Internship Posting: The Université de La Réunion – UMR PVBMT, Pôle de Protection des Plantes is offering a 3-6 month internship opportunity starting January 2026 (flexible start date).

Internship title: Paleoecology as a Time Machine to Reveal Réunion’s Landscapes

Discover Research and Scientific Adventure in the Heart of the Indian Ocean
Located in the heart of the Indian Ocean, La Réunion offers a truly unique environment where tropical ecosystems meet rich cultural diversity. The Université de La Réunion provides an exceptional setting for academic exchange and field-based research within an international scientific community. Within UMR PVBMT, and BioMonI Project, students can participate in research projects exploring paleoecology — using pollen and charcoal analyses to reconstruct past vegetation dynamics and understand how climate variability and human activities have shaped tropical landscapes through time. This hands-on internship combines laboratory analyses with ecological interpretation, providing valuable experience in environmental reconstruction and conservation-oriented research. Beyond the lab, students will discover the island’s extraordinary biodiversity, volcanic landscapes, and multicultural atmosphere — an inspiring place to live, learn, and explore.

About the Internship/Stage/Mobility
This internship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of the
palaeoecological and environmental history of La Réunion Island during the late Holocene.
The project is based on the analysis of a peat core collected from a high-altitude site, dated
using ²¹⁰Pb and radiocarbon (¹⁴C) methods to provide a robust chronological framework for
interpreting past ecological changes. Additional sediment records may also be made available for comparative study and extended analysis. The project can be adapted to some extent to match your personal research interests and stage/internship duration.

Eligibility and Requirements
– Open to final-year Bachelor or Master level students.
-Working language: English and/or French.
-Background in ecology, geography, archeology, biology, or environmental
sciences is desirable.

Interested?
If you are passionate about ecology, past environments, and conservation, we’d love to hear
from you! Get in touch with us to discuss your interests.

Contacts:
Dr. Sandra D. Gomes (sandra.domingues-gomes@univ-reunion.fr)
Dr. Claudine Ah-Peng (claudine.ahpeng@univ-reunion.fr )

Job Posting: The Department of Marine Geosciences at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW) if offering a full-time tenure track position at the earliest possible date of a Research Scientist: Micropaleontology/SedaDNA.

This position is part of a tenure-track process, initially limited to 3 years, with the
possibility of extension for up to 5 years. During this time, you will have the opportunity
to further develop relevant competencies needed for a permanent position. Eligibility for
this track requires that you meet certain criteria for fixed-term academic employment
under German labor law. Details regarding the legal framework will be discussed during
the recruitment process. In the event of a successful tenure track procedure, an upgrade
to TV-L EG 14 is planned.
In the case of outstanding qualifications, a permanent position may be offered
immediately. In our evaluation, we place particular emphasis on your scientific track
record, including publications, success in securing third-party funding, and experience at
other research institutions and abroad. To support this evaluation, we will obtain an
external expert review of your academic achievements.

What do we expect from you?
You hold a university degree in natural sciences (Master’s/Diploma) or equivalent skills
and experiences, have completed a PhD on a geo- or bioscience topic related to aquatic
sedimentary environmental reconstruction, and can demonstrate internationally
recognized scientific achievements.
Ideally, you pursue a combined micropaleontological and sedaDNA research approach
with a focus on phytoplankton groups and possess advanced bioinformatics skills. In
addition to physicochemical paleoenvironmental parameters (e.g., salinity, pH,
temperature), your work will address topics on primary productivity, ecosystem
dynamics, and biodiversity, contributing to a holistic reconstruction of ecosystem
processes and paleo-biodiversity. You regularly publish your research in reputable
scientific journals and enhance your interdisciplinary work through successful acquisition
of third-party funding and ship time on German research vessels. A good command of
English is required. Furthermore, we expect you to demonstrate loyalty, reliability,
teamwork, as well as an independent, conscientious, and goal-oriented working style.

Please send us your application documents with:
1. Cover letter including relevant experience and motivation (max. 2 pages)
2. Research concept (max. 3 pages)
3. Curriculum vitae (CV) (max. 3 pages)
4. List of publications
5. Certificates and transcripts
6. Description of further relevant activities and experience
7. Optional certificates
8. References

Application should be submitted by 10 August 2025 and quote the keyword: GEO 01/2025
Please send application to bewerbung.geologie@io-warnemuende.de OR
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde
Human Resources Department
Seestraße 15
18119 Rostock