Promotion of young scientists in ageing research

The aim of “IMPRS-Age”, the new graduate school, is to train and promote talented junior scientists. While working for their doctorates, young men and women from all over the world can take part in a 3-year training programme of intensive learning and research and so prepare themselves for a career in the field of ageing research and research into age-associated disorders.

The acronym “IMPRS” stands for “International Max Planck Research School”. There are presently 66 such graduate schools within the Max Planck Society. Since 2000 the IMPRS have become an integral part of the advancement programme for doctoral students.

An IMPRS provides an excellent environment for young scientists of exceptional talent working towards obtaining a PhD. The programme generally involves close collaboration with universities and other partner organisations.

In the case of IMPRS-Age, intensive cooperation is planned with the graduate programme already established at CECAD. CECAD at the University of Cologne, one of the clusters of excellence funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), also focuses on research into ageing and age-related disorders.

Managing Director, Linda Partridge, “We offer our graduate students a great chance to achieve fulfilment in a vibrant scientific atmosphere”

Another partner in the graduate programme is the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Neurological Research, which, like the MPI for Biology of Ageing, is sited on the campus of Cologne University and University Hospital. This means that the IMPRS-Age PhD students can reach partner organisations, for seminars or other activities, on foot. The third regional partner in the group, the neurosciences research centre caesar (center for advanced european studies and research) is a little further away in Bonn. Students may need to hop on a plane to visit the partner institutions in other countries: Summer schools and exchanges are planned with University College London, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and the University of Goteborg in Sweden.

From September this year, students from all over the world with a diploma or master’s in biology can submit applications. Successful candidates will be able to begin their doctoral studies in Cologne early in 2013. The young scientists will receive their doctoral degrees from the University of Cologne.