8 PhD Fellowships

HITEC ( H elmholtz I nterdisciplinary Doctoral T raining in E nergy and C limate) is a graduate school for scientists and engineers who want to earn a PhD in the challenging fields of energy and climate research, and is a joint initiative between Forschungszentrum Jülich, the RWTH Aachen University, the University of Bochum, the University of Cologne, the University of Düsseldorf, and the University of Wuppertal. HITEC  offers a 3-year training program that promotes scientific and professional qualifications. HITEC is committed to scientific excellence, an interdisciplinary and international research environment, an accepting learning environment that embraces diversity, and aims to train doctoral researchers to become much-needed experts in academia and industry.

The international graduate school in energy and climate research HITEC announces

8 PhD fellowships

in the fields of :  ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, ELECTROCHEMISTRY, ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE (BATTERIES), ELECTRONICS, ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING, MACHINE LEARNING, MATERIALS SCIENCE, MODELING AND SIMULATION, MOLECULAR SIMULATIONS, NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT, PLASMA PHYSICS, PHOTOVOLTAICS, SYNTHETIC FUELS AND GREEN CHEMICALS, SYSTEMS ANALYSIS, TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY, THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE AND SUPPLY

Details of the projects and the online application are available at .

Requirements

We are looking for highly qualified and motivated scientists and engineers. Candidates are expected to hold a Master's degree, a German “Diplom” or an equivalent degree at the start of their PhD project. The specifics of the degree and the required experience are specified for each project. Involvement in national and international collaborations requires a willingness to cooperate in teams. We expect you to be able to communicate your results orally and in writing in very good English.

Selection

The best candidates will be invited to work out the details of their project with the host research groups. Successful candidates will receive an email notification of acceptance and invitation in the first half of February 2026. They will also be invited to attend online information sessions with the HITEC Graduate School during the week of 2–6 February 2026, prior to the final selection. The final decision will be made after individual online presentations of the invited candidates to the HITEC Advisory Board on 10 March 2026. The earliest possible start date is April 2026, but later starts are possible. Funding will be provided for three years. HITEC Fellows will be able to complete their PhD work within this timeframe. The fellowship provides additional travel funding to enhance opportunities for academic and research-related travel.

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us.