Student Assistant (up to 40 hours/month)

Reference number: 2026-0119

• Heidelberg
• Marginal Employment
• Policy and Implementation Research for Cancer Prevention

The German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) is one of Europe’s largest cancer research centers. “Research for a life without cancer" is the mission of our world-class scientists and all our team members.

We investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and search for new cancer prevention strategies. We develop new methods with which tumors can be diagnosed more precisely and cancer patients can be treated more successfully. Every contribution counts – whether in research, administration or infrastructure. This is what makes our daily work so meaningful and exciting.

The Division of Policy and Implementation Research for Cancer Prevention, starting at the earliest date possible, is seeking a 

  The Division of Policy and Implementation Research for Cancer Prevention was established on July 1, 2024. The mission of this new division is to accelerate the uptake of evidence into policy and practice in the field of cancer prevention. Through cutting-edge research and transdisciplinary collaborations, the division strives to improve public health outcomes by ensuring that evidence-based interventions are effectively delivered to all populations.

We are looking for a HiWi to support FORECAST-Policy, a new DKFZ collaborative project, linking longitudinal biomarker epidemiology with implementation research. The primary aim of the implementation science component of the study is to assess whether the German healthcare system is ready to implement risk-adapted prostate cancer screening.

Your Tasks

• Supporting stakeholder interviews in German: scheduling appointments, conducting key informant interviews
• Coordinating outreach to clinical and policy contacts (e.g., urology departments, DEGAM, regional medical chambers, G-BA scientific staff, patient organizations)
• Assisting with the submission of ethics applications: helping to draft ethics documents, information sheets, and consent forms in German
• Assisting with survey development and distribution through professional society mailing lists
• Targeted literature and document review of German screening regulations ("KFE-Richtlinie", G-BA decisions) and comparator screening pathways (lung, breast, cervical)
• Supporting dissemination: contributing to a policy-oriented framework document and assisting with manuscript preparation

Your Profile

Required qualifications:

• Currently enrolled bachelor's or master's student in medicine, public health, health sciences, sociology, health policy, or a related field
• Native-level German (C2) - essential for interviews, ethics drafting, and stakeholder communication
• Strong written and spoken English skills (working language of the team)
• Reliable, well-organized, and comfortable working independently with multiple parallel tasks
• Comfortable communicating professionally with senior clinicians and policy stakeholders  

Desirable (not required):

• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods (interviews, thematic analysis) or willingness to learn
• Coursework or practical exposure to implementation science, health services research, or health policy
• Prior contacts with the German oncology, urology, or primary care landscape

You can look forward to:

• Hands-on involvement in a high-visibility, time-sensitive project intersecting cancer screening evidence with German health policy
• Direct mentoring from a clinician-scientist (Daza) and an implementation science PI (Hoe), with exposure to a multidisciplinary team across different DKFZ departments and external collaborators
• Possibility to co-author manuscripts depending on contribution

We Offer

Are you interested?

 Then become part of the DKFZ and join us in contributing to a life without cancer!

 ​Duration: The position is limited to 6 months.

Application Deadline: July 9, 2026

Applications by e-mail cannot be accepted.

Please also note that we cannot return applications submitted by post.

 

We are convinced that an innovative research and working environment thrives on the diversity of its employees. Therefore, we welcome applications from talented people, regardless of gender, cultural background, nationality, ethnicity, sexual identity, physical ability, religion and age. People with severe disabilities are given preference if they have the same aptitude.

Notice: We are subject to the regulations of the Infection Protection Act (IfSG). Therefore, all our employees must provide proof of immunity against measles.

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