CaCTüS Germany Internship 2027 Open Worldwide with €1,350 Monthly Stipend
CaCTüS Internship 2027 applications are open in Germany, giving bachelor’s and master’s applicants worldwide a paid summer working on artificial intelligence, neuroscience and cognition.
The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and Tübingen AI Center jointly offer this research opportunity. You could spend three months moving beyond coursework into questions about how brains learn, how intelligent systems behave or how experimental data can explain cognition.
The programme has a particular purpose: helping talented applicants whose access to research is restricted by personal, financial, regional or societal circumstances. Could it fit you even without an established research network? Your academic preparation, project interests and explanation of those barriers give the selection team something concrete to assess.
Start by establishing your eligibility and choosing research you can contribute to. This guide explains the funding, the enrolment condition that affects some projects and how to build your application without first securing a supervisor’s acceptance.
Plan your CaCTüS application
01 Who is eligible for CaCTüS Internship 2027?
CaCTüS welcomes applicants worldwide with relevant academic preparation and a strong academic record. Relevant backgrounds include computing, mathematics, physics, engineering, psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience; your skills must fit the selected project.
- Study stage: You must not have started a PhD when the internship takes place. Undergraduates must complete at least four semesters before it begins.
- Availability: You must attend the entire internship period listed in the timeline. Compulsory placements requiring course credits are ineligible.
- Project-specific enrolment: Applicants for Projects 1–4 must remain enrolled at an academic institution throughout January–October 2027. Graduating before then can therefore affect your project choice.
Graduates are not automatically excluded: the official FAQ allows master’s graduates who have not started a PhD, including those who graduated several years earlier. That general permission does not remove the specific enrolment requirement above.
Applicants from and living in low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged. Those without significant educational barriers may apply too, but candidates demonstrating such constraints receive preference when qualifications are comparable.
I recommend explaining the practical effect of your circumstances: limited laboratory access, for example, matters because it restricts the research training you can obtain. Describe your own situation accurately and connect it to what this internship would enable.
Back to your CaCTüS application guide
02 What does the CaCTüS funding cover?
CaCTüS pays approximately €1,350 per month, intended to cover living expenses, housing and health insurance. It also compensates travel costs, while the coordination office arranges affordable accommodation. Treat housing as an expense supported by the salary rather than an additional cash award.
You must budget separately for visa application fees and embassy-related travel, which are not reimbursed. Accepted applicants receive visa support, although a timely visa cannot be guaranteed.
The research itself spans machine learning, neuroscience, behavioural experiments and data analysis. For you, the value is an opportunity to test whether sustained research suits your next academic step, while developing evidence of what you can contribute beyond a transcript.
Back to your CaCTüS application guide
03 How do you apply for CaCTüS Internship 2027?
Apply through the central CaCTüS portal; supervisor acceptance is not a preliminary requirement. Prepare the following material so your project choices and supporting evidence tell a consistent story.
| Application material | What CaCTüS requests | How to prepare |
|---|---|---|
| Academic CV | Maximum two pages; the application guide specifies at least 11-point text and no photograph. | Prioritise relevant coursework, methods and your own contributions. |
| Academic records | Transcripts from all university studies; degree certificates where available. | Include English translations; your own translation is accepted initially. |
| Motivational answers | Scientific motivation, previous project experience, reasons for up to two ranked projects and constraints on educational access. | Explain what you did, what you learned and why the chosen research fits. |
| Reference letter | One letter is optional. | If included, give your referee the upload link from your registration email. |
Our motivation-letter writing guide can help organise your evidence, but adapt it to CaCTüS’s separate portal questions and length limits.
- Choose projects before drafting. Use the official programme guidance and linked project list to match your preparation to the advertised work. Rank up to two choices.
- Register for the correct cohort. Create your account in the CaCTüS 2027 application portal. Keep the registration email: it contains your return-login information.
- Complete the answers and uploads. Follow the official application guide. Use PDFs for uploaded documents. AI may polish language, but your substantive ideas and analysis must be your own.
- Submit and retain confirmation. The automatic completion email confirms submission. Without it, the programme says your application is incomplete. Email applications are not assessed; do not contact supervisors to promote your candidacy.
I would prioritise one previous project you can discuss confidently: explain the question, your method, your contribution and what remained unresolved. Those details make your preparation easier to assess than a list of software names.
Back to your CaCTüS application guide
04 CaCTüS questions to resolve before submitting
The remaining questions concern language evidence, references and selection. Resolve them before spending time on material the programme does not require.
Do I need IELTS or TOEFL for CaCTüS?
No language certificate is required. Your English must be sufficient for research discussions and scientific reading, and it is assessed through the application and interviews.
Can I apply without a recommendation letter?
Yes, the reference letter is optional. If you include one, send the upload link to your referee yourself; the system does not automatically contact them.
What happens after the CaCTüS interview?
Selected candidates receive an official offer by email. The published guidance does not promise a rejection email to every unsuccessful interviewee, so silence alone should not be treated as a confirmed outcome.
Back to your CaCTüS application guide
05 CaCTüS Internship 2027 application deadline
The last date to apply for the CaCTüS Internship 2027, offered jointly by the Max Planck Institutes for Biological Cybernetics and Intelligent Systems and the Tübingen AI Center, is 16 November 2026. Applications opened on 21 October 2026.
Interviews are scheduled for January 2027, with acceptance notifications in February 2027. The internship runs from 1 July to 30 September 2027. Shortlisted applicants should prepare for both personal and technical interview questions.
My recommendation is to settle your project choice first, then draft the corresponding motivation and assemble your records. Submit early enough to resolve missing documents and obtain the completion email before applications close.
