Staff Units

The staff of the staff unit "International Cooperation" serves the international cooperation of the AWI and supports the initiation of new international collaborations and projects. On request, international contacts are arranged as well. International Cooperation Agreements of the AWI are established and maintained in the International Cooperation Unit. In addition, the staff represents the institute as partner in international projects dealing with research coordination or infrastructure development within the EU. This includes the projects EUROFLEETSPlus, SIOS, EU-PolarNet 2 and ARICE.
 
Contact
Dr Nicole Biebow

Postal address
Department for International Cooperation
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0)471 4831-1011

The Office of Environmental Policy in the Directorate is responsible for the positioning and integration of the AWI in environmental policy processes at the international level and within the framework of intergovernmental bodies (eg SCAR, IASC, ATCM, Arctic Council, CCAMLR, OSPAR). The office is coordinating the AWI contributions and will perform as an information platform for environmental policy questions. The office provides the AWI contact to national environmental authorities (UBA, BfN), including the coordination and submission of AWI applications for scientific research in the Antarctic Treaty area. In addition, the office is responsible for the AWI collaboration with research partners in Bremen (eg, the AWI - MARUM Alliance).
 
Contact
Dr Stefan Hain, Head of the Office of Environmental Policy

Postal address
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-1152

The Department of Communications and Media Relations plans and realises the public relations of the Alfred Wegener Institute. It is the institute's first contact address for journalists and everyone public interested in the AWI's research projects. Furthermore the media team organizes guided tours, public lectures and open house events and produces communication products such as the AWI's employee newspaper, booklets and exhibitions. You will find the latest press releases here.
 
Contact
Sebastian Grote
Head of the Department of Communications and Media Relations

Postal address
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-2006

The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) conducts the commercialization of results from AWI research and development at the interface between science and industry. AWI-internally the TTO is responsible for the support of inventors and the protection of intellectual property right. Embedded into vital networks the TTO fosters the commercial exploitation of results via licensing, industry cooperations and spin-offs. More information

Contact
Professor Eberhard Sauter

Postal address
Stabsstelle Technologietransfer (STT)
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Bussestr. 27
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-1517

The Office for Internal Audit examines all operations and organisation processes. Its main tasks are to detect weak points and to give recommendations for further improvements of the administrative and controlling system.
 

Contact
Katja Siek

Postal address
Office for Internal Audit
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-1803

The staff unit HSE supports the Directorate in its task to guarantee health and safety of the AWI's employees. It provides advice in questions of labour, health and fire protection and the prevention of accidents. Furthermore the experts for health and safety inspect and evaluate the working conditions at the Alfred Wegener Institute.

From school to studies and doctorate – one possible career path that the AWI supports with a variety of measures. In our staff unit “Scientific Education“ all support instruments and services for scholars, PhD candidates, and postdocs are bundled. For scholars the AWI offers the cooperation programs HIGHSEA and junior-HIGHSEA, as well as the student labs SEASIDE in Bremerhaven and OPENSEA on Helgoland. All matters relating to a doctorate at AWI will be dealt with and supported by the staff members of the Graduate School POLMAR. Our new career center PROCEED advises and supports postdoctoral scientists on their further career path.

For further information please go to:

Postdoc Office PROCEED

Graduate School POLMAR

Cooperation program:
HIGHSEA

Student labs:
SEASIDE
OPENSEA

Contact
Dr Susanne Gatti

Postal address
Stabsstelle Wissenschaftliche Ausbildung (SEA)
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0)471 4831-1392

The staff unit coordination LK II infrastructure “Marine Stations Helgoland and Sylt” is supporting the director of the Biological Institute Helgoland in operating the marine stations on Helgoland and Sylt as infrastructures.

The tasks of operational coordination include reporting, information and communication with the specialist groups and organizational units involved, as well as their support. External image and representation are connected with the aim of increasing the visibility of the infrastructure. The coordination is also responsible for the management and organization of the user advisory board and for ensuring the scientific quality of the LK II infrastructure through the independent management and development of the assessment process for project applications from various disciplines.

Contact
Dr Angelika Dummermuth
Am Alten Hafen 26
27568 Bremerhaven
(0)471 4831-1012
e-mail

In May 2020 the AWI was appointed to conduct a new process for the acquisition of a new ice-breaking research and supply vessel Polarstern II by the board of trustees.

The process includes the planning of the procurement procedures, the construction supervision, as well as the trial runs of the ship.

All steps are conducted in close coordination with our funding organization BMBF.

All necessary functions that are necessary for this project of primary importance for AWI are bundled in the staff unit Project Polarstern II.

Contact:
Detlef Wilde
Stabsstelle Projekt Polarstern II
Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Barkhausener Str. 2
27568 Bremerhaven
( Room t.i.m.e.Port 2-Timeport II - 2.4.7)
+49 (0) 471 4831-1272

The strategic development of science communication in its current, comprehensive meaning isn’t a project; it’s a never-ending task. Given the formation of a joint research programme for the Helmholtz Research Field “Changing Earth” and the establishment of the joint communication platform SynCom, as well as the growing strategic importance of transfer and solution-oriented communication for inter-institutional networks (DAM, DKK, Helmholtz Climate Initiative, KDM, UN Decade of Ocean Science, IPCC, IPBES, Leopoldina, etc.), in which the research contributions of the AWI / of Helmholtz Earth system research are of considerable societal relevance, there is an increased and lasting need for internal and external strategic and operational coordination of science communication and transfer activities throughout the AWI.
In the context of the new research programme for “Changing Earth”, the resulting duties with regard to transfer and cross-research-centre, solution-oriented communication of topics will be performed by the Staff Unit “Strategic Science Communication”, which reports to the Programme Speaker and Vice-Director.

Contact:
Ralf Röchert
Head of the Department of Strategic Science Communication

Postal address
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-1680

The Administration of the AWI is confronted with growing challenges regarding quality assurance for the processes and procedures within its purview. This is due in part to the ongoing process of digitalisation, especially of mass-production processes, and the accompanying need for change-related measures. Further important drivers include the far greater challenges involved in steering these increasingly digital processes, resulting from the complexity and requirements concerning transparency, evaluability and reliability. In the context of overcoming these challenges, the Staff Unit “Strategic Quality Management in the Administration” (SQA) assumes the role of internal consultant and motor. It reports to the Administrative Director.

Contact:

Carlo Ungermann
Head of the Department of Strategic Science Communication

Postal address
Alfred Wegener Institute
Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research
Am Handelshafen 12
27570 Bremerhaven / Germany
+49 (0) 471 4831-1140