DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship - German Cancer Research Center

The DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships provide protected research time, comprehensive training offers and intersectoral mentoring relationships to ambitious and outstanding clinician scientists in training.

The call for the DKFZ Clinician Scientists Fellowships is currently closed. The next call will open in February 2027.

This year DKFZ is offering 6 Clinician Scientist Fellowships at three different locations. All Fellowhships offer equal benefits and opportunities. Please check out the sections below as well as our FAQ for more information.

Our selection process is ongoing for the following fellowships:

- 3 DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship in Heidelberg

- 2 DKFZ-Hector Clinician Scientist Fellowship in Mannheim and

- 1 HI-TRON Fellowship in Mainz.

Invitations to the interview round/selection symposium will be sent by the beginning of May to selected candidates.

Eligible projects for both locations as well as in the field of cancer prevention can be found on our research profiles page.

What the DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship has to offer

A flowchart outlining the DKFZ Clinician Scientist Program, with three phases: Phase 1 involves project proposal formulation and mentorship; Phase 2 focuses on completing research and increasing clinical work; Phase 3 highlights the transition from full-time research to clinical work, maintaining access to DKFZ resources.

Funding and Duration

DKFZ Clinician Scientist salaries are competitive by national standards and are negotiated and confirmed during the recruitment phase should a fellowship be offered.

Fellowship contracts are initially offered for two years and can be used within the Clinician Scientist Program period of four years, e.g. if clinical work needs to be interspersed. We acknowledge that clinician scientists' careers need to be handled with great flexibility. Therefore, Fellows must develop their individual fellowship timeline together with their mentors and present this to the Clinician Scientist Program Office within the first 1,5 months after starting the fellowship.

Competitive 2-year full-time Fellowships are offered to early-career physicians undergoing specialized medical training, aiming to enhance their careers through valuable research experience. DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship working contracts are exclusively intended for academic research purposes. Recognizing the need for flexibility in clinician scientists' careers, fellowship contracts can be used in part-time within the period of four years, e.g. if clinical work needs to be interspersed. (Note: if fellows wish to pursue clinical work alongside the fellowship, it is their responsibility to independently explore and apply for a clinician position elsewhere.)

We acknowledge that clinician scientists' careers need to be handled with great flexibility. Therefore, Fellows must develop their individual fellowship timeline together with an academic and clinical supervisor.

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What you need to know about the application process

Eligibility

- The candidates have obtained a higher medical degree (equivalent to MD-PhD).

- The candidates are at an early stage of their career, i.e. are currently working on their specialized medical training (Germany: Facharztweiterbildung).

- The candidates show enthusiasm for science and wish to link basic and clinical research.

- Prior experience in a cancer-relevant research area is desirable but not a must.

- Fellowship applications are open for national and international candidates who wish to focus on basic and translational cancer research.

How to apply for a DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship?

In order to prepare your application please make sure to compile all the required information in one single PDF document which you need to upload during the online application process. The following five sections must be addressed in your application for it to be considered eligible.

1. One-page motivation letter (incl. a statement of your research interests - see Selection Criteria)

2. List of up to 5 preferred DKFZ labs/projects (see the research profiles)

3. Curriculum vitae (incl. list of publications)

4. Copy of MD-PhD Certificates, including a copy of your medical degree (originals and transcripts if applicable). If certificate is not yet available, a proof of thesis submission is necessary (see FAQs).

5. Contact details of two references who are familiar with your work

Please note that applications need to be submitted in English.

The most important selection criterion is academic quality, demonstrated by outstanding publications.

When applying for the DKFZ Postdoctoral Fellowship your motivation letter is a critical component of your application. It should effectively convey your passion for cancer research by addressing the underlying scientific question that inspires you. Additionally, your letter should highlight your academic and research background, as well as your potential contributions to DKFZ by explaining how you will enrich our research environment. Although it is not mandatory that applicants contact a research group before applying, showing a clear idea about the future research focus is of great advantage. Here is a non-exhaustive list of research projects that one can apply to. Furthermore, please explain why you want to pursue a postdoctoral position and why you are specifically interested in joining the DKFZ International Postdoc Program.

Other criteria that will be considered during the selection process include research prizes and awards, demonstration of mobility, or successful application for research funding.

The selection procedure for the DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships is composed of multiple steps which are highlighted below.

Selection Process

STEP 1:

All application documents submitted will be evaluated by the Clinician Scientist Selection Committee during a competitive selection process.
We will then invite shortlisted candidates who have successfully passed this first selection step to an online Selection Symposium.

STEP 2:

About 8-10 weeks after the application deadline, a one day DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship Selection Symposium will be held online.
All candidates will meet with members of the Clinician Scientist Selection Committee to give a 10-minute presentation about their recent work which will be followed by a short discussion.

STEP 3:

Applicants will be informed about the outcome of the selection process shortly after the symposium.
Start dates for fellowships will be mutually agreed upon after acceptance of the offered fellowship contract. Fellowship positions should be filled within 6 months after the fellowship has been accepted.

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FAQ - DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships

The call opens every year around February.

The deadline for applications is every year on the 15th of March.

All the research groups that are actively looking for a fellow are sharing their research profiles here. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. If you're interested in other research groups, please feel free to contact them and include them in your application. If you're in contact with a group that hasn't uploaded a research profile please ask them to contact us at the DKFZ Postdoc Office.

If you're wondering how to choose your future research group and group leader, this article might inspire you to make the right choice.

An overview of all research groups at the DKFZ can be found here.

Please click here for detailed information and required documents. Please note that all applications need to be made via our online application system. Applications made via e-mail will not be considered.

Please click here for detailed information.

No, applicants do not need to have completed their “Facharzt” to be eligible for the Fellowship. However, if the “Facharzt” has not yet started, we strongly recommend having a clear and feasible plan outlining how the Fellowship will be integrated into the course of the “Facharzt”.

Please click here for detailed information.

The DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowship Selection Symposium will take place online on May 21, 2026.

It is not mandatory to contact group leaders before applying. However we encourage you to consider contacting them to be well informed about the projects available. Please keep in mind that if you get selected for the in-person interviews (Step 2) you will have to contact them.

You are eligible to apply if you submit your thesis till April 30.