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 Center for Life Ethics is a research, teaching, and consultancy center as part of the new Heinrich Hertz Professorship within the University's Transdisciplinary Research Area TRA 4: Individuals, Institutions and Societies. The Center broadly focuses on life and the conditions for its development and success using interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research approaches.
Postdoctoral researcher (m/w/d)
The Center for Life Ethics is seeking a Postdoctoral research (100%) for a duration of 36 months (3 years). The estimated start date is 01 January 2026, but flexible. The Postdoctoral research position would be a central scientific team member of the 5-year European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant project titled 'Amplifying Ocean Commons: Pathways for scaling transformative governance', with the acronym SharedSeas. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Partelow. The position is part of the research theme 'Governance and Transformation' at the Center for Life Ethics.
Overview of the SharedSeas project
The research project seeks to answer the question: how can we scale effective ocean governance? The project will develop novel conceptual frameworks and empirical approaches to examine best governance practices, alternative governance models, scaling pathways, and scalability assessment protocols with inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches. The project explores the need for shared resource governance approaches across multiple levels, and is particularly interested in the viability, desirability and feasibility of commons and other equity and justice-based models for ocean governance and sustainability.
Ihre Aufgaben
Be part of a collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary research team
Contribute to the development of the project's conceptual and theoretical orientation
Conduct independent empirical research combining both qualitative and quantitative methods
Lead and contribute to co-authoring high-quality publications in international peer-reviewed journals
Integrate into, constructively maintain, and help expand collaborative international partnerships
Support the management and strategic orientation of research with the project team
Participate in group research projects at the intersection of ethics and other disciplines
Ihr Profil
Your qualifications (required):
A Doctoral/PhD degree on a topic related to environmental governance, natural resource management, sustainability science, ocean and coastal management, science-policy interface
Native speaker, or very high English language proficiency
Demonstrated independent scientific writing skills
Knowledge of the peer-reviewed publishing landscape and processes
Your qualifications (desired):
One or more years of postdoctoral (independent) research experience
Knowledge of environmental governance concepts and theories, including scaling, equity, justice
Knowledge of regional or global ocean governance policies, treaties, networks, or commissions
Empirical research experience designing, collecting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data
Experience or interest in transdisciplinary research and co-production with non-academic partners
Experience with raising third-party research funding, e.g., proposal writing and process management. Particularly for German and European funders i.e., DFG, BMBF, ERC, private foundations
Disciplined in time management and workflow organization, flexible for periodic travel, team-oriented and interested in continued professional development
German language skills are not required but useful
Wir bieten
A salary based on the German TV-L 13 scale
Opportunities for individual and independent research
An international and highly interdisciplinary research environment
Family-friendly working conditions
A varied and challenging position with one of the biggest employers in the area
Participation in the university-wide pension system (VBL)
Access to the extensive university sports program
A dedicated and motivated team with office located along the Rhine river
Die Universität Bonn setzt sich für Diversität und Chancengleichheit ein. Sie ist als familiengerechte Hochschule zertifiziert. Ihr Ziel ist es, den Anteil von Frauen in Bereichen, in denen Frauen unterrepräsentiert sind, zu erhöhen und deren Karrieren besonders zu fördern. Sie fordert deshalb einschlägig qualifizierte Frauen nachdrücklich zur Bewerbung auf. Bewerbungen werden in Übereinstimmung mit dem Landesgleichstellungsgesetz behandelt. Die Bewerbung geeigneter Menschen mit nachgewiesener Schwerbehinderung und diesen gleichgestellten Personen ist besonders willkommen.
Your application needs to include: (1) Letter of intent stating your interest in the SharedSeas project (max. one page), and (2) Academic CV including a full publication list with a doi or online link to each publication. Before sending your application, please combine and convert all of your documents into a single PDF file.
Please send your single PDF until August 25th, 2025 to Pia Romstadt (lifeethics@uni-bonn.de), quoting the reference number 2025/83. If you have any questions, please contact Pia Romstadt at (0228) 73-66200 or pia.romstadt@uni-bonn.de.
