveling to the IMPRS from their former country of residence (2nd class/economy class, reimbursement of the actual ticket costs, maximum 2,000 Euro).