MP-AIX PhD Program: Max Planck AI Network Guide (Salary, Deadlines, How to Apply)

The Max Planck Artificial Intelligence Network (MP-AIX) is one of Germany's most generous AI doctoral routes: a network PhD call that lets you work across Max Planck Institutes and partner universities such as LMU Munich, TU Munich, the University of Tübingen and the University of Stuttgart. The 2026 call closed on 31 October 2026 (23:59 Anywhere on Earth), and the network typically runs one call per year — so if you missed it, this guide tells you exactly what the call offered, what it pays, and how to be ready for the next one.

What the MP-AIX call offers

MP-AIX positions are fully funded doctoral roles, not fee waivers. According to the 2026 listing:

• Salary: approximately €3,010/month gross at TV-L E13, 65% — the standard Max Planck doctoral contract level
• Employment status: you are a research employee with full social security (health, pension, unemployment insurance)
• No tuition fees — German public universities charge only semester contributions
• No IELTS required in the 2026 call — English proficiency is assessed through your documents and interview
• Eligibility: worldwide — any nationality may apply

How the TV-L E13 salary actually works

Max Planck doctoral contracts use the public-sector pay scale. At the 65% doctoral level your gross is around €3,010/month; many institutes progress to 75% after the first year. The full picture from the current collective agreement:

After tax and social contributions, a single 65% doctoral researcher typically takes home roughly €2,100–2,200/month — enough to live comfortably in Tübingen or Stuttgart, and the contract months count toward German pension credits.

Why the network model matters

A network call is different from a single-institute vacancy. You rank your preferred research groups across the whole network in one application, so a strong profile gets seen by dozens of supervisors at once — Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems (Tübingen/Stuttgart), Informatics (Saarbrücken), Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Dresden), Software Systems (Kaiserslautern), and their university partner labs. That means:

1. One application, many potential host groups — less cold-emailing than the German professor-chair route.
2. Structured AI training: retreats, network-wide courses and cohorts of fellow AI doctoral students.
3. Supervisor choice is matched after interviews, not before you apply.

What you need for a competitive application

• A research profile in AI/ML — demonstrated through your thesis, publications, open-source projects or research internships (publications help but are not required; MP-AIX regularly admits strong students without first-author papers).
• Transcripts and degree certificates — a bachelor's/master's in computer science, physics, mathematics, cognitive science or related fields.
• Two reference letters from people who can speak to your research ability.
• A short statement describing your research interests and which network groups fit them — specificity beats generality here.
• English documents — everything is submitted in English; no IELTS/TOEFL was required for the 2026 call.

Timeline: what happens after the deadline

Offers are made per host group after mutual fit interviews. If you are on a waiting list, positions sometimes reopen in spring when first-choice candidates decline.

Preparing for the next call

The network has run annual calls in autumn. Until the 2027 guidelines are published, treat the following as a preparation checklist rather than confirmed dates:

• Now: sharpen one research project you can talk about in depth, and keep a running shortlist of Max Planck and partner-university groups whose work genuinely interests you.
• Summer: draft your statement, request reference letters early (supervisors are slow in August), and prepare certified transcripts.
• September–October: watch the Max Planck School / MP-AIX portals and this site's fully funded AI PhD Europe guide for the opening announcement.

MP-AIX compared with other funded AI routes

Questions applicants often ask

Can I apply without publications? Yes. Research potential, references and a sharp statement carry more weight than paper counts — see our guide to PhD positions without publications.

Is there an age limit? No. German doctoral contracts have no age cap.

Do I need German? No — the working language of the network is English.

What if I missed the 2026 deadline? The IMPRS programs list includes several Max Planck research schools with calls open through winter and spring — many are equally well funded.

Alternatives while you wait for the next call

Applicants who target three or four of these routes in one autumn routinely convert at least one — the material (CV, statement, references) is 80% shared. Our AI PhD Europe guide collects the current calls in one table.

Interview preparation specifics

• Know one paper deeply from each group you named — you will be asked "what did you think of X's recent work?"
• Prepare a 5-minute research story: your thesis/project as problem → approach → result → what you would do next. This doubles as your ETH/CDT interview answer.
• Have questions ready: funding line, expected conferences, supervision structure — network programs respect candidates who interview them back.