Research Traineeship
as an international guest student in Jena
Research Trainee working in a laboratory
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)
Quick links
- Organizing a research traineeship / internship
- Who may apply?
- Student ID card, semester ticket and other costs
- Language requirements
- Notification, application, admission, visa
- Implementation, documentation, Traineeship certificate
- Housing
- Living in Jena
- Contact
- Current Internship Opportunities in our Academic Departments
Our current internship opportunities are listed below.
Organizing a research traineeship / internship
Gain hands-on experience in real research projects
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)International students can pursue a voluntary or compulsory traineeship (‘research traineeship’) in a department of the University of Jena as guest students and as a part of their home degree programme.
The traineeship may last a maximum of twelve full months. During the traineeship, international trainees are enrolled at the university as guest students. To obtain student status (including a student ID card and the semester ticket for public transport), the full semester contribution must be paid. Enrollment is possible for traineeships lasting at least 61 days (within one semester). For stays spanning two semesters, a reduced semester fee may be paid for the semester in which the shorter part of the stay (up to one month) takes place. The reduced semester fee does not include either the Deutschlandsemesterticket or the Kulturticket.
The traineeship position and supervisor must be found independently. When searching for a supervisor, please use the websites of the faculties and the institutes/departments therin. The supervisor must be an employee of the University of Jena.
Before undertaking a research traineeship, an traineeship agreement must be signed:
- Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for TraineeshipsExternal link or
- Jena University Traineeship Agreementdocx, 112 kb · de for non-Erasmus traineeships.
Who may apply?
- Students from a foreign university at Bachelor's/Master's level (PhD students may contact the Graduate Academy)
- Applicants must generally have been enrolled at their home university for at least two semesters (Bachelor's)/one semester (Master's).
- Applicants must remain registered as Bachelor's or Master's students at their home university during their guest stay.
If you do not belong to any of these categories, please contact us: incoming@uni-jena.de.
Student ID card, semester ticket and other costs
- There are no tuition fees in Jena.
- All students pay the normal semester contribution for the student ID card and the semester ticket. This is valid on public transport throughout Germany.
- As enrolled students, research trainees can also take advantage of the student meal price in the canteen and the discounts on the culture ticket in Jena.
- To enrol, you must provide proof of German or European health insurance accepted by the University of Jena.
- For courses outside the regular study programme (e.g. language courses, sports courses) the usual fees must be paid.
- All costs for the stay and visas are to be borne by the students themselves. Please refer to our information on living in Jena regarding the costs and financing of the guest student stay.
Research trainees arriving in Jena
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)Language requirements
Research trainees should have at least B2 level language skills in German or English to carry out the traineeship and communicate with the supervisor and colleagues. The language will be agreed on in the Traineeship Agreement.
The Language Centre of the University offers German courses (fees).
Notification, application, admission, visa
The Incoming Team is happy to assist you with any questions you may have.
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)Nomination/notification
The application (nomination) should be submitted at least 2 months before the start of the internship.
- If the traineeship is part of a partnership agreement, the home university must nominate the intern.
- by sending the nomination listxlsx, 38 kb · de and
- the traineeship agreement, if already available,
- to incoming@uni-jena.de or via an EWP platform
- if the traineeship is organised without a partnership agreement, interested parties must register with a specific traineeship agreement at incoming@uni-jena.de .
Application and admission
After nomination/registration, the International Office Jena invites trainees to the application portal. The research traineeship is carried out as part of a study programme. This requires the assignment to a guest study programmepdf, 46 kb · de at the University of Jena. Enrolment is not possible in Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy.
The traineeship agreement must be uploaded to the application portal.
Trainees can view the status of their application and notifications in the application portal. They can also download the letter of admission there.
Visa
If you need to apply for a visa (see Visa NavigatorExternal link), please use the admission letter. Apply for a visa for guest studies (not for research or a traineeship, this would be incorrect). Please note that the application can take between 6-10 weeks.
Exceptions: Trainees who require a visa and come via a contract with an EU partner university should contact incoming@uni-jena.de at least 10 weeks before the start of the traineeship to apply for a residence permit.
Implementation, documentation, Traineeship certificate
Trainees and supervisors are jointly responsible for the implementation of the traineeship. The basis for this is the traineeship agreement. Trainees must be regularly present at the traineeship location, work actively on the project and have regular personal contact with their supervisor to discuss the project.
In the event of significant changes to the traineeship project, the traineeship agreement must be amended and sent to the International Office;
The supervisor confirms a successfully completed traineeship with a Traineeship Certificate, which describes the type, content, duration and scope of the traineeship and evaluates the trainee's performance. In case of an Erasmus+ traineeship, the section After the Mobility should be completed for this purpose (Erasmus+ Learning Agreement for Traineeships)External link.
Trainees must apply to their home university for a compulsory traineeship to be credited to their home degree programme.
Strengthen your profile for international career opportunities!
Image: Christoph Worsch (University of Jena)Current Internship Opportunities in our Academic Departments
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Electrochemistry / Energy Storage, Research Group Prof. Dr. Andrea Balducci
What? The group is working on the development on energy storage devices, with special focus on electrolytes. The trainee will work on the design and characterisation of innovative and sustainable organic electrolytes. The chemical-physical properties of the electrolytes will be studied, as well as their use in combination with different active materials suitable for sodium and potassium batteries (preferably developed in the trainee's laboratory). All equipments needed for the chemical-physical and electrochemical characterization of electriolytes and devices are available in the labs.
