BioInterfaces is an interdisciplinary research programme of the Helmholtz association at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg. In a team effort, researchers from different scientific fields and disciplines systematically examine the interactions of living cells with natural and technical environments. In this way we learn from nature and so rationally design new tools to control or mimic living systems for biomedical, biotechnological and synthetic biology applications.

The BioInterfaces International Graduate School offers unique opportunities for students that are interested to work at the interfaces between biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and informatics. Due to the highly interdisciplinary nature of the BioInterfaces Programme, research projects combine state-of-the-art approaches from these major research fields. This gives students the chance to become familiar with diverse experimental approaches and techniques and to combine them through interdisciplinary exchange between research groups. Our students benefit greatly from a unique research training that opens new horizons compared to a more traditional "single discipline" focused career. This provides the students with special opportunities to use their skills in a rapidly advancing field of complex and interdisciplinary scientific challenges.

The aim of the BioInterfaces International Graduate School is to provide an interdisciplinary environment in which the students are introduced to various major research fields. The BioInterfaces International Graduate School aims to attract outstanding students from different countries. The teaching language is thus English and all courses and lecture series are held in English. Furthermore, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Heidelberg have both agreed to permit thesis defenses in English. The BioInterfaces International Graduate School has a strong commitment to promote women in science. Thus, as a step towards gender equality, the school aims to invite an equal percentage of female and male applicants for interviews.

The BioInterfaces International Graduate School is linked with both the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Heidelberg . Both universities were selected as one of nine elite universities in the recent ranking of universities in Germany. The University of Karlsruhe has united with the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe to form the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). In addition to offering the right to graduate, both Universities contribute scientifically to the BioInterfaces International Graduate School. While the KIT is more technically oriented, the University of Heidelberg has an emphasis on biomedical research and basic physics of surface interactions and microscopy. The partnership with these two universities thus offers complementary scientific strengths and provides the BioInterfaces International Graduate School with a regional research focus.

These two universities are the main institutions where students graduate. Affiliation of students with other universities are also considered if the graduation of the student is guaranteed at the respective institution under the conditions required by the BioInterfaces International Graduate School (i.e. dissertation in English, PhD thesis work and supervisor at KIT or the University of Heidelberg). The management organization of the BioInterfaces International Graduate School provides the administrative framework for the coordination of the school‘s activities and for optimal support of the students during their PhD. The day-to-day matters concerning the school and students are organized by a manager supported by an administrative assistant.

Participating Institutes

The different Institutes from KIT and the University of Heidelberg participating in the BioInterfaces programme and taking part in the BioInterfaces International Graduate School can be found here.