Mission of the IMPRS-BI

The new IMPRS – Biological Intelligence (IMPRS-BI) is an elite graduate program situated at the Max Planck Institute of the same name. We offer structured training to doctoral students interested in the question of how nervous systems develop and have evolved to allow animals to pursue their goals, navigate their environment and, more generally, produce behavioral strategies that are adapted to their respective ecological niche.

Answering these questions is important not only for insights into the underlying biology, but also for understanding the current limitations of machine intelligence. Research by IMPRS-BI students often bridges several scales of biological organization, from molecules and genes to neuronal circuits, and from organisms to societies and ecosystems. The growing understanding of behavior in a natural context enables mechanistic research into its neural and genetic underpinnings. Reciprocally, technological revolutions in neuroscience promise to transform behavioral ecology. IMPRS-BI students are integral to the institute’s core mission, by working in the field or in the laboratory.

Together with our partners MPI-BI, LMU and TUM, the IMPRS-BI attracts a diverse cohort of young scholars to our sites in Martinsried, Seewiesen and Munich. The goal of IMPRS-BI is to inspire the next generation of inquisitive minds aiming to unravel the nature of biological intelligence.

Program

IMPRS – Biological Intelligence fellows are usually enrolled as doctoral candidates at the Ludwig-Maximillians University (LMU) or the Technical University of Munich (TUM). It is also the LMU or the TUM that award the degree title Dr. rer. nat. (the German doctorate which corresponds to the American PhD) or Ph.D. The graduation criteria of the LMU and TUM are laid down in the regulation for Doctoral Studies (Promotionsordnung) of the respective departments (Faculty of Biology or Medicine). Foreign students may have an opportunity to graduate at their home university. As a general rule, the doctoral work should be completed within four years. All scientific work in the program is guided by the Max Planck Society’s Rules of Good Scientific Practice.

First and foremost, IMPRS-BI students work toward their doctoral degrees. Therefore their research projects take center stage. To help improve the quality of scientific research and their future career prospects, IMPRS-BI students are offered expert supervision and an additional training program tailored to each student’s individual needs.