Requirements
Highly qualified students from all disciplines of the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Computer Science, and any interdisciplinary areas, who are committed to pursue their scientific career in an international research environment are invited to apply.

All applicants must hold a Master's or Bachelor's degree (or equivalent), or anticipate the completion of the degree before September 2011. Participating students are expected to be proficient in written and oral English.

IST Austria is committed to Equality and Diversity. In particular, female applicants are encouraged to apply.

• Deadline for students wishing to enter the program starting in September 2011: Application files and reference letters must be received by January 15, 2011.

Admissions process
All applications will be reviewed and ranked by a selection committee consisting of professors of IST Austria. Short-listed candidates will be invited to IST Austria for interviews and a campus visit in March 2011. Travel expenses will be reimbursed and free accommodation will be provided. Final admission offers will be made shortly after the visit. 

• The deadline for students to accept or decline an offer is April 15, 2011.

Benefits for PhD students of the PhD program
All PhD students admitted to the program will be offered employment contracts at IST Austria and will receive an internationally competitive salary with full social security coverage. Entering students holding a Master's degree will have four-year contracts, and students holding a Bachelor's degree, five-year contracts. The contracts will be extended by one additional year if satisfactory progress is made towards a PhD degree.

In addition, the PhD program will provide support for:

• Travel expenses to scientific conferences and workshops
• Research stays abroad at collaborating institutions
• German-language courses

Housing - a guest house and four apartment buildings - is available on the IST campus. Depending on availability, a room or apartment can be rented for a period of up to one year after arrival, giving incoming students time to find suitable accommodation for the subsequent years.

Applying

All applications must be received on-line through a web site. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2011, 24:00 CET.

For further information, please visit the IST's website.