FAQs

The PharMetrX Research+ Student will be enrolled at Freie Universität Berlin or Universität Potsdam. The decision will depend on the topic of the research project. Potential options and preferences will be discussed during the personal interviews.

No. The PharMetrX Research+ Students are enrolled at Freie Universität Berlin or Universität Potsdam, from which they also receive their University degree (Dr. rer. nat.). However, one key characteristic of the PharMetrX Research+ Program is the close interaction with our Industry Partners, which, e.g., is manifested in the Industry Modules.

We ask for letters of recommendation from senior researchers that have experience in supervising students or guiding group members. They must hold a doctoral degree (Dr./PhD) and be at a senior level (Professor, Group leader, etc). The letters of recommendations are an important part of your application. Therefore, we recommend to approach only researchers that really know you and can make supportive statements in their letters.

Yes. The selection procedure is analogous to those of other university graduate programs. The Admission Board will short-list all applications. Shortlisted applicants will be invited for personal interviews. We will cover travel and accommodation expenses.

Application is exclusively online. We ask for the following information/documents (PDF files, in English only, unless stated otherwise)

• Personal statement: 'What is your motivation to apply for the PharMetrX program?" (max. one page, max. 700 words)
• CV (please keep it short and upload additional material separately)
• Academic records: in German or English, including a legend (definition of marks)
• Contact details of two researchers (professor/group leader): these will be contacted through the online application system to provide and upload a letter of recommendation each supporting your application. We do not accept letters that have been uploaded by the applicant. (please check before entering whether the contacts details of the two researchers are still up to date; signatures can also be electronically)

If your academic degree is the 2nd Staatsexamen in Germany, you are required to also include individual marks in each of the 5 subjects (Clinical Pharmacy, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Pharmaceutical Technology/Biopharmacy, Pharmaceutical/Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Biology).

In case you used AI support to write your application documents, you have to provide the information on which tool you used and for what you used it.

Yes. However, you must hold the appropriate degree before starting the PharMetrx Research+ Program. In this case admission would be subject to final approval.

Applicants for a PharMetrX Research+ Program must hold a university degree in natural sciences or medicine (e.g., should hold the 2. Staatsexamen or Master's/Diploma degree of the Pharmacy curriculum or a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics or Mathematics). Applicants may apply with preliminary certificates, however they must hold their university degree before their final admission to the PharMetrX Research+ Program. All applicants have to demonstrate a profound knowledge in pharmacology, clinical pharmacy, systems biology/bioinformatics OR mathematics/statistics, and must have obtained grades that are above average compared to his/her peers.

The selection is based on the online application (CV, academic records, personal statement), the two letters of recommendation, and the personal interview. Experience in a relevant field to the PharMetrX Research+ Program in academia or industry is welcome, but not a prerequisite.

PharMetrX Research+ Students will receive a competitive research fellowship in addition to an allowance for conferences, travel, books etc.

Yes. Each PharMetrX Research+ Student will be assigned a mentor. The mentor will be from one of the Industry Partners of the PharMetrX Program.

Each PharMetrX Research+ Student will be co/supervisor by Prof Charlotte Kloft (Clinical Pharmacy & Biochemistry) and Prof Wilhelm Huisinga (Mathematical Modelling & Systems Biology). Possible options about the main subject (clinical pharmacy, mathematics, systems biology) will be discussed during the personal interviews.

No, physical presence during the modules is an integral part of the Training Curriculum.

No! The order of the Training Modules is based on an interdisciplinary, stepwise educational concept, which illustrates the PharMetrX program's philosophy. The scientific-methodical way in which we think about problems in our field and approach their solutions. As well as the networking aspect (also starting from the first day of the first module) in which we learn to appreciate differences in skills & background as well as about communication barriers due to different scientific languages, learn to help each other, and ask others for help and receive it.
As a consequent, PharMetrX's modules are not isolated training workshops for which you can register individually. A prerequisite for participation in the PharMetrX Module Curriculum (i.e, modules A1-A5 and I1) is a prior successful online application for the PharMetrX Training+ Program.
We announce the module dates in good time. As they are in a similar period every year, you can base your application on the dates of the previous year; for a module description see here.

No. But as the Training Modules take place at Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Potsdam (Academic Modules) as well as at the sites of two of our Industry Partners , you  have to be present at these sites during the modules.

