General information on internships

The Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences is happy to offer internships to students of disciplines relevant to the Institute's research. Core computer skills are essential, as preparation, conducting, and analysis of experiments are all computer based. A good command of English would also be of advantage - working language at the Institute is English, and most papers are published and presentations are held in English.

Please also visit the German offers for internships.

If you are interested in an internship, please apply directly to the research or method groups or the departments in which you would like to do your internship.

Please send your complete application documents (CV, letter of motivation, transcript of records, certificates and letters of recommendation /if available/ in English and in a pdf file) to the heads of the research groups or to the contact persons indicated on the department websites.

For orientation, you will find our current brochure in the margin.

Departments	Contact
Department of Neuropsychology	greiner@cbs.mpg.de truemper@cbs.mpg.de
Department of Neurology	ketscher@cbs.mpg.de mutu@cbs.mpg.de
Department of Neurophysics	seknphy@cbs.mpg.de
Department of Psychology	psy-office@cbs.mpg.de

Methods & Developoment Groups	Contact
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance	moeller@cbs.mpg.de
Brain Networks	maess@cbs.mpg.de knoesche@cbs.mpg.de
Neural Data Science and Statistical Computing	nscherf@cbs.mpg.de
Computing and Databases Services	chiarugi@cbs.mpg.de

Independent Research Groups	Contact
Max Planck Research Group Adaptive Memory	benoit@cbs.mpg.de
Research Group Learning in Early Childhood	skeide@cbs.mpg.de
Lise Meitner Research Group Cognition and Plasticity	hartwigsen@cbs.mpg.de
Otto Hahn Group Cognitive Neurogenetics	valk@cbs.mpg.de
Minerva Fast Track Group Milestones of Early Cognmitive Development	bewerbungen-milestones@cbs.mpg.de
Minerva Fast Track Group Neural Codes of Intelligence	theves@cbs.mpg.de
Max Planck Research Group Language Cycles	lmeyer@cbs.mpg.de
Max Planck Research Group Pain Perception	eippert@cbs.mpg.de
Max Planck Research Group Vision and Computational Cognition	hebart@cbs.mpg.de

Before applying, please read the FAQs:

What requirements do I have to meet to do an internship at the MPI CBS?

You have to be enrolled in either a Bachelor’s or a Master’s program, that is, at the time of the internship.

You should be pursuing a degree in a field related to the institute’s work (most commonly Neuroscience, Psychology, Linguistics, Medicine, Biology, Physics). When specific interest in a project is declared, and upon conferring with potential advisors, interns pursuing related degrees in Math or IT are also considered.

I am currently pursuing my undergraduate degree. Can I still apply?

Yes. Although most of the applicants already hold a bachelor degree, it is not a requirement for your application.

I have already completed my Master’s; can I still apply for an internship?

No. Due to new internship regulations, graduate students who already hold a Master´s degree are no longer eligible to do an internship at our institute.

Are international students welcome to apply for an intern- ship?

International students are also welcome to apply for an internship. We are happy to provide support in the process of applying for the appropriate visa or finding accommodation here in Leipzig. Please note, if you are paid a stipend (e.g., Erasmus), internships will not be compensated by the MPI CBS.

What types of internships do exist?

The MPI CBS offers two types of internships:

mandatory internships: are those required as part of your study curriculum
voluntary internships: are not obligatory but are organized on your own initiative

Do I have to prove that an internship is a mandatory requirement of my studies?

Yes. We need a signed statement from your university that indicates the duration and conditions of the required internship. An extract or description, copied from a course description by you, is not sufficient.

We need the signed statement as soon as you are accepted as an intern in order to prepare your contract. Without this statement you cannot begin.

What do I need to consider when applying for a voluntary internship?

The minimum duration for a voluntary internship is 8 weeks and the maximum is 12 weeks. If you have already done an internship with the Max Planck Society, even at another Max Planck Institute, applying for a second voluntary internship is not possible.

Are there fixed dates for internships?

Most interns do their internship during their semester breaks, i.e. between August and mid-October and between February and mid-April (German university vacation).

These periods are not obligatory, meaning, you can apply for any period that suits you.

However, an internship period must not be split up.

Is it possible to apply for an internship at the Clinic of Cognitive Neurology?

Yes. If you are interested in applying for an internship at the Clinic of Cognitive Neurology please contact the clinic directly.

https://www.uniklinikum-leipzig.de/einrichtungen/tagesklinik-neurologie/

Are internships compensated?

Yes. Interns receive compensation of 300 Euro per month for a full-time internship. Part-time interns are compensated accordingly (for example, 150 Euro per month for 50 % of full-time work hours). If you will be receiving a stipend from another source (e.g., Erasmus), the internship will not be compensated by the MPI CBS.

Please clarify content-related questions directly with the research groups or department in which you are interested. If you have any further formal questions about internships at the MPI CBS, please contact personal@cbs.mpg.de.