PhD & Postdocs
Like all non-university research institutions, the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis does not have its own right to award doctorates or habilitations. Qualification measures for young scientists are carried out in cooperation with the University of Rostock. The doctoral and habilitation regulations of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Rostock apply.
At LIKAT there is a PhD and postdoc representation elected by all doctoral students and postdocs. They represent their interests within and outside the institute. They are the point of contact for all student matters.
Since April 2024, LIKAT has offered its doctoral candidates a structured doctoral program, Catalysis Graduate School (CatGS).
Further qualification opportunities outside the specific research projects can be taken up in courses offered as part of the Baltic Sea Catalysis Institute and the DFG Training Group SPECTRE.
Furthermore, the qualification program of the Graduate Academy of the University of Rostock is available to all PhD students and postdocs.
Catalysis Graduate School (CatGS)
LIKAT offers its PhD students a structured doctoral program in which they can participate on a voluntary basis. The LIKAT doctoral program serves to deepen and expand the knowledge and skills of doctoral candidates. The aim is to provide qualified scientific training and diverse personal development for young scientists in order to optimally prepare them for the demands of their individual career paths.
A structured doctoral programme at LIKAT offers the following advantages:
- Further academic training beyond the topic of the doctoral thesis
- Learning and deepening soft skills and key competences as part of the doctorate
- Utilisation of existing further education programmes offered by the Graduate Academy of the University of Rostock
- Interdisciplinary networking with other doctoral candidates
- Simple documentation of achievements and issue of a transcript of records in English
- Joint supervision by first supervisor (doctoral supervisor) and second supervisor (additional mentoring)
Structure of the program
The activities in the program are assessed with credit points (CP). The curriculum of the LIKAT doctoral program is designed for three years and is structured as follows:
Module | Credit Points (CPs) |
Subject-related events
|
min. 6 CP
min. 6 CP |
Workshops
|
min. 4 CP |
Catalysis-related lecture courses[1]
|
min. 6 CP
|
Core competences, soft skills (1 CP per course)
| min. 4 CP |
Outreach activities
| min. 2 CP |
Optional further activities and events
| optional |
Total | min. 34 CP |
[1] A list of eligible courses of the Master's programme in Chemistry at the University of Rostock is attached (last page of the document).
[2] These 4 CP serve as a compensation as during a research stay abroad certain activities/events offered in Rostock cannot be attended.
Application and registration
Any doctoral candidate at LIKAT can become a member of the structured doctoral programme. Registration for the structured doctoral programme at LIKAT takes place at the time of recruitment via a form which is deposited in the secretariat. This is followed by a form which the doctoral candidate uses to document activities and events. Prerequisites for participation in the programme are:
- Enrolment as a doctoral student at the University of Rostock
- Appointment of a first and second supervisor for the doctorate
- Registration for the structured doctoral programme of the LIKAT (upon employment)
Contact persons
Documentation – Anne Tonn (sekretariat{at}catalysis.de, Phone 189)
Scientific advisor – Prof. Torsten Beweries (torsten.beweries{at}catalysis.de, Phone 104)
“Spectroscopic methods for challenging reduction reactions - catalytic coupling of CO2”
Since April 2024, the SPECTRE Research Training Group, which was set up jointly with the University of Rostock, has been funded for an initial period of five years and comprises 25 doctoral positions. The cooperation between LIKAT and various institutes at the University of Rostock (IfCH, IfPh, IfM) provides students with a versatile and interdisciplinary education. The combination of different expertise and methodological and instrumental equipment enables them to look at issues from different perspectives and with different methods.
In this Research Training Group, new organometallic, electrocatalytic and photocatalytic pathways for the formation of oxalate from CO2 are to be developed. Spectroscopic investigations are of great importance for modern catalysis research in general and for the approach proposed here in particular. They provide important information about the working processes and are therefore essential for their optimization.
The training program offers an excellent multidisciplinary education, which is strengthened by the synergetic cooperation between the University of Rostock and the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis.
Link to homepage - GRK 2943 SPECTRE - Universität Rostock (uni-rostock.de)

The Baltic Sea Catalysis Institute (German: Ostsee-Lehrverbund Katalyse, OLV) of the German Catalysis Society (GeCatS) brings together various catalysis-related research institutions and universities with the aim of providing comprehensive training for young scientists (doctoral students and advanced undergraduates). The network offers an advanced block course to teach the fundamentals and overarching principles of modern catalysis science. This block course consists of three parts, which alternate every three years.
The members of this network are research groups from University of Kiel, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) Rostock, Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP) Greifswald, University of Greifswald and University of Rostock. The network also includes the University of Hamburg and the Hamburg University of Technology. Other northern German institutions are invited to join.
The teaching network offers an advanced block course to teach the fundamentals and overarching principles of modern catalysis science. This block course consists of three parts, which take place alternately every three years.
Part A deals with the Fundamentals of Catalysis and includes
- fundamentals of catalysis in homogeneous, heterogeneous and biocatalysis
- modern developments in electro-, photo- and plasma catalysis
- kinetic and spectroscopic methods
- quantum chemical methods
- an evening lecture by a renowned scientist
Part B deals with Industrial Catalysis Applications and includes
- reaction engineering and biotechnology
- catalyst synthesis and scale-up
- industrial applications and potential applications in thermo-, electro- and photocatalysis
- management of research data
- an evening lecture by an eminent industrial scientist
Part C deals with Analytics & Spectroscopy in Catalysis and includes
- in situ and operando spectroscopic methods
- characterization of catalysts
- analysis of photo- and electrocatalytic reactions
- chemometric methods
- process analytics
- an evening lecture by an eminent industrial scientist
As the qualification measures for young academics are carried out in cooperation with the University of Rostock, the doctoral and habilitation regulations of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Rostock apply.
Here you will find general information on doctoral studies and habilitation at the MNF of the University of Rostock, access to the do doctoral regulations and find a guideline for doctoral studies incl. admission requirements.
In order to enable new and interested PhD students and scientists from abroad a smooth start in Germany and at the Institute, the PhD and Postdoc Representation of LIKAT has prepared a guideline with a lot of necessary information. It contains important information about accommodation, health insurance, residence permits and much more.
To the LIKAT guideline for foreign students and scientists.
Further useful information can be found under the following links:
- International Welcome Center for international (Guest-)Scientists and PhD´s of the University of Rostock
- Checklist for international Students before Arrival
- Information for International Students of the Faculty for Computer Science and Electrical Engineering ("What to expect beginning your studies during your stay")
- “Road to Rostock” (Information collected by the Welcome Center of the University of Rostock: Certification and translation of documents, Entry and Residence, Registration in the local office, Enrolment and Admission, Insurances, Work and Taxes, Bank account, Financing, Accomodation, Family