Paid CISPA Summer Research Internship

CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security, a public research centre in Germany and part of the Helmholtz Association, runs the CISPA Summer Research (CSR) programme every year. Bachelor's and master's students in computer science and related fields spend two to three months in summer 2027 working inside a CISPA research group on cryptography, computer security, privacy or machine learning and AI, and are paid a monthly salary.

What you get:

• A paid research internship of 2 to 3 months, starting in May or June 2027
• A monthly gross salary of about EUR 2,568.80 to EUR 2,671.89 before taxes, depending on whether you already hold a bachelor's degree and the workdays in the month
• Help from CISPA with contracts, visas and onboarding once you accept an offer
• Sessions on scientific writing, presenting your findings, and research ethics in cybersecurity and AI
• A certificate after you complete the internship and the accompanying programme

What you'll do:

• Join a CISPA research group and take part in its research alongside its researchers
• Attend CSR sessions and social activities with other interns and researchers
• Work at the hosting group's site: mostly Saarbrucken or St. Ingbert, with some groups in Dortmund, Hannover or Stuttgart

Key dates:

• Applications close November 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Anywhere on Earth
• Faculty interviews mid-December 2026 to mid-January 2027
• Internship offers mid-January 2027, to be accepted by the end of January 2027
• Internships start in May or June 2027 and last 2 to 3 months

More information:

• Documents: a motivation letter, a CV, an English academic transcript, an English language assessment, and for master's students the bachelor's certificate in English; references are optional
• Each student can apply only once, either to one special call or to the general CSR call
• Health insurance is mandatory in Germany and accident insurance may be required; the FAQ points interns to arrange it
• Your university must be formally recognised in Germany (checked in the anabin database), which matters for the visa
• Questions go to applications.research@cispa.de

• Enrolled in a BSc, BEng, BTech, MSc, MEng or MTech in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, telecommunications or an equivalent field
• At least four completed semesters by the time the internship starts
• Enrolled as a student for the whole internship
• English proficiency
• Your institution must be recognised in Germany
• Not open to PhD students, or to anyone who has completed a master's or doctoral degree