3 Postdoctoral Positions (100%, TV-L E-13, for 3 years)

The University of Bonn is an international research university offering a broad range of subjects. With a 200-year history, some 31,500 students, more than 6,000 employees and an outstanding reputation in Germany and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the leading universities in Germany and has been awarded the status of a University of Excellence.

3 Postdoctoral Positions (100%, TV-L E-13, for 3 years)

The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) invites applications for the above three-year positions from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029.

Overview of the BCDSS and its Research Aims:

The BCDSS, a German Research Council-funded “Cluster of Excellence”, offers excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary and comparative research of different forms of Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies (SADs) across time periods and world regions. During its first phase (2019–2025), the BCDSS successfully developed the concept of SAD as a comprehensive analytical framework to understand how power imbalances have been shaped in the past, and continue to influence, societies around the world today. In its second funding phase (2026–2032), the BCDSS will investigate the underlying causes and mechanisms that contribute to the persistence of SADs across historical and contemporary contexts. We aim to anchor Historically Informed Dependency Studies as a key interdisciplinary field in the humanities, encouraging scholars across the humanities and social sciences to systematically integrate the analysis of SADs into the study of social, economic, and cultural phenomena.

Our research focuses on five Research Areas:

• Transitions and Transformations of SADs,
• Economies of SADs,
• Power – Violence – Trauma,
• Cultural Heritage – Transitional Justice – Memory Cultures,
• Alternative Archives and Life Writing.

Your Responsibilities:

• Develop and conduct a research project in the field of Historically Informed Dependency Studies
• Publish your research results
• Actively take part in the BCDSS’s collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary research
• Contribute to the further development of the BCDSS’s research agenda and its conceptual and theoretical orientation
• Participate in and help expand collaborative international partnerships

Your qualifications:

• A completed PhD or Doctoral Degree (obtained max. three years ago) in a field relevant to the BCDSS
• Native or near-native English language proficiency
• Publications on topics pertinent to the BCDSS

We offer:

• A salary based on the German TV-L 13 scale
• Opportunities for individual and independent research
• An international and highly interdisciplinary research environment
• Availability of funds for field/archival research, conference participation, conference organisation
• A career mentoring program specifically geared towards individual needs
• Family-friendly working conditions
• Participation in the university-wide pension system (VBL)
• Access to the extensive university sports program
• A dedicated and motivated team

Your application needs to include:

• Cover letter stating your motivation to work at the BCDSS (max. 1800 characters including spaces)
• Curriculum Vitae
• A copy of your PhD certificate
• An outline of the proposed research project (max. 8000 characters including spaces). Please include information on: Key research questions and hypotheses; originality of the proposed project vis-à-vis existing scholarship and key publications in the field (with bibliography); alignment of the project with one or more of the research areas mentioned above; relevance of the project to the chosen Research Area and, if applicable, cross-connections to another Research Area;
• The name and contact of two referees (position, professional address, and e-mail)

The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family-friendly university. It aims to increase the proportion of women in areas where women are under-represented and to promote their careers in particular. It therefore urges women with relevant qualifications to apply. Applications will be handled in accordance with the Landesgleichstellungsgesetz (State Equality Act). Applications from suitable individuals with a certified severe disability and those of equal status are particularly welcome.

Please send your complete application documents in English and combined into one single PDF file by 31 October 2025 to application@dependency.uni-bonn.de, quoting the 2025/152 For any questions, please contact Sarah Dusend via dependency@uni-bonn.de.