Working at the Institute

We list here all necessary steps as well as services, facilities and the departments at the Institute.

To make your start at the Institute as easy as possible, please take a look at this orientation list:

  • You will be given the so-called “pink slip” on your first day at the Institute. This lists various people you should meet within your first 14 days at the Institute. They will sign your slip, then you need to hand it back in to our personnel department.
  • As a new employee, you will be given an access chip by a colleague from the administration upon your arrival.
  • You will receive an introduction to the building, structures, people, rooms, administration (especially Human Resources), central facilities, etc. from your department’s secretary or a colleague from your Department/Group.
  • An appointment with our IT department will allow you to get login data for your email account and other IT infrastructure such as edu­roam, VPN and servers, and to arrange for computer, screens and software.
  • Read through the “Welcome folder” (sent to you with your contract) and the information for new staff members (accessible on the Institute’s Intranet MAX). Regularly check the Institute for updates, current information, and important documents that will guide your time here at the Institute).

If you have a question but you are not sure who to ask, please ask your Department/Group secretary or other members of your working group.

After you have arrived at the Institute and already settled in, there are some things we would like to draw your attention to: German classes, work & family, career development offerings and more.

German classes
The Max Planck Institute for Medical Research (MPIMR) offers regular in-house German and English courses for their staff. Please contact Sandra Hörr for more details (sandra.hoerr@mr.mpg.de).
Work and Family
Not travelling alone? No problem. Your family are welcome. And we will do everything we can to make them feel at home: in Germany you will find family-oriented regulations that allow your spouse or partner to join you and work here, essential facilities such as nurseries and schools, and financial and legal support for you and your family.
For details please contact the Institute’s Equal Opportunities Office and the personnel department (jobs@mr.mpg.de).
Career Development
Support for young scientists and opening attractive career paths for all employees are an important topic at the MPIMR. The Max Planck Society offers all employees Max Planck-wide, target-group-specific opportunities for further training and personal career development. Whether special welcome and support offers for managers, coaching for directors or postdocs, professional and personal career development for early career researchers or advanced training opportunities for science managers – the Planck Academy bundles all these offers under one roof.
Career Advancement for Women
The MPIMR is committed to support for talented women in science. We actively support outstanding female scientists through various career-promoting measures and programs. For details please contact the Institute’s Equal Opportunities Office.

The Max Planck Society

For further information on working at the Max Planck Society we recommend a visit at the Max Planck Society Intranet: max.mpg.de (choose our Institute, username: your MPI email address, password: the same password you use for your MPI computer). The Intranet by the Max Planck Society gives access to

  • news and information from the Max Planck Society.
  • information of all relevant administrative de­part­ments from the Max Planck Society and their respective contact persons.
  • an overview of employees services (career, family, health & safety).
  • social features such as team rooms as well as networks, boards and commissions.
  • the Planck Academy, the MPS training portal.

In the Max Planck Society Intranet you can find the Learning Management System (LMS) which gives you access to trainings and the Organisations­handbuch (OHB) which includes all applicable regulations within the Max Planck Society.

Networks and Communities

There are several strong networks in the Max Planck Society to support exchange and communication. Among them are the PhD and the Postdoc communities:

The PhDnet is the network of all PhD candidates and PhD representatives within the Max Planck Society. It was founded in 2003 to improve interdisciplinary cooperation, to optimize doctoral education and scientific exchange, and to strengthen academic solidarity. Subscribe to the PhDNet newsletter! more
The Max Planck PostdocNet is a networking and lobbying organization for all postdocs of the Max Planck Society. It aims to enhance the postdoc group visibility, openly exchanging information within postdocs, and improving interdisciplinary cooperation within the postdocs in Max Planck Society and beyond. Subscribe to the PostdocNet newsletter! more

There are more communities for more specific purposes. You will receive access to other initiatives through the Institute and the MPG-wide intranet MAX as needed.

The Max Planck LeadNet provides a forum for discussing scientific issues and clarifying questions relating to organizational matters. It sees itself as a network of and for young group leaders and its intended purpose is to promote collaboration between the various research groups. more
The Minverva FemmeNet is a mentoring network for female doctoral and diploma students, for postdoctoral students, and those working on lecturing qualifications. Its aim is to pass on the expert knowledge of experienced female scientists – including former institute members – by mentoring junior female scientists. more
The Max Planck Sustainability Network is a grass-roots initiative within the Max Planck Society. The members of the network are committed to improving cooperation of research and administration in the Max Planck Society to create an exemplary sustainable scientific environment. more
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