Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research
The Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) was established on the campus of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in 1983 and ranks among the world's leading research centers in the field of polymer research. The focus on soft materials and macro-molecular materials make the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and its research orientation unique.
Scientists from more than 40 nations work at MPI-P; their basic scientific research is focused primarily on functional polymers - polymers with optical, electrical or biological properties. Their work is centered in particular on manufacturing and characterizing new materials and the relationship between chemical structure and polymer properties. The institute emphasizes the development of new methodical approaches and their application. The institute's interdisciplinary work processes bundle all related disciplines, ranging from creative design to the synthesis of materials, the characterization of their physical and chemical properties to polymer processing, and this provides the ideal basis for excellent research.
The institute has also made a name for itself in the field of promoting and mentoring young research talents: The International Max Planck Research School for Polymer Materials Science (IMPRS-PMS) is a project run jointly by the MPI-P and the Faculty of Chemistry at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz targeting doctoral candidates from the field of polymer research. The Marie Curie Host Fellowship for Early Stage Research Training funded by the IMPRS-PMS and the EU sponsors exchange and training programs. These programs enable outstanding students to carry out a research project at MPI-P in cooperation with the Johannes Gutenberg University. Within the framework of the federal "Excellence Initiative", the IMPRS-PMS and the university's graduate programs, POLYMAT and MATCOR, joined ranks to form the MAINZ Graduate School of Excellence. Additionally, the new Max Planck Graduate Center offers outstanding doctoral candidates innovative opportunities for scientific training.