Every year, I offer research internships to undergraduates at German universities. Most of them are sponsored by the DAAD RISE program. Details can be found on the DAAD website. Please find short experience reports below.

2023 Ludwig Wittmann (Erasmus+)
I applied for an internship at the group of Professor Philip von Doetinchem via the RISE international program. Even though this initial application was declined, after further inquiry stating my interest in the research projects of the group, I was offered an internship at the group in a self-organized fashion. The group was very welcoming, and I got great support in my project both from the group meetings and from the individual meetings with my supervisor. I got the unique chance to work on evaluating and understanding the, at this moment, very recently recorded thermal vacuum test data of the GAPS particle detector. The main goal was to understand the voltage response of the Silicon-photomultipliers in the time-of-flight system (short TOF) when a particle passes it. Since the pandemic, the group has still been working remotely most of the time. However, my supervisor was always supportive and helped me both through Slack and spontaneous Zoom meetings. My project was deeply interesting to me, and I enjoyed working on it a lot. In the short time of just ten weeks, both my understanding of modern particle physics and my programming abilities grew way more than I expected. Also, Hawaii has no lack of free time offers for all kinds of different interests. The nature I got to see when hiking was incredible, and I even got to witness a volcano eruption and the rare hatching of Hawksbill Turtles. Since my roommate was a Navy diver, I also got my diving license in Hawaii and got to see turtles, sharks, and a ray. In total, my time in Hawaii was very influential to me, and I learned so much, both academically and personally. Thanks to Philip and Achim for this incredible time. I hope we will see each other again!


2022 Hannah Lehr (DAAD)
During the eleven weeks of my internship my task was to stabilize and test a fitting procedure that is used to identify particle pairs which are produced in Proton-Proton-collisions and finally compare this method with a conventional one. Not only did I have many opportunities to contribute to the project and implement my own ideas, I also always felt supported and encouraged to ask questions. It was an enriching experience and a great opportunity to extend my knowledge as well as to get insight to current research. Honolulu is a very international place, so I've met people from all over the world and learned a lot about other cultures. I am very grateful that I had this chance. I will never forget this adventure!


2021 Lukas Hennig (DAAD)
I applied for the internship in 2020, but because of Covid, the program was canceled that year. But thanks to Philip and the DAAD, I was allowed to postpone the internship to 2021. During my ten-week stay in Honolulu, my task was to debug and expand software used to calculate cutoff rigidities. Philip and his group welcomed me very kindly, and the working atmosphere was great. I attended the meetings with the whole group and the meetings of the AMS group, which allowed me to experience modern particle physics research first hand. In these meetings, I was allowed to present my progress every week, which was a great way to get feedback and help from the whole group, but also individual meetings were possible whenever I had a question. Most of them had to happen virtually because of the Covid restrictions, but I am very thankful that we still could find ways to meet in person as often as possible. Hawaii offers a great variety of possibilities to enjoy your free time. The beaches there are incredible and provide a great way to relax after a day of work. I learned a lot about Hawaiian culture, especially the Bishop Museum impressed me a lot, and I would definitively recommend paying a visit there! On top of that, the unique nature in Hawaii provides a perfect scenery for activities such as hiking, bicycling, and swimming. Overall, it was a great time that I will never forget! Thanks again to Philip and the group for giving me this opportunity, and I hope we will meet again sometime in the future!

2018 Carina Kanitz (DAAD)
After studying physics for two years at a German university, I had the opportunity to travel to the University of Hawaii and use my summer break to experience how actual research is done in particle physics. From the beginning on I got an own project to work on in the ten weeks of my internship. I simulated the production of antiparticles in proton collisions with different theoretical models and compared them. All members of the group supported me kindly, whether in the discussions in the weekly group meeting or answering individual questions.
Hawaii is not only a destination to come to do research, it is also a great place for cultural experiences since the western influences of the United States, Asian influences and the culture of the native inhabitants form a unique mixture, complemented at the university by a high number of international students from all over the world. The island of Oahu offers also trails with fantastic views for hiking, beautiful beaches and all the activities of a capital city.
During this summer I did not only very interesting research but I learned to live in a foreign country, practiced my language skills, experienced fascinating new cultures and also had a lot of fun!
You can find her German blog about the time in Hawaii here.

2017 Selina Nitschai (DAAD)
I had the great chance to participate at a two months internship with the RISE DAAD program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the research group of Assistant Professor Philip von Doetinchem. My task was to have a first look on the detection sensitivity for low-energy cosmic-ray antihelium of GAPS.
Moreover, during my stay, I was not only allowed to attend all Hawaiian group meetings, but also the official meetings of the GAPS simulation group. From the beginning, everybody was helpful and welcoming so that I felt as a true member of the team. The working atmosphere was always friendly and everybody found the time to assist me if I had any problems or questions - I had a wonderful time in the group!
The life in Hawaii is as wonderful as you would expect, it has beautiful beaches and incredible landscapes. In Oahu it is also quite easy to move around thanks to the large bus network all over the island. People are very friendly and helpful and on the Campus it is easy to find friends thanks to many activities.
Overall it was a great experience! I learnt a lot about Physics, the Hawaiian way of life, making new friends and of course, I would do it again!!!