Four 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships at the Zukunftskolleg

(Full-time, E 13 TV-L)

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 at: http://zukunftskolleg.uni-konstanz.de.

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.de by the application deadline.

Questions can be directed via e-mail to: zukunftskolleg-application@uni-konstanz.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 (https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/equalopportunities/family/dual-career/). Persons with disabilities are explicitly encouraged to apply. They will be given preference if appropriately qualified (contact sbv@uni-konstanz.de, + 49 7531 88-4016).