Graduate program with a future: IMPRS LIFE to be established permanently
Max Planck Society honors outstanding achievements of IMPRS LIFE
The Max Planck Society has approved the continuation of the LIFE doctoral program. From January 1, 2026, the program will be established permanently at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and continue under the new name "International Max Planck Research School on Learning, Institutions, and Future Evolution (LIFE)". The range of topics will also be expanded. Ulman Lindenberger will continue to be the LIFE Speaker at the Institute.
Since 2002, IMPRS LIFE has offered excellent doctoral training in the field of human development across the lifespan, with a particular focus on the social and behavioral sciences. It has been extended three times. In the future, it will also focus on the interaction of people with physical and digital environments and the integration of modern technologies. The program offers graduate students unique training opportunities at four sites in Europe and the USA and includes transatlantic research stays as well as seminars and bi-annual academies where LIFE doctoral fellows and faculty can exchange ideas.
“IMPRS LIFE's success in recruiting top international students speaks for itself. The high proportion of international doctoral students, the exceptionally low drop-out rate, and the impressive average duration of doctoral studies are evidence of the excellent supervision and integration of the students. The diverse career paths of the graduates and their international recognition, for example through awards such as the US Rising Star Award, illustrate the success of the program,” says the Max Planck Society in its statement. More than 300 LIFE alumni have now successfully completed the program. To date, twelve of them have received the APS Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science.
The participating institutions include the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and the University of Zurich. In the future, Technische Universität Berlin will be added as a collaborating partner.
Link to the website: https://www.imprs-life.mpg.de
