Student Research Assistant – Climate Policy Evaluation (m/f/d)

The climate needs bright minds. The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) addresses crucial scientific questions in the fields of global change, climate impacts and sustainable development. It is one of the world's leading research institutions in its field and offers natural and social scientists from around the world an inspiring environment for excellent interdisciplinary research.

For the GENIE Project in the Evidence for Climate Solutions Group,located at EUREF Campus in Berlin-Schöneberg, PIK is offering a position as

Student Research Assistant – Climate Policy Evaluation  (m/f/d)

(Position number: 22-2026 SHK GENIE)

starting in September 2026.

The position is funded until April 2027. The remuneration is determined according to the guidelines of the TdL. The hourly rate for a student assistants with a bachelor's degree is set to be €15.20 (€13,98 for those without a bachelor's degree). We offer a part-time position with a weekly working time of 10 to 20 hours per week.

Key responsibilities:

• support a systematic review and meta-analysis of empirical studies examining the effectiveness of climate mitigation policies in the agriculture, forestry, and other land-use (AFOLU) sector
• contributing to the systematic literature search by screening abstracts and identifying relevant empirical studies (econometric/causal inference studies)
• conducting full-text screening of eligible studies and extracting relevant quantitative and qualitative information
• assessing the methodological quality and risk of bias of included studies
• supporting the coding, analysis, and visualization of data for the meta-analysis

You are a Bachelor or Master student, enrolled at a German university, and ideally meet the following requirements:

• studies in the field of economics, quantitative social or political science, environmental science, geography, ecology or related fields
• good understanding of empirical research methods and causal inference
• ability and motivation to critically assess empirical studies and reflect on their methodological approaches
• interest in evidence-based policy evaluation and climate policy research
• prior knowledge of climate change mitigation, climate policy, or the agriculture, forestry, and other land-use (AFOLU) sector, or a strong interest in developing expertise in these areas
• previous experience in systematic literature reviews and/or meta-analyses is an asset
• experience with data analysis and coding in R and/or Python is an asset

We expect:

• the ability to work independently and on your own initiative
• a methodical and systematic approach
• structured and goal-oriented thinking
• capacity to familiarise yourself quickly with new topics
• creativity and openness to new approaches
• a high level of competence in oral and written English
• reliability, engagement, and a high level of motivation
• capacity for teamwork

We offer:

• the chance to be part of an engaged, interdisciplinary team
• an attractive working space at the EUREF-Campus in Berlin Schöneberg
• flexi-time and mobile working (up to 50% of your hours)
• a subsidized travel card or Deutschland-Ticket Job
• writing a thesis as part of the research project might be possible, depending on your interests and our availabilities
• free charging station for e-bikes on Telegrafenberg campus

PIK values equality and diversity. We encourage applications without photo. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment regardless of ethnic and social origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, care responsibilities, or age. PIK seeks to increase the share of women in scientific positions and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply. In cases of equal qualification and within the given legal scope, women will be given preference. PIK also encourages applications by parents returning from parental leave.

Please apply by 26.07.2026 directly via our application form below this job advertisement on our website.

For further information or to discuss the position please contact Friedemann Gruner.