FAQs for centrally announced open-topic MPRG
This FAQ is intended for informational purposes only. It does not establish any rights or obligations regarding employment opportunities. All employment decisions remain at the sole discretion of the employer.
A. Target Group
1. What is a Max Planck Research Group (MPRG)?
Max Planck Research Groups are small, independent research units, hosted at Max Planck
Institutes (MPI). The groups offer early- to mid-career researchers with a doctorate an exceptional opportunity to start or accelerate their independent career, complete with their own budget and personnel responsibilities, and the chance to gain further high-level qualifications.
2. What is the difference between the centrally announced Max Planck Research Groups and institute-specific Max Planck Research Groups?
Centrally announced Max Planck Research Group Leader Positions (as is the case for this call) have a term of six years (with the possibility of a one-time extension of up to three additional years). These positions are not linked to specific research topics predetermined by an MPI. Instead, applicants propose their own individual research project and name the institute(s) at which they would like to work. The call for applications is usually announced by the MPG headquarters once a year.
Institute-specific Max Planck Research Group Leader Positions have a term of six years (with the possibility of a one-time extension of up to three additional years). Usually, the positions relate to a particular research field selected by the MPI where the group is located. The availability of institute-specific MPRG Leader positions depends on the resources and space available at the respective MPI. These opportunities, when available, are advertised by the institutes themselves.
3. How are Max Planck Research Groups resourced?
MPRG Leaders are offered internationally competitive packages for personnel, equipment, and yearly operating costs. The group leader’s salary (German W2) is similar to that of an assistant or non-tenured associate professorship in the United States. The total funding corresponds to the level of top-tier, international career development programmes and amounts to up to 2.7 million euros (for the initial six years). Furthermore, MPRG Leaders are bestowed a great deal of individual flexibility and, if necessary, may employ the funds allocated to them according to need.
4. Who is the open topic call for Max Planck Research Group Leaders aimed at?
Max Planck Research Groups are small, independent research units hosted at Max Planck Institutes. They are aimed at outstanding early- to mid-career researchers who hold a doctorate and wish to establish or further develop an independent research profile with their own budget and personnel responsibility.
5. What are the criteria for applications to succeed?
You should be able to provide evidence of initial steps towards scientific independence during the early stages of your career in science, e.g. in the form of independent projects, and be able to show outstanding innovative scientific achievements. You should ideally also have already acquired initial experience as a group leader. Another selection criterion is the thematic fit with a suitable institute.
6. Is the MPRG program only open to scientists from Germany?
No. The Max Planck Society is looking for the best and most motivated and talented scientists worldwide. Applications from both national and international candidates are equally welcome. The Max Planck Society is committed to gender equality and diversity and expressly encourages applications from groups that are currently underrepresented in science, as well as from severely disabled persons.
7. Are Max Planck Research Group Leaders expected to teach?
Teaching is not formally required. However, MPRG Leaders are free to become involved in the training of early-career scientists at a local university.
8. Is there an age limit?
There is no age limit. However, the call is aimed at talented early- to mid-career researchers. Ideally, applicants should have completed their PhD no more than seven years ago (PhD in medicine: no more than nine years ago). If this recommended academic age is exceeded, applicants should provide a detailed explanation of their ongoing suitability in their cover letter.
9. How do family breaks affect the postdoctoral period?
The Max Planck Society expressly welcomes applications from early-career scientists who were awarded their doctorates more than nine years ago and haven’t been able to apply sooner as a result of family-related breaks or interruptions. We therefore ask about family-related interruptions or breaks in the application form of the application database. Please outline these times also in the cover letter so that they can be considered during the selection process.
10. Are there fixed regulations regarding the crediting of family-related interruptions in relation to the time after finishing the PhD?
No, there is no fixed regulation. Each application is assessed individually and is decided on a case-by-case basis. It is therefore important to inform us of any family-related interruption in the application database and in the cover letter.
