10 Research Associates

The DFG Research Training Group “Practicing Place - Sociocultural Practices and Epistemic Configurations" at the Catholic Univesity of Eichenstätt-Ingolstadt seeks to fill 10 part-time positions (75%, 3 years) as research associates. Deadline: September 30, 2026.

Zusammenfassung

Beschreibung

At the earliest from April 1, 2027, the DFG Research Training Group “Practicing Place - Sociocultural Practices and Epistemic Configurations" seeks to fill 10 part-time positions (75%) as

 

Research Associate (doctoral candidate)

 

for a limited period probably until March 31, 2030. The place of work shall be Eichstätt. The successful candidate will be employed in a private-law employment relationship, in which case remuneration will be according to pay grade E 13 TV-L provided that the requirements are met.

The research training group is dedicated to interdisciplinary reflections of the concepts of place and placing against the backdrop of new geopolitical confrontations, environmental challenges and heightened social polarizations. The research program focuses on places and processes of placings as central configurations of conflict considering the following aspects: (1) placings of the political and place-related conceptions of the public; (2) the co-production of contested places and placings by humans and non-human entities; and (3) conflictual imaginations of places in the context of post- and decoloniality, geo- and ecopoetics. The interdisciplinary and innovative composition of the research training group combines sociology of practice, philosophy, human geography, as well as literary and cultural studies.

The call for applications is generally open to all disciplines that can make a substantial contribution to the overarching interdisciplinary questions of the research training group. The group currently consists of the following subject areas: American Studies, Geography, Philosophy, Romance Languages, and Sociology.

 

Requirements and qualifications

The research training group is designed as a structured graduate training program for German and international graduates who have distinguished themselves in a competitive selection process through their professional profile and an outstanding research concept that is compatible across disciplines and can be realized within the time frame of the funding. A prerequisite for application is an above-average academic degree that entitles the holder to pursue a doctorate.

The selected research associates will each pursue their own, independently chosen dissertation project within the framework of the research question of the research training group. The fellows are expected to actively participate in the research, doctoral and qualification program of the research training group on a regular basis and to contribute to the interdisciplinary exchange and to a lively cooperation within the group.

In addition to their academic qualifications, members of the research training group are expected to show a high degree of self-motivation, openness towards interdisciplinary work, good communication skills and ability to work in a team. Furthermore, successful candidates are required to have very good written and spoken English language proficiency.

 

Our offer

Within the research training group, we offer excellent conditions for early-career researchers/graduates who are at the beginning of their scientific career. These include

  • An attractive research environment in the higher educational sector with an ideal personal mentoring relationship, access to an excellent research infrastructure and a wide range of support options,
  • A future-oriented training and qualification concept that is tailored to the individual needs of doctoral students and that accompanies the doctorate,
  • Opportunities for further scientific career planning and development,
  • Externships and stays abroad for the establishment and expansion of specialist and transdisciplinary networks on an international level,
  • Welfare benefits in the public service

 

Further information on the research training group, its research activity and training concept is available on the group’s website: https://www.practicing.place/.

 

Your application

Please include the following supporting documents in your application:

  • Letter of motivation in which you explain why you are personally suited for the research and training program and how you intend to contribute to the research training group (no longer than 2 pages),
  • Résumé with detailed description of your academic career to date,
  • Proof of scientific university degrees (if necessary in certified translation),
  • A letter of recommendation from a university lecturer providing information on your professional and methodological competence and scientific potential (no longer than 2 pages),
  • Presentation of the intended doctoral project (exposé no longer than 10 pages),
  • Final thesis and/or sample chapter/excerpt from the final thesis

 

Please submit your application by September 30, 2026, to the spokesperson of the research training group, Prof. Dr. Robert Schmidt, using the application portal BITE. The selection interviews are scheduled for the 47th calendar week. All submitted application documents will be destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations after the hiring process has been completed. Please direct any questions regarding the call for applications to Dr. Anna-Katharina Rieger (katharina.rieger [at] ku.de).

Please note the KU’s privacy policy for the application process. Corresponding information can be downloaded from the KU website at https://www.ku.de/en/the-ku/job-offers. By submitting your application, you confirm that you have taken note of the data protection information and the privacy policy.

All employees are obliged to acknowledge the nature and mission of the KU as stipulated in its Mission Statement and Foundation Charter. The University is therefore interested in receiving applications with relevant information in this regard.

The KU is committed to promoting equal opportunities, and aims to ensure that its members are able to balance work and family life. Candidates with severe disabilities who are equally suitable to other applicants will be prioritized.

 

The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) is a non-state university under church leadership and officially recognized by the Free State of Bavaria. It is committed to strong research and excellent teaching and combines first-class study conditions with an international focus. Eight faculties offer a wide range of subjects for around 5,000 students. The University employs 900 people of different faiths and beliefs. Grounded in the Christian view of human life, the KU aims to create an academic and educational culture of responsibility.

 

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Kontakt

Nähere Informationen

Dr. Anna-Katharina Rieger

katharina.rieger [at] ku.de