Mildred Scheel Career Center (MSNZ) Frankfurt

The Mildred Scheel Career Center (Mildred-Scheel-Nachwuchszentrum, MSNZ) in Frankfurt is an excellence program for promoting young scientists in cancer research. Since 2019 it is one of five institutions in Germany funded by the German Cancer Aid with a total of 10 million euros.


Our mission is to educate a new generation of excellent interdisciplinary cancer researchers through the targeted support of young physicians working in research (clinician scientists) and non-clinical scientists (medical scientists). The Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI) and the MSNZ set the framework for Clinician Scientists and Medical Scientists with access to research infrastructure and key technologies. The MSNZ provides continuous career paths with attractive target positions allowing for long-term scientific activity in translational cancer research. The excellence program enables Clinician Scientists to flexibly combine scientific work and clinical training and Medical Scientists to set up their own research groups. In this way, the MSNZ Frankfurt, together with the Frankfurt Cancer Institute, aims to create long-term positions in cancer research that focus on interdisciplinary networks and scientific excellence through a competitive selection and evaluation process.

The MSNZ Frankfurt aims to prepare young investigators for the international academic job market and to opening up excellent prospects for a career in cancer research.

Goals of the MSNZ

The Mildred Scheel Career Center (MSNZ) Frankfurt aims to be an internationally visible center of excellence which combines clinically relevant translational cancer research with the training and education of young clinical and medical investigators. By using the structures of the Frankfurt Cancer Institute (FCI) and the wide range of clinical and scientific facilities within the University Cancer Center (UCT), the MSNZ Frankfurt strives to enable individual, long-term and successful career paths for Clinician and Medical Scientists.

Regarding the training and further education of young academics, the MSNZ sees its mission in qualifying a new generation of cancer researchers engaged in translational cancer research who create an added value in an interdisciplinary setting.

The main objectives of the MSNZ are:

  • to support excellent young Clinician and Medical Scientists in translational cancer research
  • to establish continuous career paths for Clinician Scientists and Medical Scientists that link all career stages and can be pursued at an international level,
  • to create attractive leadership positions,
  • to expand internationality and mobility through strategic partnerships,
  • to promote equal opportunities and work/family life balance.

The Mildred Scheel Career Center Frankfurt is funded by the German Cancer Aid.