International Graduate School of Neuroscience

Application

The International Graduate School of Neuroscience accepts applications via its online portal (see link below).

The application to the IGSN consists of three parts. If you are selected for a scholarship by the IGSN, an application to the DAAD will be subsequently requested. Using the IGSN portal you should complete:

1. Online Application
2. Completion of cover sheet and additional documents after successful Online Application
3. Submission of two recommendation letters
4. (After selection by the IGSN) Application to the GSSP-program of the DAAD should follow

Online Application

Before starting your application online we strongly recommend that you prepare the following details. You may then just copy and paste most of the information into the online form.

• Personal information (name, date of birth, [e-mail-]address, etc)
• Academic history (subjects, degrees, universities, scholarships, awards, additional qualifications, languages, etc)
• Work experience (if applicable) (employer, position, etc)
• Names and contact details of two referees (incl. [e-mail-]address, URL)
• Scientific interests (preference in neuroscience, name of preferred IGSN-member)
  Please indicate the names of three researchers/faculty members participating in the program in whose laboratory you wish to pursue your research. You are urged to match your interests with the research fields of the participating investigators. Further information on the research interests of the faculty members can be obtained here.
• Thesis and research experience (if applicable) (not more than 250 words!)
  Please indicate the title of your Master’s or Diploma thesis, the name of the supervisor and the period within which the project was completed. Briefly summarize the aims of the project, key results obtained and your contribution. If you have carried out research prior to your Diploma or Master’s thesis, or since then, please describe this briefly in a separate paragraph.
• Experimental skills
• Publications, or patents (if applicable)
• Motivation for entry into program. Briefly discuss your reasons for applying to this program and for wanting to pursue advanced studies in Neuroscience
• Envisaged career
• Extracurricular interests
• Financial statement
• Research proposal. The international PhD program is strongly research-oriented. Write a short research proposal about the scientific work you would like to do. You are welcome to develop your own ideas. Alternatively, you may look up recent publications of relevant members of faculty as a starting point.

Proceed with the Online Application

Application Cover Sheet & Documents Completion

After fully completing the online application form you will receive acknowledgement of your application by email and will be asked to download an application cover sheet. Please print it out and fill in the relevant information, before returning it together with the copies of the relevant certificates and degrees to the IGSN before the application deadline.

Relevant documents are:

• Bachelor and Master’s or Diploma degree certificates and transcript of records, including grades and an explanation of the home university’s grade system. Please be advised that a notarized translation into German or English will be required.
• Documents certifying your proficiency in English
• Any documents certifying completed practical work (internships etc.)
• For applicants from China: certificate of the Academic Evaluation Center (Akademische Prüfstelle)

International Graduate School of Neuroscience
Ruhr University Bochum, FNO 01/116
Universitätsstr. 150
D-44780 Bochum
Germany

Submission of Two Recommendation Letters

Please forward the referee report form to two academic teachers of your choice (those you named in the online application) who are able to evaluate your personality, academic experience and intellectual merit. The reference letters can be enclosed to your application cover sheet, preferably in closed envelopes, or can be sent to the coordination office directly by the referees. The recommendation letters must reach us by February 28, 2024 at the latest.

Submission of Applications to the DAAD

Applicants who have been selected for a scholarship by the IGSN must submit a completed application form with all supporting documents, via the DAAD portal.

This should only be done after notification of acceptance by the IGSN.

Please click here for more information about the DAAD application.