HiWi is the abbreviation for the German term ‘Hilfs-Wissenschaftler*in’, which translates to research assistant, and describes a job position for students, often offered by faculties or research institutes. I am definitely not talking about the second definition given by German Wikipedia.
For nearly six years I’ve been one of many HiWis, going through research groups and following up on a range of tasks. I spent weeks of my life literally just scanning documents, but I also went on 10 international research missions. I met great people, built friendships and networks. I also found myself in situations that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But to leave no room for any doubt; I loved being a HiWi, jumping at any field work opportunity, often taking the initiative, actively asking to join projects or research cruises. To this day I have good relations with my previous superiors, and I know that they only want the best for me. I’ve been very lucky in all of this.
However, I saw the flaws in the system and there are many stories out there, where inexperienced but motivated students/early-carrier scientists were taken advantage of, often under false pretenses and promises. So, I would like to take the opportunity to address some of these issues.
First and foremost is the critical, yet nuanced point of wages. At the core of it, a HiWi position remains a student job and is therefore a source of income. Personally, I was in a financial situation where I needed to generate an income and there are many others out there that similarly rely on a regular income to cover the cost of living. A HiWi position is particularly attractive because it pays while offering contacts and experience in your research field. However, it is no secret that there is little money in research. No surprise that the usual hourly HiWi pay corresponds to the minimum wage, often regardless of the experience or the degree that may be brought along. In contrast, for most other public positions, a higher degree is acknoweledged with a higher salary.
An argument often brought forward is that HiWi positions are not meant to provide a living (really, no student job should since you are a fulltime student) but are about gaining experience. While clearly, I’ve gained a lot of experience and have certainly been benefiting from that in many ways, this argument leaves a bitter aftertaste: does this mean that research experience is a financial privilege? That only those that can afford to earn less, have the opportunities to gain experience in laboratories and in the field outside of their curriculum? And that this is an acceptable state at research institutes? The German Federal Office of Statistics stated in a press release that 38.5 % of students in Germany are at risk of poverty (https://www.destatis.de/DE/Presse/Pressemitteilungen/2022/11/PD22_N066_63.html). This is a systematic issue and nobody expects HiWi hiring institutes to solve this, but I want to put it out here, that many students can simply not afford to be a HiWi. Yet, agreeing to a salary is a decision everyone needs to make for themselves. As you can guess from my brief intro, I agreed and managed to work for most of my studies at minimum wage because of comparably low rents in Kiel, a low budget lifestyle, financial aid, and because I really burn for that whole going-to-sea-shit.
Casually putting the big discussion about the ever growing socio-economic gap in Germany aside, I’d like to address another salary aspect: the real hourly wage. Many HiWis work significantly more hours than their contract calls for without claiming them, effectively decreasing their hourly wage.
Often, working hours are kept flexible or are restricted to a period of field work, which works better for student’s timetables. Rather than agreeing on fixed working hours, it is often about a certain task that needs to be finished by a certain time and date. While this seems attractive at first, in many cases, this leads to HiWis putting in extra time, as tasks may take longer than anticipated by superiors. This is particularly true, when there are only poor instructions given – often because tasks seem trivial to a person working in the field for years already – and honestly, in that moment it feels embarrassing to ask for more explanations as a HiWi. Especially field work is a HiWi trap because many students are extremely eager to get their hands dirty. To make sure we get to go in the field again we accept long working hours, wild working times and poor supervision, trying our hardest to leave a good impression. In 2022 I spend roughly 6 months at sea aboard research vessels. What do you think? Did I work my contractually agreed 20 hours a week?
This brings me to the more emotional and therefore trickier aspects: responsibilities and reputation. And as we gain experience and prove ourselves, we are ‘awarded’ with more responsibilities, which is a double-edged sword. Of course, it is a great feeling to do something yourself, maybe flattering even to know your superiors trust in your abilities, and yes, it will probably look great on your CV. But it is important to see when tasks are simply above your pay grade. I had to face this rather brutal reality after I had worked myself towards the brink of mental and physical health. During a two-month long research cruise I worked very long hours as a laboratory lead, feeling permanently sleep-deprived, stressed, insufficient, and lonely. Months later, I properly counted the hours I had worked and reflected on the emotional toll this had taken on me. I came to the sobering conclusion that I scraped the edge of a mental break-down for less than 2,50 € an hour, receiving little to no recognition. While I was able to communicate and discuss this situation with my superiors, I’ve seen other HiWis working roughly 800 % of their contractual hours, never being paid for the extra time spend. So please, whatever you do: know your worth! So even though it can be hard to formulate such issues to your superiors, it is important to discuss workload and -times.
