1. The Graduate School at the IPK Scientific coordinator: Prof. Dr. Nicolaus von Wirén Administrative coordinator: Dr. Britt Leps The IPK Gatersleben and Martin-Luther University establish a graduate school entitled “Yield Formation in cereals – overcoming yield-limiting factors”. The school has been funded under the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation 2012 program by the Leibniz Association, and represents the IPK and MLU’s goal of establishing a joint graduate school which takes advantage of both institutions’ academic excellence in crop plant research. The graduate school is a structural component of the newly established “Science campus Halle plant-based bioeconomy”.

2. Structural framework Leibniz- Graduate School Leibniz- Graduate School ScienceCampus Halle „Plant-based bio-economy“ Faculty for Natural Sciences I (Biology) Faculty for Natural Sciences III (Agricultural Sciences) Faculty for Natural Sciences I (Biology) Faculty for Natural Sciences III (Agricultural Sciences) Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg Other Leibniz- Graduate Schools Other Leibniz- Graduate Schools Graduate Programs of the Martin-Luther University

3. Development of the IPK graduate school Leibniz-funded graduate school “Yield formation in cereals – overcoming yield-limiting factors” (8 PhD candidates) PhD program at the IPK with PhD seminars, PSSC conference, workshops etc. (total > 80 PhD candidates) IPK Graduate School (open to all PhD candidates)

4. to provide the basis for a target-oriented and structured progression of the doctoral study to offer a wider range of technical and scientific support as well as personal assistance to ensure a high quality of scientific work within the framework of the doctoral study Goals of the graduate school to establish a mutual responsibility between the PhD student and the supervisor to better recognize the individual potential and to adapt training and educational needs to individual skills and qualifications to promote besides scientific excellence also personal competences

5. Lecture series Technical/methodological courses PhD Seminars Progress seminars/lab meetings Conferences and excursions Non-scientific lectures (“soft skill courses”) Elements of the educational concept Common elements Thesis committee Research proposal 1 st and 2 nd year report Lab rotations Individual elements  documentation in the study record book

6. The Study Record Book facilitates the organisation of the PhD study documents the progress of PhD work documents the participation in coursework Purpose  basis for obtaining a “PhD certificate” independent of the PhD regulations (“Promotionsordnung”) of the university  every PhD student will maintain her/his proper study record book

7. Lectures Date: 14th March 2013; 10.00 a.m. Place: Conference room; Genetic department „Chip-based expression analysis“ (Dr. L. Altschmied/ Ag HET) Date: 18th March 2013; 10.30 a.m. Place: Conference room; Genetic department „Barley Grains- Development and tissue structure“ (Dr. W. Weschke/ Ag SE) Date: 20th March 2013; 10.00 a.m. Place: Conference room; Genetic department „Evaluation of transcriptome data“ (Dr. N. Sreenivasulu/ Ag SGN) Subject to modifications

8. Date: 12-15th November 2012 „Hands-on histology and electron microscopy in plant research“ (Dr. M. Melzer/ SZB) Deadline for application: 11th November 2012 Date: 18-22nd March 2013 „Microdissection and expression analysis of developing seed tissues“ (Dr. W. Weschke; Dr. J. Thiel; S. Kohl/ SE) Deadline for application: 11th March 2013 Date: 10-14th June 2013 „Hands-on confocal microscopy in plant research“ (Dr. M. Melzer/ Ag SZB) Deadline for application: 1st June 2013 Further information you will find under: http://www.ipk-gatersleben.de/promotion/graduate-school/ Scientific (technical) courses Subject to modifications