The application requirements are analogous to those for PharMetrX Research+ Students:

Applicants must hold a university degree in natural sciences or medicine (e.g., should hold the 2. Staatsexamen or Master's/Diploma degree of the Pharmacy curriculum or a Master’s degree in Bioinformatics or Mathematics). Applicants may apply with preliminary certificates, however they must hold their university degree before their final admission to the PharMetrX Program. All applicants have to demonstrate a profound knowledge in pharmacology, clinical pharmacy, systems biology/bioinformatics OR mathematics/statistics, and must have obtained grades that are above average compared to his/her peers.

In addition, we require that applicants to the PharMetrX Training+ Program have started their doctorate not earlier than the deadline of the last PharMetrX application call (i.e. mid Sep of last year), and that they can prove their financing. Furthermore, we require that applicants provide us with the official letter of their admission to doctoral studies/to a doctoral program (in accordance with the doctoral regulations of the relevant university faculty; in German or English); this document is to be provided latest in February and thus before the start of the module curriculum in March.

In case we will not receive this official letter of your admission to doctoral studies/to a doctoral program, we unfortunately would have to withdraw our offer for acceptance as a Training+ PhD student to the PharMetrX PhD program and participation in the module curriculum and the PharMetrX network would not be possible.

PharMetrX is a graduate research training program for officially enrolled doctoral students. Hence, it is required that your supervisor has the right to act as academic supervisor (in case of doubt, please discuss with your supervisor) and we kindly ask you to provide us the official letter of your admission to doctoral studies/to a doctoral program (in accordance with the doctoral regulations of your university faculty) no later than July after your start in March of the corresponding year.
In case we will not receive this document until July, you will not be able to participate in the modules in August and in September. In addition, we reserve the right to withdraw the acceptance as a Training+ PhD student to the PharMetrX PhD program.

Upon entering the PharMetrX program, we require all students to commit themselves to participate in the entire  module program. Non-attendance of one module will only be accepted for very good reasons, with no guarantee to participate in the corresponding module next time it is offered. We reserve the right to exclude students from the PharMetrX program at non-participation.

After successful participation in the Training Curriculum, you will receive a certificate documenting your participation in the module curriculum of the PharMetrX program (including the topics of the modules). The awarding ceremony will take place at the PharMetrX Network Meeting jointly with the PharMetrX Research+ students .

The Academic Modules are taught in English.

An Academic Module is an approx. 30 h course delivered as a block course during one week. It comprises theoretical parts in form of lectures/seminars and practical parts in form of 'hands-on' exercises. Due to the block structure of the modules, these take place within the term breaks ('Vorlesungsfreie Zeit') of the university, i.e., roughly between mid February to mid April and mid July to mid October. For the list of modules and a more detailed schedule see here. The dates of the modules will be communicated to you in our offer letter.

The Academic Modules (A1-A5)---five modules à 1 week---take place ONSITE at Freie Universität Berlin and Universität Potsdam, depending on the topic. The modules are free of charge, but all travel and accommodation costs are at your expense. For the list of modules see here.

The Industry Modules take place at the sites of two research-driven pharmaceutical companies that support the program. The I1 Module is delivered during one week, while the I2 Module has the form of an internship and is therefore organized on an individual basis (and exclusively available to students of the PharMetrX Research+ Program)

You may check the status in your online application area. Please note that it is your duty to ensure that the two researchers submit their letters of recommendation in time (see Deadlines). Please note, you may submit your application, once all data and files are present including the letters of recommendation (indicated by the progress bar “100% complete).

The letters of recommendation constitute an important part in the final decision process. They should be provided by a researcher (professor/group leader) who knows you sufficiently well. He/she need not necessarily be associated with a university; however, he/she has to be able to evaluate your professional qualifications to enter the PharMetrX Program. We do not accept letters of recommendation from other PhD students or PostDocs without being group leader. We also do not accept a letter of recommendation for an internship ("Praktikumszeugnis"). Letters that are sent by the applicant himself/herself will not be accepted. The letters of recommendation have to be in English, signatures can also be electronically. Please use an official email address for both reviewers (e.g., their university email address). DO NOT USE a private email address.

No, your application must include 2 separate letters of recommendations by the 2 researchers whose contact details you need to inlcude in your application. These 2 researchers might work at the same institute but need to upload a letter of recommendation each.