University of Passau

The University of Passau owes its strong visibility and good repute to excellent research, innovative teaching and its tight-knit international academic networks. Some 12,000 students from 100 countries and more than 1,300 staff study and work on our University campus, which is located a stone’s throw from the historical Old Town of Passau and combines state-of-the- art technical infrastructure with award-winning architecture. Internationally successful high- tech companies and a vibrant start-up scene, coupled with a rich culture and Lower Bavarian traditions, give Passau and the surrounding area a special appeal that makes it a great place to live and work.

The Chair of Science Communication (Professor Hannah Schmid-Petri) and the Research and Training Group “Digital Platform Ecosystems” (DPE) at the University of Passau invites applications for the position of

Doctoral Researcher (Ph.D. candidate)

in the area of political discourses that form around regulatory initiatives of the platform ecosystem

to start at the earliest convenience.

This is a fully-funded part-time position (75%), based on a fixed-term contract valid for a period of three years, with the option of renewal. Remuneration is in accordance with pay grade E13 of the German public-sector collective agreement, TV-L; the salary step depends on your qualifications and experience.

What we seek

• You are a highly motivated master’s graduate with an excellent degree in communication science or a related field of study. You can also apply if you are expecting to finish your degree soon. Preliminary part-time employment up to 0.5 full- time equivalent in line with pay grade E12 TV-L may be arranged temporarily for candidates who have not yet completed their master’s thesis. Please contact us for details.

• Very good analytical skills and most importantly a keen interest in the regulation of digital platform ecosystems and the digital economy.

• Methodological skills especially in the field of quantitative methods (e.g., quantitative content analysis, survey research, computational methods) and in the field of data analysis.

• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team, open-mindedness, and the motivation to work on a research project independently and diligently.

• Excellent spoken and written English language skills. Knowledge of German is not a requirement.

What we offer

• The opportunity to pursue a doctoral study at a renowned German university, and as part of a particularly strong research team.

• Membership in the interdisciplinary Research Training Group 2720 Digital Platform Ecosystems (see https://dpe.uni-passau.de/en for details and activities) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

• Own research budget for conference visits and hiring student workers to assist with research.

• No formal teaching obligation, but possibility to participate in and contribute to the Chair’s teaching portfolio.

• A tailored and structured doctoral programme at the graduate school DPE; a fully funded research visit abroad, external course programme (summer schools, workshops); co-supervision by international scholars and much more. The research and training programme is designed such that students are enabled to complete their Ph.D. degree within three years.

• You will participate regularly in international conferences, become integrated into an international research network and contribute to the national and international political discourse on the regulation of the digital economy.

• Excellent infrastructure on one of the most beautiful university campuses in Germany.

The University of Passau wishes to increase the proportion of its female staff and expresslyencourages women to apply for the position.

This position is suitable for candidates with disabilities. Those who are registered disabled are given preference over non-disabled applicants who do not otherwise have statutory preferential status if their overall personal aptitudes, skills and qualifications are equal.

If you have any further questions about this position, please contact Professor Hannah Schmid-Petri by e-mail (hannah.schmid-petri@uni-passau.de)

To apply, please send your full application (including motivation letter and school/university, training and work certificates) as a single pdf file to dpe@uni-passau.de. Application details can be found at: www.dpe.uni-passau.de/en/application. This position is for Research Area C.3 under the primary supervision of Prof. Hannah Schmid-Petri. You can apply at any time, as we will be accepting applications until the position is filled. We will start reviewing received applications on 15 March 2023

E-mailed applications are kept on file for up to six months after the conclusion of the appointment procedure, whereupon they are deleted from our systems.

Please visit www.uni-passau.de/en/university/current-vacancies for our data privacy statement.