Description:
The position is to be filled in the DFG-funded project “Violence against Political Actors at the Grassroots Level” from March 1, 2026 for a fixed term of three years. The candidate is strongly encouraged to pursue a PhD within the project. The salary is based on pay scale 13 TV-L of the German public sector collective agreement, contingent on applicable tariff and personal qualifications.
The DFG project runs for three years and is led by PI Dr. Anne-Kathrin Kreft (Political Scientist). It investigates psychological and physical violence against individuals in Germany who are actively involved in socio-political organizations, but who are not elected officials in formal politics. The project focuses on three dimensions of violence against political actors at the grassroots level: (1) victimization patterns, (2) impacts on socio-political activity, and (3) legitimization and delegitimization of such violence among the German public. To explore these aspects, the project will combine largescale online surveys and qualitative interviews.
Further information about the project is available here (in German): https://kfn.de/dfg-projektpolitische-gewalt-an-der-basis/. The researcher is expected to develop their own substantive focus
within the project as part of their PhD dissertation. Additional funding is available for independent data collection.
Your responsibilities:
- Conduct research within the project “Violence against Political Actors at the Grassroots Level”
- Contribute to the design and implementation of online surveys and carry out statistical analyses of
the data - Help develop interview guides, recruit participants, conduct interviews, and analyze interview transcripts qualitatively
- Carry out independent data collection and analysis relevant to the project
- Present research at (international) conferences
- Contribute to publications (in English) in international peer-reviewed journals
- Assist in organizing and running a project workshop
Your profile:
- Completed master’s degree (by March 01, 2026) in Political Science, Criminology, or a related field
- Academic interest in political violence
- Good knowledge of quantitative methods and interest in mixed-methods designs
- Familiarity with at least one statistical software (preferably Stata or R)
- Knowledge of qualitative methods, or willingness to acquire such knowledge during the employment
- Very good German and English language skills
- Experience conducting interviews is an asset
- Experience with survey research is an asset
- Background in violence research or related coursework is an asset
- Knowledge of MaxQDA or similar software is an asset
What We Offer:
- An intellectually stimulating and multifaceted role in one of Germany’s leading criminological research institutes
- An interdisciplinary team of researchers addressing various forms and aspects of crime and violence
- Regular doctoral colloquia and opportunities for methodological training
- Possibility for remote work (currently 50%) and flexible working hours
- Opportunity to focus fully on academic research (no teaching obligations, although teaching is possible if desired)
- Funding for conference attendance, summer schools, etc.
- Funding for conducting independent data collection within the project
If you’re interested in the position, please submit the following documents:
- Cover letter
- CV
- Academic certificates (transcripts)
- Writing sample (e.g. master’s thesis or seminar paper)
- A PhD project idea (research question, working hypotheses, methods for independent data
collection) not exceeding one page, preferably in English
Please send your application as a single PDF file via email to: politikbasis@kfn.de by October 31, 2025. Likewise, direct any questions about the project or the position to: politikbasis@kfn.de. Please
note that responses may be delayed due to vacation periods. Interviews are planned for November 2025.
We welcome applications from all suitable candidates, regardless of gender, cultural and social background, age, religion, beliefs, disability, or sexual identity.
It is necessary to store personal data to carry out the application process. By sending us your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed electronically for application purposes in compliance with data protection regulations. We would like to point out that you have various rights as an applicant in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation. You can find detailed information on which rights these are and how your data is processed at the following link: https://en.kfn.de/datenschutzerklaerung/
We look forward to your application!
