A fully funded 4-year PhD studying how whales hunt together in the open ocean — social foraging and collective behaviour of blue whales on krill and sperm whales on deep-sea prey. You'll combine whale bio-logging data, echosounder surveys of prey, and long-term seafloor hydrophone recordings, with a chance to collect new field data in the California Current Ecosystem.
Why it is notable: ultra-niche topic (collective intelligence of oceanic predators) posted only on the institute's IMPRS job page — zero mainstream aggregator coverage; Max Planck fully-funded positions of this specificity rarely surface outside German academic circles; collaborations with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) and Cascadia Research Collective.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
Fully funded for 4 years — TVöD (German federal public-service pay scale) E-13, 65%. Project part of the "Oceanic Collective Intelligence" project funded by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung Nexus Programme
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhD
This scholarship is offered for PhD programs.
Who can apply
any nationality — posting states "We welcome applications from all backgrounds". Must have completed an MSc in the natural sciences (e.g. ecology and evolutionary biology, oceanography, physics, or another related field) or mathematics. Portal requirements note: Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field.
Experience
No experience required
Language Certificate
working language of the institute is English — German language skills are NOT a requirement
Other Certificates
Degree certificates & transcripts
Age Limit
none
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
any nationality — posting states "We welcome applications from all backgrounds". Must have completed an MSc in the natural sciences (e.g. ecology and…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Language
working language of the institute is English — German language skills are NOT a requirement
02
Qualification
any nationality — posting states "We welcome applications from all backgrounds"
No separate scholarship application fee is published; confirm on the official page.
Visa, kept concise: EU/EEA/Swiss: no permit needed.
Application Procedure
3 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Prepare: (a) letter of motivation / research statement
max 2 pages — page 1: your research interests, how they developed, and how they relate to the project; page 2: 1–2 biological questions/hypotheses you'd test with the described datasets, your analytical approach, and a m
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02
Create an account on the IMPRS-QBEE application
portal and submit everything there. Applications by email will NOT be considered.
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03
Submit no later than 15 November 2026.
(No time/timezone published — assume 23:59 CET and apply early.)
Application milestones
15 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2026
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior ,… platform.
15 Nov 2026 — date verified on the official position page; time/timezone NOT published — apply well before end of day
Who can apply?
any nationality — posting states "We welcome applications from all backgrounds". Must have completed an MSc in the natural sciences (e.g. ecology and evolutionary biology, oceanography, physics, or another related field) or mathematics. Portal requirements note: Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field.
What does the scholarship cover?
Fully funded for 4 years — TVöD (German federal public-service pay scale) E-13, 65%. Project part of the "Oceanic Collective Intelligence" project funded by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung Nexus Programme
Where do I apply?
Through the official application portal linked in the Official links section on this page.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Germany · Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior ,…