Information for students

Students who want to write their Master's thesis on a marine ecological topic can apply at any time for the following project year. Each May of the previous year, the research topic for the following year is announced.

If you are interested, simply download the application form, fill it out, attach a CV and a letter of motivation and send it to our contact address!

Participation requirements
Students from the fields of biology, ecology, environmental sciences or related studies who want to conduct a master thesis in the field of marine ecology can participate. Enrollment at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU) is not necessary. The master thesis will be registered at the home university.

For further questions about the application process please contact us directly via email: mlenz(at)geomar.de.

What GAME offers
GAME is an interesting experience for students both scientifically and culturally. The scientific focus is on preparing, conducting and evaluating an ecological experiment. This includes writing the final paper, writing a scientific publication for an international journal, and giving presentations. During the entire project, the participants are intensively supervised by the participating scientists in Germany and abroad.

GAME offers a mixture of teamwork and independent work. The two partners of a team carry out the same experiments and can thus support each other. The work is differentiated, for example, by the choice of experimental organisms. Via email, video conferences and texts, all participants of a project remain connected even during the time abroad. In this way, GAME integrates students at an early stage into a global scientific network with currently 36 partner institutes around the world. In addition to the work, there is also time to get to know the host country and its culture. For more information, see Learn more about GAME.

Time schedule of the projects
1) Preparation in Kiel: All participants of a GAME project first come to Kiel for a preparation course for one month. Here, all necessary theoretical and practical knowledge is imparted, which is required for the execution of the experiments. At the same time, all participants of this cohort get to know each other.

2) Experiments abroad: In each partner country, the local GAME participant and his or her German partner carry out an experiment lasting several months, which has been prepared in detail in Kiel. In addition, each participant can also plan and conduct further experiments of his/her own.

3) Follow-up in Kiel: All students of one cycle return to Kiel to evaluate the data obtained. This phase is intensively supervised by GEOMAR scientists. It starts with a comprehensive 2-week course in biostatistics. Then the global analysis of the data and the interpretation of the patterns found takes place. The subsequent module focuses on the communication of scientific results. After teaching the necessary techniques, a presentation is developed, which the participants present at various universities in northern Germany towards the end of the project. Intensive workshops on scientific writing and media competence round off the second part of the evaluation course. Finally, manuscripts will be written and prepared for publication in scientific journals.

Excursions
Schleswig-Holstein is a state between two very different seas. This is a feature that makes it a fascinating location for marine research. GAME participants get to know both ecosystems: Biological-geological excursions take them to the Baltic Sea (Schleimünde/Lotseninsel) and to the North Sea (Westerhever Lighthouse or Langeness).

Insight into GAME
To get a comprehensive and vivid impression of what it means to participate in one of the GAME projects, feel free to browse our project reports, read the blog posts of current and former GAME participants under Ocean Blogs or visit our Facebook page or Instagram @game_geomar.To get a comprehensive and vivid impression of what it means to participate in one of the GAME projects, feel free to browse our project reports, read the blog posts of current and former GAME participants under Ocean Blogs or visit our Facebook page or Instagram @game_geomar.Insight into GAME

To get a comprehensive and vivid impression of what it means to participate in one of the GAME projects, feel free to browse our project reports, read the blog posts of current and former GAME participants under Ocean Blogs or visit our Facebook page or Instagram @game_geomar.

  • Completed GAME projects

    All GAME projects are presented here in the overview. As of 2012, there is a final report in German for each project, which can be downloaded as a PDF.

    There are also blogs by the teams from the various project years at www.oceanblogs.org.

  • Since 2011, GAME has been supported and advised by a Board of Trustees.

  • We would like to thank all sponsors who have made GAME 2022 possible through their financial commitment!

    Become a supporter of GAME!

    From 2002 to 2008, GAME was funded by the Mercator Foundation and subsequently by the Kiel University Foundation and GEOMAR. Since 2011, supporters from the German foundation landscape, from the (predominantly maritime) industry, as well as private donors could be gained.

    To ensure that the program can continue in the future, we are looking for additional supporters who would like to get involved in marine research, the education of students and the international networking of scientists. Make your donation possible for future students from all over the world to participate in this international training program that combines applied research with excellent education.

    If you are interested or have any questions, please contact:

    Annette Tempelmann

    Tel.: +49 176 76902809

    atempelmann(at)geomar.de