Additionally, many institutions expect travel expenses to be paid upfront, reimbursing employees later, after an application process. This hits particularly hard when you are a student with little financial freedom (again, according to the press release stated above, every 4th student isn’t even in the financial situation were they are able to pay for unexpected, bigger expenses). Additionally, insecurities arise when you are unfamiliar with bureaucratic applications. The system of reimbursement is often slow, hard to understand, and generally rather opaque for students. Some of my reimbursement processes took more than 9 months and did often not clearly state, which trip it was for. Do better than me: keep track of that shit! And ask more experienced people for help, or if it is possible, avoid this kind of situation all together and find solutions with your superiors.
This brings me to another point that often seems to fall under the table: as a HiWi you have normal employee rights. This may seem obvious when reading, but many students are not aware of that when starting on a HiWi position. For instance, you are entitled to receive continued payment when you are sick, and you are also insured by your employer during working hours and on your way to and from work. There are first motions of unionizing and many information points or counseling centers at universities so make sure to get informed (some links are provided below).
Last but not least, the social aspects: again, especially field work is a minefield because you get to know people on a much more intimate level than in an office. While many great relations may grow from this, there might also be situations where feelings are not mutual. Worst case scenario, there is a misunderstanding between people of different levels of responsibility, maybe even crossing of boundaries. Situations in which I felt uncomfortable include being asked to leave a professional meeting because of my political views, people regarding me as unfit for tasks due to my gender, questions about my sexuality, unasked voicing of opinions on my body, and even proposals of higher positions in exchange for sexual favors. Again, I’ve been lucky enough to have had good people around me, and to have been at an institute with strong gender equality representatives, but even so, some of these experiences were hard to talk about and for several ones I didn’t even grasp the scope until much later. If you ever find yourself in a situation like this, or realize in hindsight that something was not okay, please talk about it to a trusted person!
Finally, I can only repeat that I loved being a HiWi and I would not be where I am today without it. I would have probably quit my studies if it wasn’t for my HiWi job reminding me what I was working towards. But I wished I would have stood my ground firmer on a few occasions, demanded more, been more critical with the system and had better knowledge of my rights and exercised them more vigorously. I’ve been told that the system has come a long way already – but I find that is no argument to accept a situation that still has a lot of room for improvement.
I hope that addressing some of these issues helps with progress. So, to all students, look out for yourselves. And to all superiors, don’t underestimate your impact. I’m hoping this helps someone out there, and with this,
Peace out
Johanna
Some helpful links in case you are now motivated to learn about HiWi rights (unfortunately most in German, sorrey):
https://www.verdi-studierende.de/tv-stud/material-tv-stud/broschuere-studentische-hilfskraefte.pdf
https://www.verdi.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/++co++71a27128-98a2-11ed-9291-001a4a16012a
https://www.meinpraktikum.de/ratgeber/studentische-hilfskraft-faq
Between all the scientific work, we celebrated Easter on board, although the weather had other plans for us. Due to rough conditions, we weren’t able to carry out any CTD casts.
Easter itself was spent in a mix of rest and small celebrations. Some of us enjoyed a long Easter breakfast with traditional Easter bread, while others took the opportunity to sleep in. In the evening, we gathered with both crew and scientists for a small celebration. The ship’s cook even organized a quiz, and those who answered correctly were rewarded with Easter chocolate.
The next day, the weather improved, and we began early with the recovery of K1, a 3,495-meter-long mooring in the middle of the Labrador Sea.
We joined the nautical officers on the bridge before sunrise to search for it. Fortunately, K1 has a floating buoy with a light, so we were able to spot it even in the dark. The actual recovery started at first light, and it began to snow while we were working.
Amid all the CTDs and mooring operations, there was also a personal highlight: my (Sarah’s) birthday. Although I’ve spent birthdays away from home before, this one felt especially unique, being so far out at sea, with only limited internet contact.
Normally, I work the 4-8 shift, but my incredibly kind shift team gave me the morning off. That meant I could sleep in and even find time to call family and friends back home. In the afternoon, I was surprised with my favourite cake, baked by Julia.
Our work continued with the mooring array at 53°N, which consists of seven moorings. So far, we have recovered five (K7, K8, K9, DSOW1 and DSOW2), and three of them have already been redeployed (K7, K8 and DSOW1,).
Deploying K7 turned out to be particularly tricky. On our first attempt, sea ice drifted toward us faster than expected, forcing us to recover nearly half of the mooring again. While the ship itself can handle drifting ice, deploying a mooring is much more delicate: a long cable with instruments and floats is released behind the ship before the anchor is dropped, allowing the system to sink into place.
