DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships 2026

Are you looking for an excellent opportunity to expand your research experience and to complement your clinical and scientific training?

Apply now for a DKFZ CLINICIAN SCIENTIST FELLOWSHIP!

Team up with a strong partner committed to strengthening the research profile of clinician scientists to supporting your translational research ambitions! Enhance your expertise through cutting-edge scientific research, personalized mentoring and tailored training opportunities, and gaining experience in basic and translational cancer research within a world-class scientific environment.

The DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships offer protected research time, a comprehensive training program and intersectoral mentoring. Fellows receive DKFZ working contracts, which are exclusively intended for academic research. Fellowships are initially offered for two years and can be extended to four years in part-time, e.g. if clinical work needs to be interspersed.

This year DKFZ is offering 6 fellowships. All fellowhships offer equal benefits and opportunities.

• 3 DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships in Heidelberg (with one reserved for research in the field of cancer prevention, including early detection and survivorship)
• 2 DKFZ-Hector Clinician Scientist Fellowships in Heidelberg and
• 1 HI-TRON Clinician Scientist Fellowship in Mainz.

All Fellowhships offer equal benefits and opportunities.

Eligible projects for both locations can be found on our research profiles page. All Fellowhships offer equal benefits and opportunities.

Join us to:

• Enjoy protected time for your research
• Complement your clinical and research training
• Receive comprehensive training and tailored mentoring
• Make use of state-of-the-art research facilities and infrastructure
• Be part of our growing international community of clinician scientists
• Extend your network and meet colleagues working in basic and translational research
• show enthusiasm for science and wish to link basic and clinical research

have obtained a higher medical degree (equivalent to MD-PhD)

• are at an early stage of their career, i.e. are currently working on their specialized medical training (Germany: Facharztweiterbildung).
• Prior experience in a cancer-relevant research area is desirable but not a must
• Fellowship applications are open for national and international candidates who wish to focus on basic and translational cancer research.

We are looking for clinical candidates who …

Application

Submit your complete application (in English) as one PDF file containing the following documents via our online application portal. (Only applications submitted through our application portal will be valid.)

Deadline: March 15, 2026

• One-page motivation letter (incl. statement of your research interests).
• Names of the groups that you would like to interview with (make sure to check out the offered projects). Candidates are encouraged to contact division heads and group leaders before application to discuss potential projects.
• Curriculum vitae (incl. publication list and documentation of your clinical/research experience)
• Copy of degree certificates (originals, transcripts and translations, if applicable)
• Contact details of two references who are familiar with your work

For further information and eligibility criteria click here.

Job details

Title
DKFZ Clinician Scientist Fellowships 2026

Employer
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)

Location
Im Neuenheimer Feld 280 Heidelberg, Germany

Published
2026-01-30

Application deadline
2026-03-15 23:59 (Europe/Berlin)

Job type
Researcher

Field
Biostatistics, Physiology, Cancer Research, Bioinformatics, Virology, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, Cell Biology, Clinical Sciences, Structural Biology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Immunology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Imaging, Radiology, Oncology