The group of Prof. Dr. Martin Suhm at the Faculty of Chemistry at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen welcomes applications for two

Ph.D. positions (all genders welcome)

in the German Research Foundation (DFG)-funded Research Training Group 2455 “BENCh – Benchmark Experiments for Numerical quantum Chemistry”. The application window will be open until 1.6.2026. The positions are remunerated with 65 % E 13 TV-L (corresponding to 25.87 hours per week) with a limited contract of 3 years. The earliest starting date will be 1.8.2026.

You
hold (or are in the process of concluding) a Master’s degree in Chemistry, Physics or equivalent;
are proficient in English;
are willing to travel and collaborate with international partners;
are experimentally skilled in vibrational spectroscopy and/or cold molecules;
are motivated to extend the spectral range and working temperatures of home-built cluster spectrometers;
like the idea of developing experimental databases of new mono- and dihydrate clusters to trigger theoretical advances worldwide (project A) or like to explore how chiral molecules recognize and control each other in the gas phase under cryogenic conditions (project B)

The Suhm group focuses on the experimental characterization of molecules and molecular aggregates at low temperatures by unique slit jet recycling Raman and FTIR spectrometers, with the goal to benchmark numerical methods for their electronic structure and nuclear motion. To get an idea about project A, see https://doi.org/10.1039/D2CP01119K and https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.15001373/v1. To get an idea about project B, see https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.200800957 and https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CP03203A.
The BENCh Research Training Group consists of a high-level research programme aiming to provide landmark experiments for quantum chemical methods benchmarking. The students under the program will benefit from a wide variety of lab techniques and collaborations for challenging experiments. For more information consult the official homepage http://bench.uni-goettingen.de .

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Your application must include:
curriculum vitae including information on posters, presentations, awards (and publications, if applicable)
motivation letter, indicating a clear preference for either project A or project B
certificates of studies and of language proficiency (e.g., TOEFL)
name and contact information of two senior researchers who would be willing to provide a reference letter

The documents (single PDF file) are to be submitted to msuhm@gwdg.de. The deadline for submission is 20:00 (CET) 1.6.2026, but earlier applications are very welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Martin Suhm via msuhm@gwdg.de.

Please note:
With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided under https://uni-goettingen.de/GDPR