Overview

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is inviting applications from qualified and highly-motivated students for a Summer Research Visit.

The goal of the Population and Social Data Science Summer Incubator Program is to enable discovery by bringing together data scientists and population scientists to work on focused, intensive and collaborative projects of broad societal relevance.

For a period of 3 months (June 2nd – August 22nd, 2025) participating students will work in small teams, with support from experienced mentors, towards a common research goal. For the summer of 2025, the focus of the program will be on three main research areas:

  • “Climate Change and Mobility” mentored by Risto Conte Keivabu, Ebru Sanlitürk, and Monica Alexander (University of Toronto);
  • “Machine Learning for Life Course Trajectories” mentored by Linda Vecgaile, Bruno Arpino (University of Padova) and Emilio Zagheni;
  •  “Mortality in War Settings” mentored by Yvette Young, Diego Alburez-Gutierrez, Enrique Acosta (Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics -CED) and Irena Chen.

Participating students will be exposed to best practices across the social sciences and data sciences while contributing to a hands-on project experience that will result in a scientific journal article. All participants will also have access to lectures and will be able to participate in other scientific activities taking place at the MPIDR.

Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral, master’s or undergraduate university program (at the time they visit the MPIDR). Selected candidates must obtain approval to participate in the program by their supervisor / administrator. The Incubator program values research teams that include early-career scientists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with complementary skill sets. Priority will be placed on bringing together a diverse pool of students. The total number of attendees will be defined based on resources and quality of applications. The mentors will provide seed projects and data ideas, with flexibility for students to put forward their own ideas as well.

Successful candidates will have demonstrated ability to work on research projects independently and in interdisciplinary teams, and an interest in research problems related to both data science and the social sciences, broadly defined.  

Applications must be in English and submitted online via this survey and include the following documents in one single PDF:

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Cover letter (Max 2 pages)
    – Please state why you are interested in spending the summer at the MPIDR, and in which ways you would benefit from participating in the Incubator program.
    – Please articulate your research interests and briefly describe a project you have worked on, the motivation for it and your contribution.
    – Please describe your technical skills, as well as what you would like to learn over the course of the Summer visit.
    – Please briefly explain which of the three main focus areas of the Summer Incubator 2025 best matches your research interests and technical expertise. Optionally, feel free to include initial ideas for potential research projects.
  3. Copies of academic transcripts for undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate education
  4. Names and contact information for 2 academic referees (no recommendation letter is required at this step)

In order to receive full consideration, applications should be received by January 8th 2025 (11:59 pm CET). Notifications will be sent out March 2025. This will be an in-person summer program, and students will be expected to be in residence at the MPIDR in Rostock for the period of the research visit and to devote most of their working time to the collaborative research project during that period. Selected students enrolled in a PhD program will be offered reimbursement for travel costs to/from Rostock, and a stipend. Selected students who are not enrolled in a PhD program will be offered reimbursement for travel costs to/from Rostock, lodging in Rostock, and a per diem.

In line with principles of the Max Planck Society as a whole, we value diversity and are keen to host individuals with minority or traditionally underrepresented backgrounds. We are committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in the Max Planck Society and therefore encourage applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, we seek to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourage women to apply.

More information

You can find more information on previous program participants, projects and publication outcomes on the program webpage.

In addition, please consult the FAQ document for further detail.

For additional questions, you can contact us at incubator@demogr.mpg.de

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About Max Planck Society (Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research)

The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world. The Institute’s scientists advance fundamental research in areas related to fertility, mortality and migration, as well as study issues of policy relevance, such as demographic change, aging, health, the redistribution of work and transfers over the life course, as well as the digitization of life and the use of novel data sources for understanding demographic dynamics. The MPIDR is part of the Max Planck Society, a network of 86 institutes that form Germany’s premier basic-research organization. Max Planck Institutes have an established record of world-class, foundational research in the sciences, technology, social sciences and the humanities. They offer a unique environment that combines the best aspects of an academic setting and a research laboratory.