Zukunftskolleg
Germany
Four 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Zukunftskolleg
Reference No: 2026/138 The preferred start date is April 1st, 2027. Conditionally on the submission of an
external grant proposal, the position may be extended for an additional year. In principle, the position
can be divided into two half-time positions.
The University of Konstanz is a dynamic and internationally successful research university with approximately 10,000 students. The campus
university’s architecture promotes interdisciplinary cooperation and a sense of community among researchers, lecturers and students. The
University has been continuously funded by the German Excellence Strategy since 2006.
The Zukunftskolleg is an Institute for Advanced Study for early career postdoctoral researchers in the natural sciences, humanities and social
sciences. The Zukunftskolleg offers postdoctoral researchers Independence for their research, interdisciplinary and intergenerational exchange as
well as intra-university integration and international contacts. The working language is English.
Each fellow is a member of both a university department and the Zukunftskolleg. Additionally, fellows of the Zukunftskolleg can be affiliated to the
Cluster of Excellence at the University of Konstanz: "Politics of Inequality" or "Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour".
The target group consists of excellent early career postdoctoral researchers who demonstrate scientific excellence, research independence, and a
strong capacity for teamwork, indicating high potential for a successful academic career The applications are evaluated in a two-stage process by
international reviewers. The candidates will be informed about the decision around mid-February 2027.
Your Responsibilities
- Develop and implement your
research project - Build up your own research profile
- You are expected to participate
actively in the regular weekly
meetings of the Zukunftskolleg and
to contribute to the Zukunftskolleg
in creating a team of exciting
interdisciplinary postdoctoral
researchers - Have your place of residence in
Konstanz or its surroundings
Your Competencies
- You should be in possession of a
doctoral degree granted between
September 30, 2024 and October
1, 2026. Earlier graduation dates
may be accepted in case of
maternity/paternity leave, or
working contracts outside
academia - Candidates must not hold a
permanent professorship, or have a
habilitation or equivalent (
Venia
legendi) - Candidates with their own position
funded by another program, which
can be transferred to Konstanz, are
also eligible - Applicants must propose a
research project that ties in with a
discipline represented at the
University of Konstanz. They are
invited to include in their motivation letter a reflection note on how their
research relates to the 17 SDGs of
the UN - Applicants should contact potential
local host among the researchers
at the University of Konstanz in
order to ensure appropriate
affiliation. Support from a
department strengstens the
application - International experience in
teaching or research, and a strong
interest in interdisciplinary topics
are an asset.
We Offer
- Professional infrastructure and an
appropriate workplace for
conducting research - Individual Research Allowance
- Access to a pool for funding
cooperative projects, research
assistants, travel, and equipment
purchases - Network for research visits and
international collaborators - The possibility of attracting senior
research partners to Konstanz
through the senior fellowship and
the mentorship program - The opportunity to benefit from a
variety of career development
measures, including the services of
the units Academic Staff
Development and Research - Support at the University of
Konstanz - No teaching obligation, but an
opportunity to teach in
collaboration with one of the
departments at the University of
Konstanz - An international and
interdisciplinary community of
peers
More information on the Zukunftskolleg and current Fellows, as well as a special section devoted to the application and selection process (online
application process, required documents, guidelines on eligibility, evaluation criteria, the timeline and the stages of the selection process) are
available on our website
All applications and supporting materials (letter of motivation, research proposal, curriculum vitae, writing sample and two letters of reference) must
be submitted in English via our Online Application Portal. Only the letters of reference can be sent directly by the referees via e-mail to
zukunftskolleg-application
uni-konstanz [dot] de (zukunftskolleg-application[at]uni-konstanz[dot]de) by the application deadline.
Questions can be directed via e-mail to: zukunftskolleg-applicationuni-konstanz [dot] de (zukunftskolleg-application[at]uni-konstanz[dot]de).
We look forward to receiving your application until 12 October 2026, 11:00 am (CET).
The University of Konstanz is committed to ensuring an environment that provides equal opportunities and promotes diversity as well as a good balance
between university and family life. As an equal opportunity employer, we strive to increase the number of women working in research and teaching. We
also support working couples through our dual career programme.Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact sbvuni-konstanz [dot] de (sbv[at]uni-konstanz[dot]de), + 49 7531 88-4016).