The Cluster of Excellence e-conversion runs a dedicated graduate program (GP) for PhD students who are working on an e-conversion related research project. The aim of the program is to promote the collaboration of e-conversion students, help them with their research by sponsoring visits to other labs and prepare them for their future careers.
Benefits of the Graduate Program
The e-conversion GP offers all its members the following benefits:
- Winter Meetings
- Summer Retreat
- Company Visits
- Soft Skill Courses
- Business Knowledge Courses
- Student Exchange Program (more details …)
Organization of the Graduate Program
The Graduate Program Coordinator (GC) leads the e-conversion GP and represents its interests inside and outside of e-conversion. The GC is appointed by the Executive Board (EB) of e-conversion. The tasks of the GC include in particular the management of GP general meetings, the report to the General Assembly of e-conversion, representing the interests of the e-conversion GP in the e-conversion EB, the information of the GP members.
The Student Board ensures the active representation of the e-conversion doctoral researchers, to be elected by the convention of all e-conversion doctoral researchers from both universities. The spokesperson of the Student Board has a permanent guest status in the cluster’s Executive Board to ensure full representation, as well as information and feedback on all GP activities. Together with the GP Coordinator, the Cluster Coordinator and Co-Coordinators the Student Board suggests, discusses and organizes events such as summer and winter retreats of all e-conversion doctoral researchers. The theme of these retreats and further tutorials introducing to selected methods or techniques are “from us, for us”, thereby providing not only a platform for topical hands-on training and grassroots exchange, but also for the development of team spirit and organizational skills.
The current GP Coordinators are Prof. Dr. Emiliano Cortés (Faculty of Physics, LMU) and Prof. Dr. Barbara Lechner (Chemistry Department, TUM).

The members of the current Student Board of e-conversion are:
Membership Rules
1. Each Principal Investigator (PI) should name at least two doctoral students as members of the GP who work on projects in the cluster. There is no longer any upper limit.
2. Postdocs can be accepted as associate members.
3. An online application form for PhD students is now available on our website.
GP News
e-conversion supports Max-Planck Science Policy Winter School
Bringing researchers closer to the interface between science and politics.
e-conversion Conference 2026
The next cluster conference will take place in Venice from 4 October to 9, 2026.
e-conversion takes part in MINTI conference
Conference on promoting girls in primary education with STEM subjects at the Deutsches Museum in Munich.
Energized for the future
Review: e-conversion conference 2025 provides impetus for the next funding period.
Escape from Carbonia – on tour
e-conversion and TUM on the road with Escape Room in Munich.
Winter Retreat 2025 in Bayrischzell
Review of a successful meeting of our graduate students in Bayrischzell.





