Postdoctoral Researcher (m/f/d) in the Project „Framing decision-making for future forests“

The Excellence Cluster Future Forests at the University of Freiburg invites applications for a Postdoctoral position in the project Framing decision-making for future forests: conceptualisation, coordination, and synthesis (DM-frame). Future Forests is an interdisciplinary research centre addressing the adaptation and transformation of forests and their societal use in times of global change. The Cluster of Excellence is funded by the German Research Foundation and brings together over 50 scientists from four departments and external partner institutions. More information at: uni-freiburg.de/futureforests-en. The project DM-frame explores how societies navigate environmental uncertainty and ambiguity through practices that go beyond conventional notions of decision-making. The project serves an important coordination and integration function within the distinctly social science-oriented Research Area B (“Decision-making for Future Forests”) and within the Cluster as a whole. The position offers the opportunity to engage critically with interdisciplinary debates at the intersection of political theory, sociology, science and technology studies, and environmental governance. The successful candidate will contribute to synthesizing and developing alternative conceptualizations of decision-making and examine how these frameworks illuminate decision processes in contexts of ecological complexity and contested knowledge.

Your Tasks

• Conceptual work – Devise an interdisciplinary conceptual framework that captures decision-making under uncertainty and ambiguity;
• Coordinate social science-oriented research – Organise and facilitate interdisciplinary work among 20+ PIs/AI’s, ensuring alignment of research questions, timelines and outputs;
• Support synthesis activities – Develop and apply methods for synthesis of inter- and transdisciplinary research;
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement – Co‑design and run workshops with forest managers, policy makers and civil‑society representatives;
• Disseminate results – Publish in high‑impact peer‑reviewed journals, present at international conferences, and contribute to the Cluster’s communication strategy.
• Support early-career researchers – Co-supervise graduate and undergraduate students and PhD candidates.

Your Profile

• Academic background – Ph.D. (or equivalent) in Science & Technology Studies, Sociology, Political Science, Human Geography, Anthropology or a closely related field;
• Interdisciplinary fluency – Proven ability to work across natural‑science and social‑science domains, and to translate concepts between them;
• Research expertise – Proven record (or strong potential) in qualitative and mixed‑methods research and in systematic literature reviews / scoping studies;
• Expertise in decision-making theories – Familiarity with different disciplinary approaches to decision-making in a broader sense;
• Coordination & project management – Experience in organising interdisciplinary teams, drafting work plans, managing timelines and budgets, and using collaborative tools;
• Synthesis skills – Ability to integrate heterogeneous data sources, conduct meta‑analyses, and produce accessible synthesis products for scientific and policy audiences;
• Communication – Excellent academic writing in English; German language skills are advantageous for work with German‑language case sites and stakeholders; strong presentation skills; experience in stakeholder workshops and policy brief preparation.

We Offer

• An exciting interdisciplinary environment within a newly established Cluster of Excellence;
• Structured support and supervision for your scientific and career development;
• A diverse, collaborative, and inclusive research community;
• Opportunities for further education, attendance at conferences, and professional networking;
• Flexible working hours and support for balancing work and private life;
• Salary according to TV-L E13;
• An individually allocated budget for project-related expenses and career development opportunities.

The University of Freiburg is dedicated to the principles of equal opportunity and diversity and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social background, religion/belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation.

Application

For your application, please, provide the following documents:

• Cover letter outlining what motivates you about the advertised position/research area and what previous experience qualifies you for the position (up to 1,500 words)
• Curriculum Vitae with list of publications
• Certified copies of your university degrees with grades (BA and MA certificate and transcript; doc-
  toral degree)
• Short summary of your PhD thesis (up to 1,000 words)
• Work sample (chapter from PhD thesis, up to 5,000 words, or journal article)
• Suggestion of two referees with contact details

Please upload your application by 31 January 2026 to the application portal of the University of Freiburg at uni-freiburg.de/en/jobs/. Upload the CV as a separate PDF file and the remaining documents in a bundled PDF. For questions, please contact: Prof. Dr. Michael Pregernig, Chair of Sustainability Governance, michael.pregernig(at)envgov.uni-freiburg.de

Call for Applications (PDF)