Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM) at the University of Freiburg

The Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM) is the only International Graduate School funded by the German Excellence Initiative of the DFG at the University of Freiburg. It relies on the expertise provided by the Excellence Cluster bioss (Center for Biological Signalling Studies), several outstanding collaborative research centers as well as the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience.

The "Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM)" offers a dynamic interdisciplinary training program which prepares students for future scientific challenges. The school is named after the famous embryologist Hans Spemann who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1935 for elegant experiments which were performed at the University of Freiburg and which lead to his discovery of the organizer effect in embryonic development. SGBM's ultimate goal is to create a top notch "Life Scientist of the Future" who can assimilate knowledge and techniques from various disciplines as well as combine basic with translational research, biotechnology and product/drug development.

Video: The Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM) in the excellence initiative

SGBM relies on three major strategies:

• elaborate on existing research and teaching programs in life sciences and introduce additional interdisciplinary courses in "Novel Technologies" and "Soft Skills".
• implement an MD/PhD program which allows medical doctors to perform a PhD on projects at the interface of basic and translational research
• set up an exchange program which allows the best doctoral students to participate in research and teaching activities at partner universities abroad and at biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.

Our graduate school is built on superb research and teaching programs in Protein Structure and Function, Synthetic Biology and Signalling, Developmental Biology, Neurosciences, Immunology and Virology, Molecular Medicine and Molecular Plant Sciences. Several of these research areas harbor their own graduate programs and cooperate with SGBM. Numerous collaborative research centers (and research training groups) are presently funded:

• "Membrane Proteins and Biological Membranes" Research Training Group RTG 1478
• "Signal Pathways to the Cytoskeleton and Bacterial Pathogenesis" SPP1150
• "Immunodeficiencies: clinical issues and animal models" SFB 620 and its integrated RTG
• "Signalling Mechanisms in Embryogenesis and Organogenesis" SFB 592
• "From cells to organs: Molecular Mechanisms of Organogenesis" RTG 1104.
• "Functional Specificity by Coupling and Modification of Proteins" SFB 746
• "The Freiburg Initiative for Systems Biology" Frisys
• "Synaptic Mechanisms of Neuronal Network Function" SFB 780
• "Mesial temporal lobe epilepsies" SFB TR3
• "Control of cell motility during morphogenesis, tumor invasion and metastasis" SFB850
• "Networks of Excellence for Rare Diseases""(skelnet and EB)

Presently the school counts 71 PhD students. About 40% of the participants are international students who come from 21 nations. Doctoral students work in a high-profile research environment and attend lectures, seminars, workshops, symposia, regional meetings and annual retreats. The entire program is run in English.

International students can first stay in the SGBM guest house until they find a permanent accommodation. Our welcome service enables newly arrived students to start working in the lab within a few days of their arrival in Freiburg. This service provides help with all administrative issues (registration at university, work permit, health insurance, bank account, etc...) as well as with finding a suitable accommodation. The Faculty of Biology offers a few places in its day care center situated in the nice settings of the Botanical Garden, and within walking distance of several laboratories participating in our program.

Each year students can apply for the Salome Gluecksohn-Waelsch Prize which rewards the best dissertation. This prize is awarded jointly with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. It is presented to the laureate at the annual graduation ceremony.