The International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Brain & Behavior

IMPRS for Brain & Behavior is a PhD program in Bonn, Germany that offers a multidisciplinary PhD training and research program in the field of neuroethology. The research groups in the program aim to understand how the collective activity of the vast numbers of interconnected neurons in the brain gives rise to the diversity of animal behavior. Gaining a full understanding of brain circuity underlying a specific behavior requires a combination of research approaches focusing on different levels of detail - ranging from the anatomical reconstruction of neural circuits to imaging the activity of neurons in the brains of freely moving animals and the quantitative behavioral analysis of natural behavior. 

IMPRS for Brain & Behavior is a collaboration between the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – caesar (MPINB), the University of Bonn, and the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) in Bonn.

Current PhD Students

IMPRS for Brain & Behavior currently has 39 PhD students coming from 20 different countries. Our program is very international with more than half of the PhD students coming from outside of Germany. 16 out of 39 of our PhD students are female. Since IMPRS for Brain & Behavior research groups work on interdisciplinary topics, our PhD students have different educational backgrounds. They have degrees in neuroscience, biology, physics, mathematics, medicine, cognitive science, and psychology among others.

Our Offer

• Immersion in a stimulating scientific culture of interaction and international cooperation
• State-of-the-art facilities with novel scientific technologies and advanced infrastructure
• Possibility of lab rotations in the first 6 months of your PhD
• Neuroethology boot camp
• Flexible starting date between February and November each year
• Dedicated support and mentoring personnel
• Competitive salary funded for the whole duration of studies and no tuition fees
• A multitude of training opportunities and career support
• Travel grants to join international conferences