The integrated Graduate School Solvation Science (iGSS, Dean: Prof. Dr. Guido Clever, formerly Graduate School Solvation Science) was established as part of the Cluster of Excellence RESOLV at the beginning of 2013. The iGSS offers a training and professional development program for graduate students within the RESOLV environment, fostering early careers of researchers in the field of Solvation Science. Doctoral degrees are awarded by the respective responsible faculties, including the departments of chemistry and biochemistry, chemistry and chemical biology, physics, and engineering at Ruhr University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, and University Duisburg-Essen.

Candidates with an A grade Master's degree (iGSS Track I) or with a top-class Bachelor's degree (iGSS Track II) have the chance to work in an inspiring and exciting research environment. The iGSS aims to combine high-profile research and early scientific independence along with internationalization and gender mainstreaming. Furthermore, the graduate program offers interdisciplinary training components – such as a three-month internship at one of our partner institutions of the International Faculty (IF), with industry partners or at business start-up transfer centers, as well as annual iGSS workshops, summer schools, lectures and colloquia; see the Training Schedule section for more details.

The iGSS aims to attract doctoral researchers from the top 20 percent of their year in terms of academic performance while enforcing gender balance and diversity. In the last funding period (2019 to 2025), 40 percent of our doctoral researchers were female and 41 percent were international. Of note, since 2019, the iGSS has supported 15 international doctoral researchers via the DAAD Graduate School Scholarship Programme (GSSP). 

You can find details regarding the application process on the Jobs & Training page. Please direct any questions to igss(at)rub.de.