Frequently Asked Questions
The International Helmholtz Research School (IHRS) offers positions for graduate students leading to a Ph.D. within 3 years. IHRS students will be employed at the Forschungszentrum Jülich or at one of the cooperating universities. The salary is comparable with the salary that is offered by other leading research schools. Applications will be accepted at any time.
Whom should I contact if I wish to apply?- Is it sufficient if I just send my C.V. as an attachment?
- I have not received an acknowledgment of application. What can I do?
- When will I be informed about the status of my application?
- Do you have an foreign advisory's office?
- Do I need a visa, and if yes, what type?
- How do I get a visa?
- When does the programme begin?
- Will I be helped after the arrival at the airport or station?
- Where will I live??
- What about registration and visa prolongation?
- What about health insurance??
- What do I need for an employment at the Research Centre Juelich?
- What do I need for university enrolment?
- What about a bank account?
- When will I receive my first money?
- How much money should I bring with me?
- What credit cards are accepted?
- Is there a possibility, or do I even have to learn German?
- Can I bring my husband/wife with me, and can they work in Germany?
- Will all costs regarding my travel to Juelich be reimbursed?
- How is the climate at Juelich?
- What if I have further questions?
- Whom should I contact if I wish to apply?
In all matters concerning your application, you should address all your inquiries to the Coordinator's office, ideally by e-mail: 
admission_biosoft@fz-juelich.de
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- Is it sufficient if I just send my CV as an attachment?
No! Every month, we receive dozens of "mass" application e-mails with an attached CV. This type of application - with no obvious /specific/ interest - is generally ignored and left unanswered. You will only be registered as applicant - and considered for admission - if you submit the completed application form, your CV, and scans of the relevant degrees and transcripts (BSc and MSc).
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- I have not received an acknowledgment of application. What can I do?
Usually, we respond within 1 to 5 days after receipt of your application. Weekends, holidays (especially Christmas and New Year) or technical problems may prolong our usual response times. If you have not received a response after a week, use the following scheme:
Check whether you have sent your application to admission_biosoft@fz-juelich.de. If not, resend your application.
Did you specify your E-Mail address correctly in the application form? If not, send us a mail with the correct address, your name and date of birth in the message text.
If both E-Mail addresses are correct, but you still haven't heard from us: send an inquiry to admission_biosoft@fz-juelich.de, fax us or call us (workdays between 8.a.m and 4 p.m. German time).
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- When will I be informed about the status of my application?
A first update will be sent out by e-mail two to three weeks after the application deadline. Candidates who are not rejected at this stage will go through a second review process, including validation of grades and references, interviews etc. The exact date however depends to some extent on the total number and quality of applications.
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- Do you have an foreign advisory's office?
Yes, we do. In case, you are accepted as a PhD student of the International Helmholtz Research School, you can contact our office to clarify your questions regarding your stay in Germany.
Please have a look at: http://www.fz-juelich.de/gp/auslaenderbetreuung/
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- Do I need a visa, and if yes, what type?
Please have a look at: http://www.fz-juelich.de/gp/entry-regulations/
to find out whether you need a visa or not.
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- How do I get a visa?
You have to submit in person an application for a student visa to the respective German mission abroad. Immediately after acceptance, we will send by courier to you a formal letter of invitation for presentation to the German Embassy (in English). As soon as you receive these documents, you should apply for the visa. Although the visa issuing process is usually completed within five to ten working days, it may sometimes take several weeks.
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- When does the programme begin?
Lectures start at the beginning of each new semester. Please have a look at our homepage: http://www.ihrs-biosoft.de/curriculum/
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- Will I be helped after the arrival at the airport or station?
This is simple. Just inform us about your arrival date and time, and we will pick you up at the airport/train station and guide you to your place.
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- Where will I live?
We try to find for you an apartment in Juelich.
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- What about registration and visa prolongation?
During the "start-up-weeks", specialised staff of our administration will accompany you to register with the local authorities and to obtain your "residence permit".
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- What about health insurance?
Health insurance ("Krankenversicherung") in Germany is mandatory for all students and researchers and their families accompanying them. What has to be covered is medical treatment in the event of serious illness and accidents in Germany.
Research stay based on a fellowship:
If you have a fellowship you can only opt for private insurance cover - either via an insurance company in Germany or an insurance company in your own country. You should ask the organisation awarding the fellowship for a recommendation.
Research stay based on an employment contract:
If you are employed on the basis of an employment contract it depends on your income whether you can take out private or statutory insurance cover.
In Germany, health insurance is compulsory for all employees. Those whose current gross annual income is less than 47.700 Euros have to be insured by a statutory health insurance company or a company health insurance fund. Contributions to these statutory health insurance companies are fixed at a certain percentage of gross earnings (between 12% and 15%). You are free to choose the statutory health insurance company and it is worth making comparisons.
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- What do I need for an employment at the Research Centre Juelich?
These documents are absolutely necessary:
- personal data sheed (signed)
- a recommendation letter of your M.Sc.-supervisor
- your highschool diploma or qualification of admission to higher education
- your university degrees
- a copy of your master thesis (if your master thesis is not written in English, prepare an English summary and sign it)
- transcript of records (credits, academic records)
- photograph (as in your passport)
- certificate of birth
- certificate of marriage
- polizeiliches Führungszeugnis (Germans only)
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- What do I need for university enrolment?
- personal data sheed (signed)
- a recommendation letter of your M.Sc.-supervisor
- your highschool diploma or qualification of admission to higher education (certified)
- your B.Sc. and M.Sc. diploma (certified)
- your university degrees (certified)
- a copy of your master thesis (if your master thesis is not written in English, prepare an English summary and sign it)
- -transcript of records (credits, academic records)
- photograph (as in your passport)
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- What about a bank account?
You will need a bank account and we will help you with the opening of an account after your arrival.
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- When will I receive my first money?
Payments will be done every 1. of the following month. In emergency cases and only if we received all necessary documents, it is possible to receive advanced payments.
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- How much money should I bring with me?
In case you have provided us with all necessary documents and opened your bank account, you can receive your first salary at the end of the month. In urgent cases, and only if all documents are on hand, an advance payment can be disbursed. So, you don't have to carry too much money with you.
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- What credit cards are accepted?
Credit cards (notably Master's and VISA) are widely accepted in hotels, department stores travel agencies, gas stations etc., but rarely at your grocery store around the corner. Traveller's cheques (in EUR or US$) are a safe alternative to cash.
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- Is there a possibility, or do I even have to learn German?
You will take German classes, so that you can acquire knowledge of the German language necessary for every day life (shopping etc.).
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- Can I bring my husband/wife with me, and can they work in Germany?
Yes, you can. But be aware that, when entering Germany as an "accompanying spouse", your husband/wife is not entitled to apply for a work permit (For EU residents, different regulations apply). If you need information on the current legal situation, please visit the website of the German Federal Foreign Office and inquire at the respective German mission, if necessary.
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- Will all costs regarding my travel to Juelich be reimbursed?
We will reimburse all direct travel costs, provided that you choose the cheapest travel option (i.e. flight and/or train ticket in 2nd/economy class only). Excess luggage fees cannot be refunded!
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- What is the climate at Juelich?
Juelich's climate is moderate. In summer (i.e. June to September) day temperatures can vary between 15°C and 35°C. Stable highs may provide weeks of hot and dry weather, but you may also experience shorter periods of cool days with summer rains. The winter is comparatively mild, temperatures may drop below 0°C occasionally (or, in cold years, for two to three weeks).
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- What if I have further questions?
Send us an e-mail: admission_biosoft@fz-juelich.de
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