Two days later, we tried again and this time, the deployment was successful.
Afterwards, we moved closer to the sea ice, which was a highlight for many of us. Seeing the ice up close and even spotting a seal swimming nearby, made the experience unforgettable.
Due to the continuing harsh weather, the decision was made to return to K1 and make use of an upcoming weather window for deployment the following day.
German:
Zwischen Stürmen und Wissenschaft: Ostern in der Labradorsee (04.04.26 – 13.04.26)
Zwischen all der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit haben wir Ostern an Bord gefeiert, auch wenn das Wetter andere Pläne für uns hatte. Aufgrund der rauen Bedingungen konnten wir keine CTD-Messungen durchführen (Messungen von Leitfähigkeit, Temperatur und Tiefe im Ozean).
Ostern selbst war eine Mischung aus Erholung und kleinen Feierlichkeiten. Einige von uns genossen ein ausgedehntes Osterfrühstück mit traditionellem Osterbrot, während andere die Gelegenheit nutzten, etwas länger zu schlafen. Am Abend kamen Crew und Wissenschaftler*innen zu einer kleinen Feier zusammen. Der Koch organisierte sogar ein Quiz, und wer die Fragen richtig beantwortete, wurde mit Oster-Schokolade belohnt.
Am nächsten Tag besserte sich das Wetter, und wir begannen früh mit der Bergung von K1, einer 3.495 Meter langen Verankerung mitten in der Labradorsee. (Eine Verankerung ist eine lange, am Meeresboden befestigter Draht, der mit Instrumenten ausgestattet ist, um über längere Zeit Ozeandaten zu messen.)
Noch vor Sonnenaufgang gingen wir mit den nautischen Offizieren auf die Brücke, um nach ihr Ausschau zu halten. Glücklicherweise verfügt K1 über eine schwimmende Boje mit Licht, sodass wir sie bereits im Dunkeln entdecken konnten. Die eigentliche Bergung begann bei Tagesanbruch und es begann sogar zu schneien.
Zwischen all den CTD-Einsätzen und Verankerungsarbeiten gab es auch ein persönliches Highlight: meinen (Sarahs) Geburtstag. Obwohl ich schon öfter Geburtstage fernab von zu Hause verbracht habe, war dieser besonders, so weit draußen auf dem Meer und mit nur eingeschränktem Internetkontakt.
Normalerweise arbeite ich in der 4-8 Uhr Schicht, aber mein unglaublich nettes Schichtteam hat mir den Morgendienst freigegeben. So konnte ich etwas länger schlafen und hatte sogar Zeit, mit Familie und Freunden zu Hause zu telefonieren. Am Nachmittag wurde ich dann noch mit meinem Lieblingskuchen überrascht, den Julia für mich gebacken hat.
Unsere Arbeit ging weiter mit dem Verankerungs-Array bei 53°, das aus sieben Verankerungen besteht. Bisher haben wir fünf geborgen (DSOW1, DSOW2, K7, K8 und K9), von denen drei bereits wieder ausgebracht wurden (DSOW1, K7 und K8).
Das Ausbringen von K7 erwies sich als besonders schwierig. Beim ersten Versuch trieb das Meereis schneller auf uns zu als erwartet, sodass wir fast die Hälfte der Verankerung wieder einholen mussten. Obwohl das Schiff selbst gut durch treibendes Eis navigieren kann, ist das Ausbringen einer Verankerung deutlich anspruchsvoller: Dabei wird ein langer Draht mit Messinstrumenten und Auftriebskörpern hinter dem Schiff ausgesetzt, bevor am Ende der Anker gelöst wird und das gesamte System absinkt.
Zwei Tage später versuchten wir es erneut, diesmal mit Erfolg.
Anschließend fuhren wir näher an das Meereis heran, was für viele von uns ein besonderes Highlight war. Das Eis aus nächster Nähe zu sehen und sogar eine Robbe in der Nähe schwimmen zu beobachten, machte das Erlebnis unvergesslich.
Aufgrund der weiterhin rauen Wetterbedingungen wurde schließlich entschieden, zu K1 zurückzukehren, um ein bevorstehendes Wetterfenster für die Ausbringung am nächsten Tag zu nutzen.
Between Storms and Science: Easter in the Labrador Sea (04.04.26–13.04.26)
Ocean Acidification
Humans Just Flew Around the Moon This Week. But Would Babies Born There Ever Truly Feel Gravity? Ask Jellyfish Babies.
This week, NASA’s Artemis II crew made history by flying around the Moon and returning safely to Earth, the first human journey to the Moon’s vicinity in more than 50 years. It was a stunning reminder that humanity is no longer just dreaming about living beyond Earth. We are actively rehearsing for it.
