research associate (doctoral candidate), 10 part-time positions (75 %)

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.

The newly approved DFG-funded research training group “Practicing Place: Sociocultural Practices and Epistemic Configurations“ invites applications for 10 part-time positions (75 %) as

research associate (doctoral candidate)
(Wissenschaftliche/-r Mitarbeiter/-in (m/w/d))

to be filled by April 1st, 2021, for a limited period of 3 years. The place of work shall be Eichstätt. Provided that the requirements are met, remuneration in the private-law employment relationship will be according to the pay grade E 13 TV-L.

The proposed research training group aims at a critical reflection of the concepts of ‘place’ and ‘placing’ from a decidedly interdisciplinary perspective. Place and processes of (re-)placing have become central to a discussion of complex global interrelations, precisely at a time of growing transnational interdependencies and seemingly borderless communication networks. According to our guiding research idea, we suggest to think of place dynamically, as practicing place. Hence, we will consider specific practices of placing and their concomitant epistemic configurations (such as comprehending, mapping, locating, imagining, writing, experiencing, and redefining places) as well as the situatedness and specific locality of any practice.

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.

Prerequisites and qualification profile
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 period. 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 scholarly framework 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 the ability to work in a team. Furthermore, the successful candidates are required to have a very good written and spoken English language proficiency.

Our offer
Within the research training group, we offer excellent conditions for young 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 and social benefits provided in the public service.

Further information on the research training group, its research activity and educational concept is available at this website: www.ku.de/forschung/forschungsprojekte/dfg-gefoerderte-projekte

Your application
Please include the following documents in your application:

• Application form (available for download on the above website),
• Letter of motivation, explaining why you are personally suited for the research and training program and how you would like to get involved in the research training group (no longer than 2 pages),
• Résumé with detailed description of your scientific career to date,
• Proof of scientific university degrees (if necessary in certified translation),
• A letter of recommendation from a university lecturer providing information on the applicant's professional and methodological competence and scientific potential (no longer than 2 pages),
• Presentation of the dissertation project (exposé no longer than 10 pages) and
• Final thesis and/or sample chapter/excerpt from the final thesis.

Please send your application with all above documents to the speaker of the research training group, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Schmidt, by e-mail to gk-practicingplace@ku.de (Reference: “Wiss. Mitarbeiter (m/w/d) im DFG-GRK Practicing Place”) by December 10th, 2020 (please combine all documents in one PDF file). Please understand that confirmations of receipt and interim correspondence cannot be sent. The selection interviews are scheduled for the second calendar week of 2021. All submitted application documents will be destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations after the hiring process has been completed.

All employees are obliged to acknowledge the nature and mission of the KU as stipulated in its Mission Statement and Foundation Charter.

The KU is committed to promoting equal opportunities for men and women, 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.