B. Application Process
11. There are so-called “sections” mentioned. What does this mean, and in which section should I apply?
The Max Planck Institutes conduct research in the fields of life sciences, natural sciences and the humanities. Though many institutes work on an interdisciplinary basis, the institutes are divided into three so-called sections:
The Biology and Medicine Section (BMS)
The Human Sciences Section (HSS)
The Chemistry, Physics and Technical Section (CPTS)
Please choose the section according to your research field. The assignment of the research areas to the respective sections can be found below.
12. Which Research Area in the application database belongs to which Section?
Biology and Medicine Section (BMS):
- Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics
- Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
- Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning / AI
- Immunobiology, Molecular Medicine, Microbiology
- Neurobiology and Behavior
- Organismic Biology, Ecology and Evolution
Human Science Section (GSHS):
- Cultural Sciences and Legal Studies
- Human Cognitive Sciences & Natural Sciences
- Social- and Behavioral Sciences
Chemistry, Physics and Technical Section (CPTS):
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Chemistry
- Complex Systems
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Materials Research
- Physics
13. Is there one central application for the program?
Yes. The centrally announced MPRG call is an open-topic call. Applicants propose their own research project and select one or more host institutes from the participating institutes listed in the application portal.
14. Which institutes are participating in the call?
Only institutes listed as selectable host institutes in the application portal are participating in the respective call.
15. Should I contact my preferred Max Planck Institute before applying?
Yes, in any case. In this way, common areas of interest can be identified with the institute, and it can be determined whether an institute is fundamentally interested and able to provide premises and resources for an MPRGL.
16. Can I apply to more than one institute?
Yes. You may indicate more than one preferred host institute. However, you can only be employed at one Max Planck Institute. One institute must serve as the host institute; collaborations with other institutes are possible.
17, Can I choose host institutes from different sections?
Yes. The choice of host institute(s) is independent from the choice of section. The section determines which selection committee evaluates your application. You may only apply to one section.
18. Can I apply if I am already or have been previously employed at a Max Planck Institute?
Yes. In terms of career development, it is usually better to establish your independent research at a different institute. However, there may occasionally be good reasons for choosing a MPI where you are currently employed or already have been employed as the optimal location for your future research project.
C. Application Documents
19. Which documents are required?
Only applications submitted via the online application portal will be considered. Required documents are specified in the call text and the application portal.
Depending on the Section you choose your application should include the following documents:
Biology and Medicine Section (BMS)
- a cover letter;
- a CV highlighting past research accomplishments;
- a list of publications in which the applicant should identify the three most important papers that they have written. If they are not the first author, they should quantitatively specify their contribution to the paper;
- a research summary limited to one page and written for a non-specialist, which explains the main goals of the research work and why the applicant’s preferred MPI and their proposed MPRG would be a good match;
- a research proposal of no more than three pages total including all references, figures, and tables, written for a specialist;
- links to or copies of the three most important papers;
- two letters of recommendation.
Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section (CPTS)
- a cover letter;
- a CV;
- a list of publications in which the applicant should identify the three most important papers that they have written. If they are not the first author, they should quantitatively specify their contribution to the paper;
- a research summary limited to one page (11 point type, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 25mm margins on 4 sides) and written for a non-specialist, which explains the main goals of the research work and why the applicant’s preferred MPI and their proposed MPRG would be a good match;
- a research proposal of no more than three pages total (11 point type, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 25mm margins on 4 sides) including all references, figures, and tables, written for a specialist;
- links to or copies of the three most important papers;
- two letters of recommendation.
Human Sciences Section (HSS)
- a cover letter;
- a CV;
- a list of publications in which the applicant should identify the three most important papers that they have written. If they are not the first author, they should quantitatively specify the their contribution to the paper;
- a research summary limited to one page (11 point type, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 25mm margins on 4 sides) and written for a non-specialist, which explains the main goals of the research work and why the applicant’s preferred MPI and their proposed MPRG would be a good match;
- a research proposal of five pages total (11 point type, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 25mm margins on 4 sides) including all references, figures, and tables, written for a specialist;
- links to or copies of the three most important papers;
- two letters of recommendation.
