Junior Research Group Leader “Behavioural Change in Collectives”
(Full-time, salary up to E 14 TV-L)
Reference number 2023/255. The expected starting date is as soon as possible. The position is limited until 31/12/2026. A contract extension to a maximum of five years in total is desired and subject to the continued funding of the cluster. In principle, the position can be divided into two half-time positions.
The University of Konstanz is one of eleven Universities of Excellence in Germany. Since 2007 it has been successful in the German Excellence Initiative and its follow-up programme, the Excellence Strategy.
The Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour (CASCB) has an immediate opening for a Junior Research Group Leader in the area of “Behavioural Change in Collectives”. The most prominent challenges and crises facing humanity (including climate change, biodiversity loss, wellbeing and inequality) depend on understanding multi-scale social dynamics in a changing world. This has resulted in a call for collective behaviour to be considered a “crisis discipline”¹. There is a pressing need, therefore, to understand how it may be possible to create fair² and equitable environments—i.e., attuned to (human/animal) perception, decision-making and behavioural capabilities—to enable more and easier choices for a sustainable lifestyle and to transform collective behaviours to create substantial and sustained collective behaviour change. Areas of particular interest include the study of psychology, social data science and/or collective decision making, preferably in humans, but also non-human animals if the research questions provide insight into human collective behavioural change. Research topics that provide synergies with ongoing research within the CASCB are particularly welcome.
The CASCB is a Cluster of Excellence within the Excellence Strategy of the German Federal and State Governments. Being a cooperation between the University of Konstanz and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, we use the extensive expertise in the region to create an interdisciplinary environment for the study of collective behaviour that is unique worldwide. We are dedicated to the study of collective behaviour across a wide range of species and across different organizational/ecological levels. For more information on the Cluster of Excellence, please visit: Collective Behaviour | exc.uni-konstanz.de.
Applicants of all genders are welcome. CASCB aims to increase the number of female scientists in group leader positions. Equal treatment of applications from female and male scientists is consequently guaranteed. Preferential consideration of one gender is excluded if legally protectable reasons, which lie in the qualification and/or in the person of another applicant, prevail.
Your Responsibilities
- Establishing and heading a junior research group
- Independent research to study social, affective and cognitive aspects of collective behaviour
- Integrating within a dynamic interdisciplinary research community for the study of collectives
- Writing high-quality research papers and other peer-reviewed publications
- Supervising PhDs, technical personnel and students
Your Competencies
- Doctoral degree in Psychology, Sociology, Biology, Anthropology or another relevant field
- At least two years of postdoctoral experience
- Experience in experimental design and data analysis desired
- Strong written and oral English skills
We Offer
- An interesting and challenging job at the heart of exciting research activities with a unique infrastructure and interdisciplinary research community
- Funding for one PhD candidate over the duration of the group leader position
- Integration into a diverse and thriving research community
- A family-friendly university in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and a work environment that values and promotes diversity and equal opportunities
- Opportunities for individual training and development
- Classification according to the tariff regulations of TV-L (depending on the personal prerequisites up to pay group E 14 TV-L)
In case of any questions, please contact Dr. Alexandra Wild, Alexandra.wild@uni-konstanz.de.
Our working language is English and consequently applicants must be fluent in this language; no knowledge of German is required. We look forward to receiving your application with the usual documents by October 31st 2023 via our Online Application Portal.
¹Bak-Coleman, J. B., Alfano, M., Barfuss, W., Bergstrom, C. T., Centeno, M. A., Couzin, I. D. & Weber, E. U. (2021). Stewardship of global collective behavior. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(27), e2025764118.
²WBAE - Scientific Advisory Board on Agricultural Policy, Food and Consumer Health Protection of the BMEL (2020). Promoting sustainability in food consumption – Developing an integrated food policy and creating fair food environments. Expertise, Berlin (see https://www.bmel.de/EN/ministry/organisation/advisory-boards/AgriculturalPolicyPublications.html)
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 (sbv@uni-konstanz.de, +49 7531 88-4016).