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Student welfare at the DKFZ has top priority. Its dedicated Student Teams, led by the Student Council, help new members of the Helmholtz International Graduate School for Cancer Research to settle in both at work and in their new home. The students are on hand to answer any questions or to help with any problems you may have while at the DKFZ.

Elected by students from among the postgraduate community, the five-strong PhD Student Council is in office for a year. It is the official liaison between the PhD students and administrative and scientific executive boards.

Teams galore

Each council member is responsible for a PhD Student Team. These teams organize a number of events that allow students to get to know each other and broaden their horizons. The teams are:

Welcome Team
This team provides newcomers with a warm welcome and advice, easing their transition into the new community. The council produces a beginners’ guide - available both online and in print copy - with pages of practical information about working at the DKFZ and living in Heidelberg.

Retreat Team
This group of students organizes the annual PhD student retreat, which all students attend at some point during their PhD. The format of the retreat is similar to a conference, where PhD projects are presented either as posters or as short lectures. Social and cultural events are also an integral part of the retreat.

Pizza&Talk Team
The Pizza&Talk seminar is an informal forum where PhD students regularly meet, presenting their latest results. Each Pizza&Talk seminar consists of two short talks (around 15-20 minutes each). After the scientific presentations, there is always extended pizza time to exchange ideas and socialize.

Party Team
To make sure that is not all just work, parties are regularly organized for all students at the DKFZ. These offer a chance to meet people from other research groups at the DKFZ in a relaxed atmosphere, where non-scientific discussions are strongly encouraged!

Communication Team
This team looks after the PhD Student Council’s web pages, known as the Student Portal.

Conference Team
This team, together with other Heidelberg PhD students, are responsible for organising the Heidelberg Forum for Young Life Scientists and other PhD conferences. This involves everything from putting together the scientific program and inviting the speakers to arranging all the logistics associated with hosting a conference.


The Student Teams are always looking for volunteers, whose time and commitment are rewarded with credit points towards their PhD.

For more information about the Student Council and Teams, please visit the Student Portal, a website administered by DKFZ students providing useful advise and information related to graduate studies at the DKFZ.