20. What should be written in the research proposal?
There is no right or wrong way to structure your research proposal. The proposal should focus on the research project you would like to conduct as a Max Planck Research Group Leader. You may include information on budget, group composition, or timelines if you wish, but this is not required. Each project is unique and may therefore follow a different structure.
21. What should be written in the research summary?
The research summary refers to current and previous research achievements, which you should outline in one page for a non-specialist to read.
22. What can I include in the publication list and what papers can I submit?
If your section-specific instructions for application include the submission of papers, please do not submit work that is currently undergoing peer review. Preprints or manuscripts that have been accepted by a journal will be considered as long as they are marked as such. Please submit papers or journal articles only. Instead of a paper or journal article, it is also possible to submit a book chapter along with a short summary of the book. The submitted work must be in English.
There is only one exception in the legal studies: Here, you can submit your publication in the original language, provided you also provide an English summary.
23. Do the application documents have to be written in English?
Yes. The selection committees are made up of international members. That is why we are only able to accept applications and letters of recommendation written in English. If your section requires the submission of papers, only papers published in English can be accepted for the same reason.
24. Are there formal criteria as to how the documents must be laid out?
There is one mandatory requirement for applications in all sections: The documents must be written in English (please also refer to: ‘Do the application documents have to be written in English?’).
The summary of research summary as well as the research proposal must be written in the format as indicated in the call for your specific Section. If there are no layout requirements posted in the call, you are free to choose an appropriate one yourself. (Please refer to: ‘Which documents are required’ for detailed information).
Please also note that application is only possible during the call and only application documents submitted via the online application portal will be considered.
25. Can I modify my application after the deadline?
Adjustments after the deadline has passed are not possible. This includes all documents of the application. Requests to correct information cannot be processed either. Please make sure you submit the right documents within the application deadline.
D. Reference letters
26. Who can be a referee?
Referees should be able to assess your academic achievements and leadership potential. Letters may come from individuals affiliated with the Max Planck Society or from external referees. If one referee is a Max Planck Director, the second referee must not be affiliated with the Max Planck Society. Former affiliations count if they ended less than six years ago. Referees can be former supervisors who can evaluate you and your work.
27. What should be written in the reference letter?
There is no template or formal guideline for the reference letters. Your two chosen referees should evaluate you and your work and write a recommendation for you outlining why you are suited for the desired position.
28. How should the reference letters be submitted?
We ask referees to upload the letters directly to the portal themselves to ensure there are no changes in the content and also to ensure confidentiality. Applicants should generally not see the content of reference letters because confidentiality is crucial for the letter writer to provide an honest and candid assessment. This is a standard we take seriously. Please be aware that only reference letters in electronic form (as pdf), which have been submitted by the referees themselves via the online portal, will be considered.
You can invite referees on the application portal. You will be asked to provide their names and e-mail addresses. The application portal will then send an automatic e-mail to your referee with further instructions on how to upload their reference letters and a link. You will be notified when your referee has uploaded their letter via the link. You can submit your application before the letters are uploaded. However, reference letters need to be uploaded within the application deadline as well. It is recommended to contact referees well ahead of time. The deadline for the reference letters is not extendable. Only applications that are completely in electronic form will be considered and evaluated. This holds for the required letters of recommendation, too.
29. Can I submit my application before reference letters are uploaded?
Yes. You can click on the “submit” button before all reference letters have been uploaded. However, all letters must be uploaded by the deadline by your referees. Extensions are not possible.
