Lise Meitner Research Group
(Tenure track positions at Max Planck Institutes)
Applications will be accepted until April 15th 2026.
“Free science is as natural as free breathing.” – Lise Meitner
The Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.) is a world-leading, independent, non-profit research organization with the goal of promoting cutting-edge basic research. Within 85 Max Planck Institutes, almost 26,000 employees pursue basic research in broad areas of life and natural sciences as well as humanities, social sciences and law and have a strong interest in innovative and interdisciplinary research areas.
Lise Meitner Research Group
(Tenure track positions at Max Planck Institutes)
The Max Planck Society invites outstanding applicants to apply for tenure-track Lise Meitner Research Group Leader positions. The appointments will be made in partnership with suitable Max Planck Institutes according to the applicants’ research topics. With the Lise Meitner Excellence Program, the Max Planck Society expressly aims to attract and promote the careers of outstanding female scientists who are at an early stage of their scientific career and have a documented track record of independent and innovative research.
The successful candidates will be offered a Lise Meitner Research Group at a suitable Max Planck Institute for an initial period of six years plus one additional year for maternal leave. The funding package includes a W2 tenure-track position (equivalent to assistant/associate professor), resources for scientific staff and running costs as well as a start-up package. Upon successful tenure evaluation, four to five years after the start of the group, the W2 position and the financial support will be continued. For particularly outstanding group leaders, however, this evaluation can also be carried out at any time beforehand. Further career development is possible including consideration for a Max Planck Director position within the Max Planck Society.
The purpose of the Lise Meitner Excellence Program is to increase the number of outstanding women scientists in the Max Planck Society. Therefore, the program primarily focuses on the recruitment of outstanding woman scientists, though it is open to all applicants (for details, see Lise Meitner Excellence Program: FAQs). Furthermore, the MPG is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.
Your application should include:
- a cover letter,
- a CV,
- a list of publications,
- a one-page summary of scientific achievements, (written for a non-specialist),
- a research statement of max. three to five pages (written for a specialist audience)*,
- access to / and / or copy of three most important publications*.
combined in one PDF file.
You are also required to invite two reviewers to upload recommendation letters for you to the application portal.
Only necessary for applicants in the field of the Chemistry, Physics and Technical Section: Please provide a host letter from at least one Max Planck Institute in the relevant research areas*.
To submit your application online, please visit https://lme.cloud.opencampus.net/
The deadline for applications is April 15, 2026 (23:59 CET).
If you are invited to present at a Symposium the dates are as follows:
Biology and Medicine Section: 23 to 25 September 2026, Berlin
Human Sciences Section: 22 to 23 September 2026, Berlin
Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section: 17 to 18 September 2026, Garching
More information about the Max Planck Society and its institutes.
* For more details about the program (including further application instructions), please visit the FAQs page.