Supervision and Curriculum

The IMPRS-EPPC is a structured graduate program that provides enhanced education and scientific guidance to its members. Education builds on block lectures, discussion meetings, and soft-skill seminars. Guidance through the Ph.D. program is warrented through thesis advisory committees.

Upcoming block course:

Fall block course 2024: Details will be announced later

Previous block courses:

Fall block course 2021: program link, Lectures (password proctected)

Spring block course 2022: program link, Lectures (password protected)

Fall block course 2022: program link, Lectures (password proctected)

Spring block course 2023: program link, Lectures (password protected)

Fall hands-on block course 2023: program overview

Spring block course 2024: program overview

Supervision:

The members of the IMPRS-EPPC are granted the Ph.D. title by the University associated with their main supervisor, which is one of the principle investigators of the IMPRS-EPPC. Additionally, the IMPRS-EPPC implements a thesis advisory committee (TAC) to monitor the progress of each Ph.D. project. The regulations for these TACs are adapted from the guidelines given out by the Max-Planck-Society. 

TAC - thesis advisory committee:

Upon starting the program, each IMPRS student is required to set up their TAC by choosing three senior scientists that will be responsible for monitoring the progress of the Ph.D. project. The committee will meet at least once 18-21 months into the project for a formal mid-term exam. Based on the progress of the project at this point, further meetings will ensure successful graduation of the Ph.D. candidate.  

Curriculum:

The curriculum for our Ph.D. members consists of the following components:

Block Courses:

We offer two block courses each year, typcially comprising of one full week of lectures covering both the fundamentals as well the advanced methods in physical chemistry. These lectures are given by the principle investigators of the school as well as senior scientists from the FHI and the participating university groups. We also regularly organize special Block Courses, such as hands-on lab classes or student-organized retreats.  

Discussion Meetings:

The members of the IMPRS informally meet every 2 months to exchange their knowledge and experience. Here, the members present their research progress to the other members of the IMPRS in the form of status report after 15 months and a final report just before defending their theses. These reports usually trigger extensive and vivid discussions between members. 

Soft-Skill Seminars:

The IMPRS typically offers 4 two-day soft-skill courses per year to its members, covering subjects such as "Academic Writing", "Effective Presentation", "Project Management", or "Stress Management".