30. What if a referee did not upload the letter in time?
Only applications that are complete will be considered. Please make sure you ask your referees well ahead of time and remind them of the deadline. You should communicate with your referees throughout the application process and ask another referee, should one of your initial referees not be able to upload them. Reference letters submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
31. Can you reuse my reference letters from my previous application?
For data protection reasons, application documents will be deleted once the selection process is complete. It is not possible to reuse reference letters or other documents from previous applications. We ask you to request new reference letters to provide the most recent and accurate evaluation of your work.
E. Selection Process
32. How does the selection process work?
All submitted applications will be evaluated in accordance with the highest criteria of excellence. The selection process differs slightly between each section but generally involves several stages. First, the application will be checked for completeness and compliance with the guidelines. Then, the selection committee will make a pre-selection based on the application documents. The pre-selected candidates will be invited to a symposium, where they will give a presentation and be interviewed by the committee. The committee will rank the candidates according to their excellence, potential, and suitability. The final decision will be made by the President of the Max Planck Society.
33. Who are the members of the selection committee?
The Max Planck Society is divided into three sections: the Biology and Medicine Section; the Chemistry, Physics and Technology Section; and the Human Sciences Section. Each section has its own selection committee, consisting of international Max Planck Directors and external experts, as appropriate. The Vice-President of each Section chairs the commission or delegates the chair to another Max Planck Director. This committee is responsible for the pre-selection of applicants invited to the Selection Symposium as well as for the recommendations to the President after the Selection Symposium. The final selection of those who are to be appointed to a MPRGL position will be made by the President of the Max Planck Society. Applicants choose the section they want to be part of in the application portal.
34. How long does the evaluation take?
Applicants are usually informed about the result of the pre-selection approximately eight weeks after the application deadline. In some cases, decisions may take longer. We ask applicants to refrain from inquiring about their applications status. Due to reason of fairness we cannot comment on induvial applications.
35. Can I receive feedback on my application?
Although we understand your desire for individual feedback, we ask for your understanding that due to the high number of applications it is not possible for us to provide detailed feedback on the submitted documents. Each application goes through several stages of the process and is evaluated by the directors of the host institutes and various experts. Unfortunately, in the overall assessment of all applications, it can happen that some submitted documents were not rated highly enough to be selected.
36. Will I be able to re-apply after a previous rejection?
Yes, you may submit a new application with new application documents and reference letters. You will, however, receive no information about expert opinions or other feedback from the initial application, even on request. It is not possible for us to retrieve and use your previous application documents.
37. What are the prospects for subsequent career development?
The positions for MPRGL are usually limited in time. A number of researchers have been appointed director of a Max Planck Institute after their time as a research group leader. In addition, the majority of researchers have been offered a full professorship at a German or international university or a comparable position at a research institution.
The MPG is an equal opportunities employer striving for greater gender equality and diversity. Therefore, applicants from all genders are welcome. Furthermore, the MPG is committed to increasing the number of persons with severe disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages qualified researchers with severe disabilities to submit an application.
G. Technical Issues
38. I cannot create an account on the application portal.
The application portal is only open during the call. First, you need to register on the portal, after which you will receive a registration code via email. This process can take up to 45 minutes. Please also check your spam folder. If you still do not receive the registration link, you may need to try with a different email address. If you have applied before, you may already be registered and can request a new password.
39. I cannot log into my account on the application portal anymore.
Please try using a different browser or device. Should the problem still remain, try resetting your password.
40. My referee did not receive an autogenerated email for the upload of the letter of recommendation.
Please check that you have entered the correct contact details in the application portal. Refresh the page and resend the link via the portal. If your referee still does not receive an email, even in his or her spam folder, and the problem persists, please ask your referee to provide an alternative email address and try again.
41. I am a referee and the link does not work anymore.
Please note that upload links are for single use only and are only valid until the deadline. If you require a new link to upload the letter, please contact the applicant. They can resend one from the online portal.
If you experience further technical issues or still have other questions regarding the open-topic call for Max Planck Research Group Leaders, please contact mprg@gv.mpg.de.