PhD Scholarship at BfR Germany 2025 | Fully Funded Research in Alternative Toxicology

Posted on 30-July-2025

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), a leading scientific organization of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, seeks candidates for a fully funded PhD position in the Department of Experimental Toxicology and ZEBET. The position will center on creating alternative methods to animal testing, an area of worldwide scientific and ethical importance.

This opening is suited to researchers with training in biology, biotechnology, toxicology, or similar fields who are interested in humane science and regulatory advances.

Research Focus

The chosen doctorate candidate will create in vitro models (2D and 3D human cell culture systems), focusing on the central nervous system. The goal is to replace animal-based toxicological testing with novel approaches such as multi-electrode arrays, advanced microscopy, and computational methodologies.
This research will be carried out in partnership with TiHo Hannover, and it will involve a structured training program as well as possibilities for scientific presentations.

Overview of the Scholarship

Host Country	Germany
Provider	Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
Degree Level	Doctoral (PhD)
Eligible Courses	Life sciences
Benefits	Fully Funded
Eligible Nationalities	All nationalities eligible
Deadline	August 13, 2025

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify, candidates must:

• Have a master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant life science discipline.
• Experience with cell culture techniques, ideally in both two- and three-dimensional formats, is needed.
• Demonstrate a significant interest in toxicological research and alternative methods of animal testing
• Show competency in English and, ideally, basic understanding of German.
• Be able to work freely in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Benefits

This PhD post has various benefits:

• Fully funded contract (part-time, 65% TVöD E13 scale)
• Three-year research position at a federal scientific institute.
• Access to advanced laboratory equipment and interdisciplinary research teams
• Opportunity to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at international conferences.
• A structured doctoral training program.
• Social security provides benefits such as retirement funds, health coverage, and unemployment support.
• Work-life balance in Berlin, Europe's largest research hub.

Application Submission

Please submit your application no later than August 13, 2025.That the final deadline, so don’t wait too long!

Apply now