Where? Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute for Technical Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry.
When? 4 January – 31 March 2027
Who? International Master’s students with experience in electrochemistry and material development.
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Cluster of Excellence: Balance of the Microverse, Research Group Prof. Dr. Rosalind Allen
What? We study how microbes surviveExternal link, grow and interact in complex and changing environments. We are especially interested in how bacteria respond to antibiotics in the human body, and how microbial communities assemble and function. Our research combines mathematical and computational modelling with microbiological and biophysical experiments.
We are developing a user-friendly web-based tool that helps microbiologists to extract quantiative information from growth curve data. We have a trial version of the tool and we have collected user feedback on how it can be improved. Your tasks would include: (1) Edit pre-existing python code to improve the performance and usability of the tool (2) Improve the usability and completeness of the documentation (3) Implement new functionalities including machine-learning based analysis of growth curves. This is a computational project.
Where? Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse
When? 4 January – 31 March 2027
Who? International Master’s students with experience in python programming, software engineering, AI, differential-equation based dynamical modelling, interdisciplinary communication.
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Cluster of Excellence: Imaginamics - Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining; Research School
What? Internship at the Research School of the Cluster of Excellence, focusing on background research to help broaden the reach of and develop targeted outreach for the second PhD call. Tasks: 1) Independently conduct online research on master’s programs in the humanities and social sciences worldwide that address topics related to the Cluster of Excellence (imagination, social imagination, utopias/dystopias, images, visualization, practices, the role of art, literature, and social media), building on 2) a review of the Cluster’s proposal; 3) Compiling the research results into a comprehensive, interactive Excel spreadsheet listing the degree program, specializations, country, city, website, and contact persons; 4) Establishing contact via email, referencing the call for applications for the second cohort of PhD students in winter 2027.
Where? Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Cluster of Excellence "Imaginamics: Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining", Research School
When? 4 January – 31 March 2027
Who? International Bachelor’s students in the humanities or social sciences with good Excel and language skills (German A2, English B2 – B1 is sufficient if the applicant has additional language skills), an interest in the Cluster’s research topics and/or disciplines, and ideally their own personal accounts on social media platforms (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) and communication platforms (WhatsApp, Signal, etc.) to support research and outreach, particularly in non-European contexts. Additional language skills (e.g. French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, etc.) would be an advantage.
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Cluster of Excellence: Imaginamics - Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining; Public Hub
What? Internship at the Public Hub of the Cluster of Excellence; developing an event for the Public Lab in Zwätzengasse. The Public Lab is a shop in the city centre of Jena where the research of the Cluster of Excellence "Imaginamics on social imagining" is presented to audiences beyond the university. The intern will be allocated a time slot to use the space and will receive support in selecting a topic, defining the target audience and developing the format. Possible formats include school sessions, storytelling evenings, strategy workshops and training sessions. Particular emphasis will be placed on experimenting with less explored formats for science communication and documenting the process from the initial idea through development to the final presentation. Tasks 1) Independently develop a concept for an event format within the framework of the Imaginamics Cluster of Excellence; 2) Identify suitable partners within the Jena community; 3) Plan the preparation, execution, implementation, and documentation of the event.
Where? Friedrich Schiller University Jena; Cluster of Excellence "Imaginamics: Practices and Dynamics of Social Imagining", Public Hub
When? 1 April – 30 June 2027
Who? International Master’s students in the arts, humanities or social sciences with proficiency in English and German (at least B2 level), an interest in the intersection of science and the arts, innovative formats for science communication, Citizen Science Projects, and engaging with different audiences through both in-person encounters and digital channels.
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GIScience Group, Prof. Dr. Alexander Brenning
What? Internship in the GIScience Group working on projects on process-informed machine learning and uncertainty quantification in environmental modelling (landslides, soils, groundwater pollution) – GENAI-X, RESONATE, ReGeNi. Tasks: Data analysis and visualization, implementation and testing of innovative methodological developments.
Where? Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Faculty of Chemistry and Earth Sciences, Institute of Geography.
When? 1 April – 30 June 2027 / 1 September – 31 December 2027
Who? International Master’s students with experience in statistics / machine learning / artificial intelligence; R / Python; interest in environmental applications. English: B2 level (German is not required)
If you are interested in any of the positions listed above, please submit your application (including a short motivation letter and CV) by November 1st to incoming@uni-jena.de.
Housing
Research trainees are responsible for finding their own accommodation. Enrolled interns may apply for a furnished room in a student residential home if their traineeship lasts at least four months. Due to limited capacity, availability cannot be guaranteed. If you are staying for at least four months during the summer semester (April–September), we nevertheless recommend applying for a place in a student residenceExternal link as early as possible. Please also note the guidelines on searching for rooms on the private marketpdf, 469 kb · de. Finding accommodation in Jena can be difficult, especially in the winter semester. Please consider searching in the surrounding cities as well.
Living in Jena
Information on visas, health insurance, costs, services at the University of Jena and much more can be found at Living in Jena.
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Graphic: Thomas Franke-OpitzFor all questions about research traineeships as an international guest student please write to incoming@uni-jena.de. Your contact person is Helen Rode, Team International Students of the International Office.