Mind and Brain Doctoral Program

The Berlin School of Mind and Brain is an international and interdisciplinary graduate research school. It was established in 2006 and receives its funding primarily through the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments. The focus of research at the School is on the interface between the humanities and behavioral sciences with the neurosciences. Main topics of research are: ‘perception, attention, consciousness’, ‘decision-making’, ‘language’, ‘brain plasticity and lifespan ontogeny’, ‘mental disorders and brain dysfunction’, and ‘human sociality and the brain (social cognition)’. The School offers a highly successful three-year English-language doctoral program in English. In 2012, the School started a research-based English-language master’s program “Mind and Brain” (M.Sc. and M.A.) and a structured English-language postdoctoral program. To facilitate the promotion and career development of its postdoctoral members and to support their transition to the next postdoctoral level such as research group leaders, junior or tenured professorships, the Berlin School of Mind and Brain provides a structured postdoctoral program. In addition, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité University Medical School, and the other Berlin universities offer further support in many directions. The program includes: Scientific events and networking (international visibility and networking through conferences, workshops or talks that you initiate, organize and host at M&B); research and/or conference grant applications (support for your third-party grant applications including advice on budgeting); scientific exchange and monitoring (monthly informal meetings for groups based at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain), career development, career counseling, mentoring, workshops and courses, collegial advice and coaching; generous travel grant support; development of key competencies (scientific soft-skill courses) and teaching skills (e.g., teaching portfolio); family support; equal opportunity measures.