PhD programme

Offering a world-class international training environment, the school engages highly qualified and motivated graduate students at the forefront of research in multimessenger astronomy. PhD students will work with world-leading scientists and benefit from their complementary expertise in theory and experiments involving the various messengers.

Collaboration between students and researchers at the partner institutions is facilitated through a lively exchange program. The professional training of students includes data science as a supporting component of the school. Annual meetings of students and PIs are foreseen. Furthermore, the school offers a number of individual measures to promote career development.

Depending on the primary location (Germany or Israel), the PhD will be earned either at Humboldt-University Berlin, at the University of Potsdam, or at the Weizmann Institute of Science (for a list of prospective supervisors see members). In a few cases the school accepts also students with supervisors from only one of the two countries. These students are admitted as fellows.

Doctoral committee and doctoral agreement 

The participants of the school will be supervised by a doctoral committee consisting of three scientists including the supervisor, one scientist from the partner institute and a third impartial member not directly involved in the thesis to make sure the student also has an uninvolved mentor (in case of problems). After the admittance to the school and an orientation phase, a first meeting of the doctoral committee is to be held, where the thesis concept, including scientific and interdisciplinary goals, a study plan, the planned transferable skill courses and the timeline for the stay abroad are discussed. The student implements the feedback from the committee into what becomes the doctoral agreement.

The doctoral committee will then have a meeting once per year (e.g. 5, 18 and 30 months into the thesis for a 3 year thesis), at which a report on the progress made is prepared by the student. Possible adjustments of the thesis concept are presented and discussed there. Starting with the next-to-last meeting the steps required to finish the PhD project will be addressed. At the last meeting the committee will also advise the student on possible career options, taking into account his or her achievements as well as the personal interests of the student. Furthermore, in case of unanticipated delays or changes in the focus of the thesis, the committee will be consulted.