The Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) is a member of the Helmholtz Association (HGF) and funded by federal and state government. AWI focuses on polar and marine research in a variety of disciplines such as biology, oceanography, geology, geochemistry and geophysics thus allowing multidisciplinary approaches to scientific goals. Student assistant (m/f/d) in the field of microfossil analysis Background The research of our section at the AWI in Potsdam (Polar Terrestrial Environmental System) primarily focuses on ecosystem dynamics in high-latitude regions (e.g., Siberia and Alaska) and their responses to past climate change. Our aim is to uncover long time-scale (e.g., the last 10,000 - 40,000 years) and recent changes in plant community composition and diversity. In addition to traditional methods such as pollen grain analysis, which requires a high level of precision, cleanliness, and careful handling of highly concentrated acids, we also use sedimentary (ancient) DNA to track spatial and temporal shifts in taxonomic composition. Your Tasks Sediment core subsampling Preparation of sediment samples for pollen grain analysis Preparation of sediment samples for charcoal or macrofossil identification Your Profile enrolled at an University interest in the topic basic knowledge of biological/chemical laboratory processes The preparation of a bachelor's or master's thesis (e.g. students of biology, environmental science, geosciences) during the time as a student assistant at the institute is desirable. Further Information Working place: Potsdam Working hours: by arrangement / 39 hours per month Start: from October 2025 You are interested? Please send a cover letter and CV (summarized in one PDF) to both Weihan Jia ( weihan.jia@awi.de ) and Dr. Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring ( Kathleen.Stoof-Leichsenring@awi.de ; 0331-58174-5662). Reference number: 25/18/2/SH