International Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Engineering (BIG

The Berlin International Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Engineering (BIG-NSE) is an international doctoral programme that was established in May 2007 at Technische Universität Berlin (TUB) . From January 2019 to December 2025, the programme has been partially funded by the Einstein Foundation Berlin (ESB) ( www.einsteinfoundation.de ) and has therefore temporarily carried the name Einstein Center for Catalysis (EC2/BIG-NSE). Since its inception, it has been closely associated with the Unified Systems in Catalysis (UniSysCat) ( www.unisyscat.de ) Cluster of Excellence , founded by TUB and eight other institutions in the Berlin area as part of the German government's "Excellence Initiative". UniSysCat conducts high-level research in catalysis across a broad spectrum of disciplines, from natural sciences to engineering. This unique research endeavour in Germany relies on the contribution of highly qualified and motivated young scientists. With the founding of BIG-NSE, UniSysCat set out to recruit the most talented students and early-career researchers worldwide, offering them a broad, high-level structured educational programme to prepare them for participation in cutting-edge research within the cluster. In May 2025 , it will be announced whether funding for UniSysCat and BIG-NSE by the German Research Foundation (DFG) will be extended. Please keep an eye on our website ( www.ec2-big-nse.de ) for updates on new PhD positions, which are expected to start in 2026 .