PhD student positions for the Collaborative Research Center CRC-TRR 228

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.

The Collaborative Research Center CRC-TRR 228 "Future Rural Africa. Future-making and social-ecological transformation" combines expertise from the two Universities of Bonn and Cologne to study newly emerging issues of social-ecological transformation and future-making in Africa. Project B01 "Invasive Futures: Land-use transitions” invites applications for a

PhD Position (70%) (f/m/d)

to start from April 2026 limited to 3 years and 9 months according to gem. § 2 (1) WissZeitVG.

The research aims to causally identify how livelihood choices affect the resilience of households’ welfare, how this differs depending on household characteristics and external conditions, and what role aspirations play in making such choices. The successful candidate will be supervised by Prof. Thomas Heckelei (head of the group Economic and Agricultural Policy, University of Bonn) and contribute to the overarching objective of Project B01 to better understand the dynamic interactions and causal relationships between key processes affecting land-use transitions, specifically related to soil fertility, invasive control, livelihood mobility, and economic and ecological resilience.

Your tasks:

• Plan and conduct the third wave of a household survey in rural Kenya with a specific emphasis on aspirations and livelihoods in the presence of invasive plant species,
• Contribute to the Kenyan part of the third wave of a four-country household survey on future-making in rural Africa,
• Take a proactive approach and use the opportunity to shape the research based on your own ideas,
• Actively engage with a multidisciplinary research team,
• Present research results at international conferences and workshops,
• Write and publish research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Your profile:

• Master’s degree in economics, agricultural economics, or related field with a strong core in economics,
• Outstanding prior academic performance and depth in econometric methods, including the state-of-the-art in methods of causal identification,
• Ideally, experience in primary data collection,
• Excellent oral and written English language and communication skills,
• Enthusiasm for advancing knowledge, open-mindedness, team spirit, and strong interpersonal skills.

We offer:

• Stimulating, international research environment,
• Excellent network of disciplinary and multidisciplinary research partners,
• Opportunity to conduct research towards a Ph.D. degree,
• Support in personal career development,
• Salary according to the German Federal pay scale (70% TV-L E13).

The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family-friendly university. The University of Bonn seeks to increase female representation in staffing areas where women are underrepresented and provide special career support. It thus expressly encourages qualified women to apply. Applications will be handled in accordance with the NRW State Gender Equality Act (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG NRW). Applications from qualified candidates with a certified severe disability or from those of equal status are especially welcome.

Please submit your application electronically quoting reference 2025/289, in one combined PDF file, through this application survey by January 18, 2026. Application documents must be written in English and include a motivation letter (max. 1 page), CV, transcripts and certificates of Master’s as well as bachelor degree, title and abstract of Master’s thesis, names and contact details of two reference persons.

For further information regarding the position, please contact Prof. Thomas Heckelei via email (thomas.heckelei@ilr.uni-bonn.de) and subject “PhD application CRC228-B01”.