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International Max Planck Research School "Chemical Communication in Ecological Systems"

The 2025 Call for PhD positions will go online on March 12. Please apply here.

We are an International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) that is jointly organized by the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (MPI-CE) and the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (FSU). The main focus of our school is the use of molecular, analytical and neurobiological techniques to explore chemical communication in nature. We study communication between plants, animals, microbes and their environment, as well as its ecology and evolution.

Admission to the school is possible either through the annual recruitment or a written application to the school committee. Each year, up to five IMPRS doctoral positions are awarded following a competitive, worldwide call for applications. Doctoral researchers participate in a 3-year structured program that includes lectures, practical courses, outreach activities, and an annual symposium. All courses are held in English. The doctoral degree is granted by the Friedrich Schiller University.

 

Upcoming IMPRS events

Claudia Voelckel

Science or Fiction?
Jan 19, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)

Juliane Handschuh

Diversity and Inclusion in Science - From Awareness to Action
Jan 23, 2026 10:45 AM - 04:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Room: Seminar room A1.009 and A1.011

Matthew Agler

Phototrophs and the origins of plant-microbe interactions
Jan 26, 2026 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)

Ute A. Hellmich

How receptor dynamics shape signaling outputs - a structural perspective on more than just ligand binding
Feb 2, 2026 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hybrid lecture (online via zoom & MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)

Nicole van Dam and guests

Molecular and chemical interaction ecology
Feb 16, 2026 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany) - Feb 27, 2026 04:00 PM
Dornburger Str. 159, Institute of Ecology, Room: SR2 (aka “the room under the roof”)

Veit Grabe

Adobe Illustrator consultation hours
Feb 24, 2026
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Room: A1.014

Grit Kunert

Introduction to basic statistics and R
Mar 9, 2026 08:30 AM (Local Time Germany) - Mar 13, 2026 01:00 PM
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Room: Seminar room A1.009 and A1.011

Yvonne Brockhaus

Jobhunting beyond academia – Getting your new job easier, faster and better-paid thanks to social media
Mar 18, 2026 - Mar 19, 2026
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Room: Seminar room A1.009 and A1.011

Bartlett Warren-Kretzschmar

Academic writing - How to create good texts
Mar 26, 2026 09:00 AM (Local Time Germany) - Mar 27, 2026 04:00 PM
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Room: Seminar room A1.009 and A1.011

Sarah O'Connor, Jonathan Gershenzon and colleagues

Mini lecture series "Natural products"
Apr 13, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany) - Apr 17, 2026 03:00 PM
Presence lecture series (MPI-CE, A1.009 + A1.011)
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