Supervising Institutions:
Department of Gastroenterology, Metabolic Diseases and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen (Prof. Dr. Carolin Schneider and Dr. rer. nat. Benjamin Laevens)
Group:
Med III, UK Aachen, Research Group Schneider (as part of the CRC 1382 consortium)
Position:
We are looking for a motivated
Student Assistant (HiWi) (f/m/d)
to join our team in the Gut-Liver Caching Outreach Project
Start date: as soon as possible
Duration: 12 months
Workload: 10 hrs/week
Project Context
The CRC 1382 ([Website-Link gelöscht]) focuses on the gut-liver axis in health and disease.
As part of its outreach programme, we are developing “Gut-Liver Caching”, a geocaching-inspired citizen science project in Aachen. Caches (hidden containers and virtual GPS points) will serve as playful entry points for the public to engage with CRC research, prevention messages, and patient stories.
Tasks
The student assistant will support the design and implementation of this outreach project, with responsibilities including:
* Web scraping of forums and social media content to develop a misconception map, i.e. perceptions of gut-liver health and corresponding “myths”.
* Drafting cache content (short texts, quiz questions, myth-busters) based on this information and input from other CRC members.
* Designing and testing engagement formats (physical caches, QR codes, digital content).
* Coordinating placement and maintenance of caches across Aachen.
* Supporting evaluation of participant responses (feedback, mini knowledge checks).
* Assisting with promotion in collaboration with CRC outreach channels.
Profile
* Enrolled Master’s student (or equivalent qualification) in Psychology, Medicine, Education, Public Health, or a related field.
* Strong interest in science communication, outreach, or citizen science.
* Basic programming skills (e.g. Python, R, or web technologies) for data screening and/or simple digital prototypes.
* Comfortable with both independent work and collaboration.
* Creativity and willingness to think “outside the box”.
* Experience with simple digital content design (desirable but not essential).
* Good German and English language skills desirable; additional languages are an asset.
Requirements
* A valid certificate of study.
* For international students: valid residence certificate, work permit, registration certificate.
We Offer
* Opportunity to contribute to an innovative outreach project at the interface of science and the public.
* Hands-on experience in science communication, citizen science methods, and data analysis.
* Opportunity for co-authorship or even first authorship on a scientific publication arising from the project.
* Flexible working hours.
* Integration into the interdisciplinary CRC 1382 environment.