Your responsibilities
Duties include academic services in the project named above. Research associates may also pursue independent research and further academic qualifications. They may also pursue doctoral studies outside of working duties.
The advertised position is part of a research project on “Counter-Communities’ Protection Practices and Security Utopias in Catastrophic Times” in the collaborative and interdisciplinary DFG Research Unit 5870 “The Promise of Security in Catastrophic Times”. PROMISE investigates how democratic governments and societies struggle over priorities and limits of protection amid multiplying crises. PROMISE assesses and compares changes in democratic states’ practices of protection and theorizes the transformation of promises of security in what we conceptualize as “catastrophic times.” More details on the project can be found here.
We are seeking a highly motivated doctoral researcher to join “RP8 Counter-Communities’ Protection Practices and Security Utopias in Catastrophic Times”. The project examines how marginalised communities – including Black liberation movements, migrant solidarity networks, and feminist collectives – transform security through alternative protection practices and imaginations as liberal democracies face unprecedented challenges. As state protections diminish and political spaces shrink, the project asks how communities that could never rely on the liberal state’s promise of protection maintain collective agency and prefigure different security futures.
The successful candidate will
- conduct participatory research with communities in Oakland (USA) and London (UK), engaging in ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, digital ethnography, and document analysis on how these communities engage in alternative security practices, imaginations, and relations in contexts of institutional crisis and retrenchment.
- work towards the completion of a PhD thesis on the topic of protection practices and security utopias developed by marginalised communities.
- play a crucial role in contributing to and implementing project activities, including participatory workshops with community partners, academic colloquia, and joint publications.
- present research findings at specialist conferences and publish results in peer-reviewed journals, as well as develop accessible, community-oriented materials and resources in collaboration with participating communities.
Your profile
A university degree in a relevant field.
- You hold a very good Masters’ degree in the social sciences: sociology, criminology, political science, peace and conflict studies, security studies, social geography, or related disciplines.
- You have a demonstrated interest in, and knowledge of, critical security studies, prefigurative politics, social movements, urban marginality, or related fields; initial academic publications are an advantage.
- Familiarity with, and initial experience of, qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, ethnographic fieldwork, or participatory research, is an advantage.
- You have excellent written and spoken English language skills. Good German language skills are an advantage but not a requirement.
- Previous experience in working with marginalised communities, social movements, or community organisations is an advantage.
- You are an excellent team player: Communication skills, team orientation and initiative are required.
We offer
- Reliable remuneration based on wage agreements
- Continuing education opportunities
- University pensions
- Attractive location
- Flexible working hours
- Work-life balance opportunities
- Health management, EGYM Wellpass
- Educational leave
- 30 days of vacation per annum
Instructions for applying
Contact
Prof. Dr. Nina Perkowski
nina.perkowskiuni-hamburgde
+49 40 42838-3375
Reference number: 288
Application deadline: 14.11.2025
Use only the online application form to submit your application. Your application should consist of
- a cover letter detailing your research interests in the advertised field,
- an academic CV,
- copies of degree certificate(s),
- and one writing sample.
Please compile all documents into one PDF file.
-> Apply
