German Cancer Research Center Fully Funded PhD Positions in Cancer Research 2027

The DKFZ International PhD Program is a fully funded, structured program within the DKFZ Cancer Research Academy, providing all DKFZ doctoral researchers (PhD students) with tailored mentoring and training in cancer research.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineOctober 19, 2026
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorGerman Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

• All PhD positions at the DKFZ are fully funded for (at least) three years. The salaries are competitive by (inter)national standards. There is no tuition fee.

Requirements

• University Degrees
  • The standard minimum eligibility requirement is a 3-year bachelor + 2-year master degree, including a written master's research thesis. Our PhD students typically have a background in (molecular) biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, mathematics, computational biology, computer/data science or epidemiology/public health studies.
  • Candidates with a 1-year Master degree (e.g. MRes), including a written master's research thesis, may also apply. However, to be accepted by a faculty, such candidates should expect to have to pass an entrance exam and/or complete substantial additional coursework at the start of their PhD.   
  • In very exceptional cases, candidates holding only a four-year degree (e.g. BSc, BA, MSci) may apply, if their degree included an original research thesis (min. 6 months) and they have substantial additional research experience (min. 1 year) obtained following completion of the academic degree. Furthermore, the candidate should already have identified a DKFZ Principal Investigator who has contacted the DKFZ PhD Program Office prior to application submission, confirming that they support the candidate's application for a position in their laboratory. Such candidates should also expect to have to pass an entrance exam and/or complete substantial additional coursework at the start of their PhD.
  • If you do not meet the eligibility criteria above, you might be interested in the Master's Program Major Cancer Biology, organized by the German Cancer Research Center in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg.
  • Applicants still studying for their degree should anticipate to receive it not later than 6 months after the application deadline. A provisional certificate or bona fide statement from the University, stating the examination marks already obtained, should be provided. During completion of the online application form, you will be required to upload a scanned copy of your certificates as a PDF file of not more than 5MB.
  • Degrees from countries outside the European Union are subject to a recognition procedure if a faculty of a German university is chosen. The faculty may ask for additional qualifications or an entrance examination to be completed in the early phase of the thesis work.

• Proof of English Language Skills

  A language test for English is requested for all applicants except those coming from German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), as well as native English speakers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, UK and USA. If your studies were in English, then please upload a PDF document from your University (or Director of Studies) in which this is stated and select "Degree in English" in the section "Proof of English" in the online application system.

  The following proof of English is accepted:

  • TOEFL test with a score of ≥ 95  or ≥ 5. We only accept the score mentioned in the report under ‘Total Score’ and not ‘My Best Score’.
  • IELTS certificate with an overall band score of ≥ 7.0
  • Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

  • If you are planning to take a TOEFL test for your application to the DKFZ International PhD Program, you may have the results sent directly to us by quoting the DKFZ code number, 4320, when you take the test. If not, then you will be required to upload a scanned copy of the certificate as a JPEG or PDF file of not more than 3MB.

    A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not mandatory. If you have a GRE certificate, please scan and upload this to your online application under the "Documents" section. Both English proficiency certificates and GRE score certificates can be uploaded under the tab "English Certificate".

    We also require a copy of your high school certificate.

• Letters of Recommendation

  • As part of the online application form, you are asked to provide the names and contact details of two referees. As soon as you have entered the name and contact details of your referees we will automatically send them an email with a link, requesting that they provide us with a letter of recommendation online. We only accept references from institutional (e.g. university) or organisational (e.g. company) email accounts. We do not accept references from personal email accounts.
  • Note: Please submit your application once you have completed the online form. Your letters of recommendation do not have to be submitted by your referees in order for you to submit your application.
  • However, please be aware that the deadline for your referees to submit their letters of recommendation is one day after the application deadline. Therefore, you need to make sure that you register with the online system and enter the contact details of your referees in good time, so that they have time to submit their letters before the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that they provide these letters.

 

Selection Process

Step 1: Create a login in our Online Application System, opening 6–8 weeks before each application deadline.

Step 2: Fill in the application form

• Personal and academic information: education, internships, honors, skills, and interests.
• Statement of motivation explaining why you want to pursue a PhD at DKFZ.
• Two letters of recommendation from referees using institutional email addresses.
• Choose at least 1 and up to 5 projects of interest along with a short motivation describing your interest in the projects

Step 3: Upload Documents

• Academic certificates (PDF, max 5MB each)
• English language certificate (PDF, max 5MB)

Step 4: Submit Your Application

   Click “Submit” once your application form is complete.

Your referees do not need to submit their letters before you submit, but all letters must be received by the application deadline for your application to be considered.

Our selection process has recently been updated. Please read the application guidelines handbook and FAQs carefully.

 

Application Documents

• Academic certificates (PDF, max 5MB each)
• English language certificate (PDF, max 5MB)

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Eutopia PhD Co-tutelle Call

Application Deadline

October 19, 2026

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) on www.dkfz.de to apply

???????Step 1: Create a login in our Online Application System, opening 6–8 weeks before each application deadline.

Step 2: Fill in the application form

• Personal and academic information: education, internships, honors, skills, and interests.
• Statement of motivation explaining why you want to pursue a PhD at DKFZ.
• Two letters of recommendation from referees using institutional email addresses.
• Choose at least 1 and up to 5 projects of interest along with a short motivation describing your interest in the projects

Step 3: Upload Documents

• Academic certificates (PDF, max 5MB each)
• English language certificate (PDF, max 5MB)

Step 4: Submit Your Application

   Click “Submit” once your application form is complete.

Your referees do not need to submit their letters before you submit, but all letters must be received by the application deadline for your application to be considered.