The IPP (International Postgraduate Programme) of the Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg, is funded by DAAD and DFG. The Programme provides financial support to doctoral students, to supplement their normal grant. The programme does not assign basic grants to carry out a research project at the faculty. Such grants might be received from other institutions like the DAAD or the DFG. The DAAD, for instance, supports students from abroad, interested to conduct doctoral research in Germany. These students are normally selected in their home country and have to get permission from the German faculty or institute for a working place to obtain visa. The DAAD grant, however, does not cover the costs for fieldwork, laboratory costs, etc., and neither are these covered by the IPP: these costs have to be funded separately by a research grant. The programme organizes educational activities and covers expenses which normally cannot be covered by a research grant. Examples are:

• organization of workshops and short courses held by international scientists visiting Heidelberg
• longer stays at labs of co-operating international partners

The programme potentially supports doctoral students of the Faculty of Earth Science, for instance members of the Graduiertenkolleg 273 "Einwirkung fluider Phasen auf Locker und Festgesteine" (rock-water interaction) but also doctoral students with grants from other sources. Internationalisation of the student body at the Faculty of Earth Sciences is an essential goal of the IPP, which strives to achieve international students for one out of every three positions. Another major goal of this programme is to improve the social network of the doctoral students from abroad. The integration of international students into the faculty is achieved by a bundle of activities, eg:

• an introductory workshop in the Odenwaldhouse owned by the University at the countryside near Heidelberg. This workshop is held mainly for students from the Graduiertenkolleg together with supervisors and guests
• organization of Short Courses, which are given at the university or outside (e.g. Odenwaldhouse). Short Courses are open for all doctoral students and, as long as space permits, also Diploma/Master students of the faculty and students from other universities. These courses offer the opportunity to meet with colleagues and international scientists.
• introductory field trips in different fields of the geosciences, free of charge.
• there is a monthly TGIF ("Thank God It's Friday") meeting at the exposition hall in the Museum for Earth Sciences – a good opportunity for relaxed communication with all members of the faculty. Further social and scientific activities are scheduled regularly.
• there is a wide offer of language courses at the university and its environment. The offer of additional cultural and social activities in Heidelberg is also outstanding.

The study programme consists of short courses, seminars, lectures by guest scientists and, for the Graduiertenkolleg students, an annual symposium, all of them held in English. The main goal, of course, is the thesis work. A typical thesis in the faculty should be completed in three years. Knowledge of German is of course advantageous for everyday life, but this is not essential for doctoral studies. The thesis itself may be written in German or English and it is also possible to submit a thesis consisting of scientific articles with an introductory text.