PhD Fellowships

Shaping change: This is what drives us at Forschungszentrum Jülich. As a member of the Helmholtz Association with almost 7,600 employees, we conduct research into options for a digitalized society, a climate-friendly energy system, and a resource-efficient economy. We combine natural, life, and engineering sciences in the fields of information, energy, and bioeconomy with specialist expertise in high-performance computing and we also use unique scientific infrastructure. Shape the change with us and join our team
HITEC (Helmholtz Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training in Energy and Climate) is a graduate school for scientists and engineers who want to earn a PhD in the challenging fields of energy and climate research, and is a joint initiative between Forschungszentrum Jülich, the RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bochum, the University of Cologne, the University of Düsseldorf, and the University of Wuppertal. HITEC offers a three-year training program that promotes scientific and professional qualifications. HITEC is committed to scientific excellence, an interdisciplinary and international research environment, and an accepting learning environment that embraces diversity and aims to train doctoral researchers to become much-needed experts in academia and industry.

The international graduate school in energy and climate research HITEC announces
8 PhD Fellowships
IN THE FIELDS OF: ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, ELECTROCHEMISTRY, ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE (BATTERIES), ELECTRONICS, ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING, MACHINE LEARNING, MATERIALS SCIENCE, MODELING AND SIMULATION, MOLECULAR SIMULATIONS, NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT, PLASMA PHYSICS, PHOTOVOLTAICS, SYNTHETIC FUELS AND GREEN CHEMICALS, SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY, THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE AND SUPPLY
Details of the projects and the online application are available at

Requirements
We are looking for highly qualified and motivated scientists and engineers. Candidates are expected to hold a master's degree, a German "Diplom", or an equivalent degree at the start of their PhD project. The specifics of the degree and the required experience are specified for each project. Involvement in national and international collaborations requires a willingness to cooperate in teams. We expect you to be able to communicate your results orally and in writing in very good English.

Selection
The best candidates will be invited to work out the details of their project with the host research groups. Successful candidates will receive an email notification of acceptance and invitation in the first half of February 2026. They will also be invited to attend online information sessions with the HITEC Graduate School during the week of 2–6 February, 2026, prior to the final selection. The final decision will be made after individual online presentations of the invited candidates to the HITEC Advisory Board on 10 March, 2026. The earliest possible start date is April 2026, but later starts are possible. Funding will be provided for three years. HITEC Fellows will be able to complete their PhD work within this timeframe. The fellowship provides additional travel funding to enhance opportunities for academic and research-related travel.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g., in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic, and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities, in which everyone can realize their potential, is important to us.

Please apply via the online recruitment system on the HITEC website

. Please submit your application with all relevant documents
by 8 January, 2026
. Only complete applications will be considered.

Contact
Dr. Philipp Gutbrod and Marianne Feldmann
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