Jobs and Opportunities

The RTG 2571 “Empires" (Freiburg) is looking to fill one postdoc position and six PhD positions. All positions start on May 1st, 2025. The application deadline is December, 31st, 2024.

Postdoctoral Position

The Research Training Group (RTG) 2571 “Empires: Dynamic Change, Temporality and Post-Imperial Orders”, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), invites applications for:

Postdoctoral position, salary scale according to TV-L 13, 100%, Full-time

Start date: 1 May 2025

Application deadline: 31 December 2024

Scope of work: Full-time position

Id no.: 00004059

Funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), the interdisciplinary Research Training Group (RTG) focuses on imperial temporalities and their representation, reflection, memories, resonance, experiences, and manipulation in the context of imperial transformation and in post-imperial orders. Within this framework, the RTG focuses on three main aspects: (a) imperial space, (b) imperial institutions and normative structures, and (c) imperial economies. Representatives of the following disciplines are involved: History of any global area from antiquity to the present, Sociology, Political Science, Near Eastern Studies, and English Literature. In addition, the RTG collaborates with representatives from the departments of Economics and European and International Law.

We are committed to supporting gender, ethnic, and cultural diversity and strongly encourage international applicants.

The postdoctoral researcher should have completed their PhD or doctoral degree and demonstrate evidence of prior research in the field of Empire Studies. For the application, we expect a research project that focuses on an innovative topic concerning Empire Studies, possibly with a comparative component.

We offer:

excellent opportunities for academic and interdisciplinary research
excellent opportunities for the development of an international research profile and career advancement
funding for a research stay abroad (up to eight months) at one of the RTG’s collaborating research institutions
travel grants for field work, attendance of conferences, and lectures within and outside of Germany
optional courses for acquiring advanced research skills and professional training
opportunities for teaching, enhancing leadership skills, and gathering further experience in research practices (e.g., conference organization, writing funding applications, editing publications, etc.)
opportunity for doing a Habilitation at the University of Freiburg

We expect:

a PhD/doctoral degree in one of the disciplines represented in the RTG
expertise in one of the subject areas of the RTG, documented by the dissertation or other publications
a research project within the framework of the RTG research programme
experience in international academic collaboration and interdisciplinary research
English proficiency at least at the level of B2 at the start of employment
willingness to acquire German for communication purposes during the employment

There is a statutory requirement of residence in or around Freiburg for the duration of the employment, except for periods of study abroad.

Your employment will involve:

working independently on an innovative research project within the remit of the research perspectives of the RTG, to be completed by the end of the employment period
presenting your project and related research on a regular basis within and outside of the RTG
participating in the activities of the RTG and in the meetings of the executive board
supporting and developing the research programme of the RTG and communicating cooperatively with senior and doctoral members of the RTG
supporting the organization of workshops, conferences, and other activities of the RTG

Your application should include:

a letter of motivation (1–2 pages)
an academic CV (including a list of publications, conference papers, distinctions, and awards)
copies of degree certificates and diplomas
a research proposal (ca. 10 pages), including a schedule and details of how the project will fit into the research framework of the RTG
two letters of recommendation, providing information on your academic and personal qualifications as well as the quality of your application and project, to be sent by the referees directly to kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de, under the heading GRK2571 – reference number 00004059 / [your name]

The position is limited to 31 October 2029. The salary will be determined in accordance with TV-L E13.

The University of Freiburg seeks to increase the number of women in positions in which they are underrepresented. Preference will be given to applicants with disabilities if there are several equally qualified candidates. The University of Freiburg is committed to offering support for young scholars with families.

Please send your application in a single PDF file with the reference no 00004059 to:

E-Mail: kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de

Invitations for interviews will be sent out in the middle of January 2025. Interviews will be held in mid-February 2025. In case of transatlantic or other long-distance travel, digital interviews will be arranged.

For further information on the RTG and its research, please consult our research programme. For inquiries, contact our administrative office at kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de or the spokesperson of the RTG, Prof. Sitta von Reden, at sitta.von.reden@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de.

For further details, please visit the official job posting on the university's job board.

PhD Positions

The Research Training Group 2571 “Empires: Dynamic Change, Temporality and Post-Imperial Orders”, funded by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft), invites applications for

6 Three-year (65%) Postgraduate Positions (f/m/d)

Part-time (65%)

Start-date: 1 May 2025

Application deadline: 31 December 2024

Scope of work: Part-time position (65%)

Id no.: 00004058

The interdisciplinary Research Training Group (RTG) focuses on imperial temporalities and their representation, reflection, memories, resonance, experiences, and manipulation in the context of imperial transformation and post-imperial orders. Within this framework, the RTG focuses on three main aspects: (a) imperial space, (b) imperial institutions and normative structures, and (c) imperial economies. Representatives of the following disciplines are involved: History of any global area from antiquity to the present, Sociology, Political Science, Near Eastern Studies, and English Literature. The RTG also collaborates with representatives from the departments of Economics and European and International Law, who can be involved in the supervision of specific research projects.

The RTG is committed to supporting gender, ethnic, and cultural diversity and strongly encourages international applicants.

We offer:

a structured research training programme that supports individual research and prepares doctoral candidates for an academic career and other related professional fields
continuous supervision by two professorial members of the RTG
in-depth professional and interdisciplinary exchange
opportunities for international academic networking and career advancement
funding for up to six months abroad at a research institute cooperating with our programme, as well as for attending conferences in Germany and abroad

We expect:

an excellent Master’s degree or equivalent, preferably in a field of study represented in the Research Training Group
a dissertation project on a topic within the research framework of the Research Training Group
participation in the research training programme and the events and activities of the RTG
enrollment in the doctoral degree programme at the University of Freiburg
English language proficiency at the level of B2 by the start of the employment
willingness to acquire the German language for communication purposes during the employment

There is a statutory requirement of residence in or around Freiburg for the duration of the employment, except for periods of study abroad.

Please submit the following materials (in English or German):

letter of motivation (1-2 pages)
CV
a copy/ copies of the university certificate(s) including a transcript of records
outline of the proposed research project (7-10 pages) including an abstract describing the topic (1 page), working title, state of the art, main research questions, theoretical approaches and methodology, and a time schedule
names of two academic referees whom we may contact regarding the scientific qualification, personal suitability, and quality of the application and the project

The positions are paid according to TV-L E 13 (65%).

Employment is in accordance with the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Law (WissZeitVG) of Germany. Positions will be filled on a fixed-term basis, initially for a period of three years. An extension for the successful completion of the doctorate is possible within the limits of the WissZeitVG.

The position is limited to 30 April 2028.

We specifically invite applications from women for the positions advertised here.

Please submit your application via email (as a single PDF file), using the reference number 00004058 by 31 December 2024 to the following address:

E-Mail: kontakt@grk2571.uni-freiburg.de

Tel: +49 761 203-5453

Invitations for interviews will be sent out mid-January 2025. Interviews will be held in mid-February 2025. In case of transatlantic or other long-distance travel, digital interviews will be arranged.

For further details, please visit the official job posting on the university's job board.

Filed under: rss