Max Planck Postdoc Program 2025 (Fully Funded)

Applications are now open for the Max Planck Postdoc Program, a prestigious opportunity for early career researchers to advance their scientific careers within the Max Planck Society. This program is open to talented postdocs worldwide in fields such as Biology & Medicine, Chemistry, Physics & Technology, and Human Sciences. The next application deadline is October 13, 2025, for the call opening on September 1, 2025. The program offers fully funded positions with a minimum three-year contract. Eligible applicants must have completed their doctorate within the last 10 years. There is no application fee, and candidates can apply for multiple positions through a streamlined online portal. You can check out more fellowships here

Key Details

• Fields of Research: Biology & Medicine, Chemistry, Physics & Technology, Human Sciences
• Application Deadline: October 13, 2025
• Eligibility: Postdocs with a doctorate completed within the last 10 years
• Funding: Fully funded with a minimum 3-year contract (€2,500 basic allowance + €123 material expense allowance, plus additional subsidies)
• Application Fee: None

Key Benefits

The Max Planck Postdoc Program provides a range of benefits to support your career development:

• Guaranteed Contract: A minimum of three years of employment under the TVöD (public sector employment) framework or, in some cases, a stipend.
• Mentorship Program: Access to targeted mentoring from experts within Max Planck Institutes or industry.
• Career Workshops: Within two years, participate in workshops to explore career paths in academia, industry, or entrepreneurship.
• Planck Academy Resources: Tailored seminars on project management, science communication, leadership, and work-life balance.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers through the Max Planck PostdocNet and LeadNet for interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Support for Women Scientists: Programs like Sign-Up and Minerva-FemmeNet offer workshops and mentorship for women postdocs.
• Family and Dual-Career Support: Access to childcare facilities, equal opportunity programs, and assistance for international applicants relocating to Germany.
• Industry Track: Support for transitioning to careers in industry or the public sector.

Best opportunity: CoCirculation3 Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Turkey

Funding for International Postdocs

International postdocs (whose primary residence was abroad before starting) can apply for scholarships to support short research stays. Funding includes:

• Basic Scholarship Allowance: €2,500
• Material Expense Allowance: €123
• Supplementary Allowances:
  • €260 for an accompanying spouse (minimum stay of 3 months)
  • Subsidies for travel and luggage costs to and from Germany

Eligibility requires a doctorate completed within the last 10 years at the start of the fellowship.

Also check: Canon Foundation Research Fellowship In Europe and Japan

Application Process

The application process is streamlined through an online portal, where candidates can filter positions by location and research area. Here’s how to apply:

1. Create an Account: Register or log in to the Max Planck application platform.
2. Prepare Documents: Submit all documents in English, including:
   • Cover letter
   • CV with a list of publications
   • Summary of previous research experience
   • Statement of interest in the position
   • Contact details of 2–3 references for letters of recommendation
3. Submit Application: Upload documents and submit through the portal.
4. Apply for Multiple Positions: Duplicate your application from the dashboard for multiple positions, making position-specific adjustments as needed.
5. Review Process: After the deadline, principal investigators review applications. Successful candidates are notified via the system and may receive offers from multiple institutes.

Important: Check specific requirements for each position and note the application deadline of October 13, 2025, for the upcoming call.

Postdoc at Harvard: Environmental Fellows Program 2026 at Harvard University

Available Postdoctoral Positions

Below is the complete list of postdoctoral opportunities available in the September 2025 call, categorized by field and location:

Biology & Medicine

• RNAi Mechanisms in Planarian Flatworms
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
• Postdoctoral Position in Organic Chemistry / Chemical Biology
  • Specific Fields: Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics
• Ecological and Evolutionary Role of Specialized Bacteria in Algae Health and Carbon Sequestration
  • Specific Fields: Immunobiology, Molecular Medicine, Microbiology
• Genomics and Evolution of Carnivory in Mushroom-Forming Fungi
  • Specific Fields: Organismic Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI
• Mechanistic Cognition in the Transparent Fish, Danionella cerebrum
  • Specific Fields: Neurobiology and Behavior
• Dissecting Epigenome Maintenance on Sister Chromatids
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics
• Bioinformatic Analysis of the Functions of Chromatin-Associated Factors
  • Specific Fields: Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI
• Gene Dosage Compensation in Flies
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
• Investigating the Physiological Roles of the Lysine Acetyltransferase MOF in Mammals
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
• Membrane Control of Biogenic Crystallization
  • Specific Fields: Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
• Modelling and Correcting Vascular Malformations
  • Specific Fields: Immunobiology, Molecular Medicine, Microbiology
• Identifying Novel Ways of Inducing Effective Angiogenesis and the Development of Arteries
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI, Immunobiology, Molecular Medicine, Microbiology
• New Methods for High-Throughput Single-Cell Functional Genetics
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI
• Molecular and Computational Analyses of 3D Genome Regulation
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics, Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI
• Mechanisms of Meiotic Recombination
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics
• Studies of Meiosis in Mammalian Oocytes
  • Specific Fields: Cell and Developmental Biology, Genetics, Biochemistry, Structural Biology, Chemical Biology, Biophysics
• Postdoc Position in Integrative Structural Biology
  • Specific Fields: Computational Biology, Big Data, Machine Learning/AI
• Postdoctoral Researcher in the Brain Algorithms and Circuits Group
  • Specific Fields: Neurobiology and Behavior

Also Check: Emmanuel College Research Fellowships 2026 

Chemistry, Physics & Technology

• Particle Physics, Cosmology, and Geometry
  • Specific Fields: Computer Science and Mathematics, Physics
• Predictability of Turbulent Flows
  • Specific Fields: Physics, Earth Science
• Prize Fellowships and Postdoctoral Positions in Exoplanet Characterization
  • Specific Fields: Astronomy and Astrophysics
• System Security
  • Specific Fields: Computer Science and Mathematics
• Postdoctoral Research Associate in Sum-Frequency Generation Microscopy of Biomolecular Self-Assembly
  • Specific Fields: Chemistry

Human Sciences

• Cognitive Maps in the Human Brain: Towards a Mechanistic Understanding of Learning, Memory, and Structural Representations
  • Specific Fields: Human Cognitive Sciences
• Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biomarker Analysis and Urban-Environment Interactions
  • Specific Fields: Social Anthropology, Archaeology