Practical Research Experience Program (TUM PREP)

Application procedure

Students can only apply online via the application form and the online submission of the required application documents in PDF format (see below). Students applying for a specific project can name another one or two projects as their second or third choices in the online portal in order to enhance their chances of getting placed. Find over 80 interesting and challenging research projects available for TUM PREP 2026 in our TUM PREP Project Database. Please take a look at the guidelines in case of questions regarding its usage.

Special provision - Nominations

The following institutions are exclusively pre-selecting and nominating their students. Please contact the Study Abroad Office of your home insitution to get nominated:

Canada

• University of Alberta (Contact: [email protected], Kirsten Franks, Learning Abroad Programs)
• University of British Columbia (Contact: [email protected], Jennifer Lemche, Advisor Research Abroad at the Go Global Office)
• Université of Montréal (Contact: [email protected], Sherrilynn Tse-Chi-Shum, Student Mobility Advisor)
• University of Toronto (Contact: [email protected], Cindy Xin, Learning Abroad Coordinator)

USA

• UC San Diego (Contact: mailto:[email protected], Max Reinke, Global Initiatives)
• University of Wisconsin-Madison (Contact: [email protected], Amani DeHolton, Intern Abroad Advisor)
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) (Contact: mailto:[email protected] ,Tess Waldrop Dunn, Assistant Director for Partnerships & Affiliations, Global Education Office)

UK

• Imperial College London, UK (Contact: [email protected], International Relations Office)

Application deadline

November 23, 2025 for research stays in summer 2026.

Selection of projects and placement of applicants

Applications will be assessed in close cooperation with project supervisors. We always attempt to place TUM PREP applicants according to their priorities.

Admission letters

The selection of the TUM PREP applicants will be completed by the different TUM university chairs between mid-December and end of January. During this period applicants will be informed about their acceptance or rejection. All partner institutions will be informed about the outcome of the TUM PREP applications in early February.

When accepting a TUM PREP participation, please check carefully, if you will be able to finance your stay. In case of a late cancellation, your TUM PREP spot cannot be given to another student.