ISSP - International Summer Student Programme

Welcome to the HZB International Summer Student Programme 2023, to be held from 3 July to 25 August!

If you are interested in the programme, you can apply here !

You can find information on the programme, the requirements for application, the conditions of participation and the application procedure below.

About the programme
Who can apply?
Conditions
Application procedure

About the programme

Each summer HZB offers 20 undergraduate students an eight-week summer student programme. International students can get the chance to work on their own research project in close cooperation with HZB scientists in the fields of Photon Science, Photovoltaics, Solar Cells/Catalysis, Electrochemical Energy Storage, Quantum and Functional Materials and Accelerator research. The programme offers students the opportunity to participate in the everyday work of our research teams, e.g, at their laboratories or experimental areas, located at the HZB-campuses in Berlin-Wannsee or Berlin-Adlershof.

This blog entry won 'Best Blog Post' in 2022. Check out the article HERE!

The International Summer Student Programme is complemented by a framework programme which includes

visits to research facilities at the two HZB locations (e.g. to the synchrotron radiation source BESSY II, laboratories for solar energy research, accelerator producing proton beams for eye tumour therapy)
excursions to research institutions in and around Berlin
workshops (e.g. on science communication and entrepreneurship) and
a closing event with a scientific poster presentation.

Click here to browse through the blog posts of former summer students to get an impression of their experience with the programme and living in Berlin!

Who can apply?

You can apply for the programme if you meet all of the following criteria:

You are an undergraduate student (not PhD candidate) in Physics, Chemistry, Material Science, Structural Biology, Mathematics, Engineering, Life or Environmental Sciences or related disciplines.
You have completed at least two years of full-time study in your major discipline at university level.
You will be enroled as a student at your university during your stay at HZB from 3 July to 25 August, 2023.
You have a good knowledge of English, knowledge of German would be an advantage.
You are able to provide a letter of reference with your application.

Conditions

Duration of stay: 3 July to 25 August, 2023
Working time: 40 hours/week
Internship contract of 8 weeks to work on your project
Subsistence allowance for the contract duration of 1.900€ gross for external participants and 1.000€ gross for students of the universities located in Berlin and Potsdam
Travel expenses will be subsidized up to an amount of 500€ to help you with the costs of travel between Berlin and your residence

Application procedure

The application process will be conducted as a rolling application, i.e. as soon as a certain number of applications has been entered into the application form, the form will be automatically closed and the applications will be reviewed. The application form will be reopened and the process repeated until a sufficient number of suitable candidates is reached. On this website, you will be informed about the current status of the application process. The deadline is the 7th of February 2023.

Documents required

In the first application step you will be asked to submit the following documents in English or German:

Academic CV
Your CV should be in tabular form and chronological sequence and reflect the most important stages in your education and career. Please keep your CV concise and clear and do not exceed 2 pages.
Transcripts and academic degree certificate (if applicable)
A copy of your most recent academic transcripts giving an overview of your mark (Please make sure that the document is not protected so that we can open it).
Copy of passport or identity card
Letter of reference
The letter of reference must be written by a person who knows you well as a student and can assess your professional conduct.

Upon request you will have to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment. The certificate of enrolment has to be valid until the end of August 2023. Students of any German university should include the respective Immatrikulationsbescheinigung of their current university. Students from Non-EU and Non-EEA countries need a working permission for Germany and are requested to download the Certificate of Enrolment. Only this form, filled in, signed and stamped by your university is accepted as evidence that you are a student.