And that leads to a much stranger, deeper question: even if one day we build skyscrapers on the Moon, raise families there, and turn space into a place to live, will babies born away from Earth develop a normal sense of gravity? Or will their bodies learn the universe differently?
To explore that question, NASA once turned to an unexpected stand-in for human babies: jellyfish babies. On the STS-40 mission, scientists sent thousands of tiny jellyfish polyps into space because jellyfish, like humans, rely on gravity-sensing structures to orient themselves. The experiment asked a simple but profound question: if a living body develops in microgravity, will it still know how to handle gravity later?
The answer was both fascinating and unsettling. The jellyfish developed in space in large numbers, but once back under Earth’s gravity, the ones that had developed in microgravity showed far more pulsing abnormalities than the Earth-grown controls. In other words, their bodies formed, but their sense of balance did not seem to work quite the same way.
That is why this old jellyfish experiment still matters today. Before we imagine lunar cities, schools, nurseries, and generations born off-world, we need to ask not only whether humans can survive in space, but whether developing there changes how the body understands something as basic as up, down, and movement. Jellyfish babies cannot tell us everything about human children, but they may have given us one of the first clues that life born beyond Earth might not come home unchanged.
Reference: https://nlsp.nasa.gov/view/lsdapub/lsda_experiment/0c10d660-6b12-573d-8c3b-e20e071aed3b
Image: GEOMAR, Sarah Uphoff
After a slight delay of the Maria S. Merian caused by late-arriving containers our research cruise MSM142 finally got underway. By last Tuesday (24.03.2026), the full scientific team had arrived in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, and the ship reached port on Wednesday (25.03.2026) morning. That same day, scientists and technicians moved on board and immediately began preparations, assembling and testing our instruments. Although the mornings on Wednesday and Thursday were grey and overcast, the afternoons cleared up beautifully. This gave us valuable time to organize equipment on deck and store empty boxes back into the containers before departure.
Given the forecast of harsh conditions outside the fjord, we carried out the mandatory safety drill while still in harbour. This included practicing emergency procedures and boarding the lifeboat. After completing border control, we were finally ready to leave Nuuk. We set sail on March 27th, heading into the Labrador Sea to begin our mission. Even before starting scientific operations, we tested the setup for deploying our gliders without releasing them during the transit out of the fjord. Once we reached open waters, we were met by high waves the following morning. For some on board, this was their first experience under such rough sea conditions. Seasickness quickly became a challenge for a few, while scientific work had to be temporarily postponed due to the strong winds and sea conditions. Together with the crew, we discussed how best to adapt our measurement plans to the given weather conditions. On March 29th, we were finally able to begin our scientific program with the first CTD deployment. A CTD is an instrument used to measure conductivity, temperature, and depth, which are key parameters for understanding ocean structure.
During the following night, we continued with additional CTD stations and successfully recovered two moorings: DSOW 3 and DSOW 4, located south of Greenland. These moorings carry instruments at various depths that measure velocity, temperature, and salinity. DSOW 4 was redeployed on the same day, while DSOW 3 followed the next day. In addition, the bottles attached to the CTD’s rosette can be used to collect water samples from any desired depth. These samples can be used, for example, to determine the oxygen content, nutrient levels, and organic matter.
Both are part of the OSNAP array, a network of moorings spanning the subpolar North Atlantic. On these moorings are a few instruments, for example microcats which measure temperature, pressure and salinity.
We then conducted around 25 CTD stations spaced approximately 3 nautical miles apart across an Irminger ring identified from satellite data. This high-resolution sampling was necessary to capture the structure of an Irminger Ring, which had a radius of about 12 km wide.
The days leading up to April 2nd were marked by very rough weather conditions. Life on board became both challenging and, at times, unintentionally entertaining sliding chairs were not uncommon. During the night from April 1st to April 2nd, winds reached 11 Beaufort with gusts up to 65 knots, forcing us to pause our measurements. Fortunately, conditions improved by morning, allowing us to resume our work. As well as with the help of the crew we had to adapt to the harsh weather conditions to continue our scientific work. On the 3rd of April, we were able to deploy a few gliders and one float. An ocean glider is an autonomous underwater Vehicle, which you can steer remotely and send to different locations, while it is measuring oceanographic key parameters.
This research cruise focuses on understanding small-scale processes in the ocean and their connection to the spring bloom, an essential phase in marine ecosystem in subpolar regions. Despite the challenging start, we have already gathered valuable data and look forward to the weeks ahead in the Labrador Sea.
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