Calls and Open Positions within the RTG ACME

The Research Training Group “Activation of Cellular Anti-Microbial Effectors (ACME),” launched on April 1, 2026, at MHH, is offering for the 2026/2027 winter semester

2 PhD positions for medical students

with start dates between July 1 and October 1, 2026.

In the DFG-funded ACME Research Training Group, 13 MHH researchers are investigating, across 10 projects, how infected cells can recognize, control, and eliminate viruses and bacteria. The focus is on novel, activatable antimicrobial mechanisms that enable a better understanding of cellular infection defense and, in the long term, may open up new approaches to combating infectious diseases.

The medical doctoral candidates will become part of an interdisciplinary research network. In each of the participating laboratories, they will work closely with doctoral candidates in the natural sciences who are also funded by the GRK ACME and are conducting research on related topics. In addition to excellent laboratory work and training in modern experimental techniques, the GRK ACME offers a joint English-language training program featuring seminars, workshops, project presentations, conference participation, and individual guidance from a Thesis Advisory Committee.

The duration of the doctoral work is 12 months. The doctoral degree is awarded in accordance with the rules of the MHH’s StrucMed program. Doctoral students in medicine are supported with a non-repayable 12-month stipend equal to the maximum BAföG rate (currently 992 euros/month).

The GRK ACME website is currently under construction. The participating scientists and doctoral students in the natural sciences can already be viewed on the GRK ACME’s provisional website: https://www.mhh.de/institut-fuer-medizinische-mikrobiologie-und-krankenhaushygiene/rtg-3135-acme

We are looking for motivated medical students who enjoy experimental research and would like to pursue their doctorate in a structured, international, and scientifically challenging environment.

If you are interested or have any questions, please contact: Prof. Dr. Dirk Schlüter, Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, MHH; Tel.: 0511-532-6770; email: schlueter.dirk@mh-hannover.de or acme.rtg3135@mh-hannover.de