Doctoral Fellowship in the field of Cultural Studies

Technische Universität Dresden Arbeitsstätte Dresden; Dresden; On-site; EUR 19,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office workspace on TU Dresden campus

Access to Research Studios and writing

Graduate Academy training

Job summary

The Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden offers a Doctoral Fellowship for a period of 2 years, with the option of extension, in Cultural Studies. Primary supervision will be provided by Prof. Dr.

Orit Halpern, and applicants are expected to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue with STEM partners and artists. English-language training is mandatory. The fellowship includes a structured qualification program, an office workspace on TU Dresden premises, and access to research studios and writing retreats;

Qualifications

• Excellent university degree in Cultural Studies or a comparable field such as Geography, Anthropology or History.
• Very good English language skills (C1 level minimum). German knowledge is desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct independent research and pursue a doctorate within the Schaufler Kolleg@TU Dresden.
• Engage in interdisciplinary dialogue with STEM partners and artists.
• Contribute to science communication and outreach and participate in English-language training.

Skills

English proficiency (C1)

Team collaboration

Independent research

Science communication

Education

PhD or equivalent in Cultural Studies/Geography/Anthropology/History

Job description

In the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities as well as artists explore the relationships between technology, science, and society. The Lab was initiated by The Schaufler Foundation together with TUD Dresden University of Technology. The Lab's guiding theme for the upcoming third funding phase (April 2027–September 2030) is "Energy Cultures in Transition". The guiding theme is investigated from a humanities, cultural, social, and educational science perspective, explored through artistic practice, and communicated to the public. For the third funding phase, the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden comprises eight doctoral fellowships and an annually changing Artist in Residence program.

TUD embodies a university culture that is characterized by cosmopolitanism, mutual appreciation, thriving innovation and active participation. For TUD, diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who would like to commit themselves, their achievements and productivity to the success of the whole institution.

The Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden offers, subject to the availability of resources, a Doctoral Fellowship for a period of 2 years, with the option of extension by 1.5 years, starting on April 1, 2027. The fellowship (EUR 1,850 per month, plus a grant for material costs of EUR 150 and, where applicable, a family supplement of EUR 315 per child) is aimed at early-career researchers in the field of Cultural Studies. Primary supervision will be provided by Prof. Dr. Orit Halpern, Chair of Digital Cultures.

The guiding theme Energy Cultures in Transition understands energy as a cultural phenomenon deeply inscribed in aesthetic, historical, political, ecological, economic, and socio-technological practices and systems. Building on the dynamically growing research fields of the Energy Humanities, Science & Technology Studies, and the Digital Humanities, the aim is to examine how modern energy regimes—from petromodernity, to nuclear culture, and post-carbon futures—have shaped not only material infrastructures but also subjectivities, power relations, progress narratives, geopolitical orders, ecologies, and knowledge systems, while simultaneously being shaped by them. Interdisciplinary perspectives from the social sciences, cultural studies, humanities, and educational research represented at the Schaufler Kolleg@TU Dresden enable the analysis of the multifaceted entanglements of energy, culture, and society. The focus is on questions concerning the representation, communication, and aesthetics of energy transitions and resource paradigms as well as continuities between resource economies and information economies, the relationships between energy, labor, environment, and consumer culture, and the role of colonialism, gender, nationalism, geopolitics, education, and social justice in deciding energy futures and navigating collective transformation processes.

In the field of Cultural Studies, the following research areas and questions are of particular relevance to the guiding theme:

• AI and Energy
• Histories/STS studies of Finance, Digitalization, and Energy
• Energy Infrastructures
• Environment, Energy, and Design
• Cybernetics and Energy Cultures

Tasks:

Your tasks include independent research and academic further qualification with the goal of completing a doctorate at TUD, as well as writing a dissertation on a topic within the guiding concept "Energy Cultures in Transition" in the discipline of Cultural Studies. The fellowship requires a high degree of willingness to engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, particularly with the STEM partnerships of the Schaufler Lab@TU Dresden, as well as to conduct joint research with artists within the framework of the Schaufler Residency. In addition, engagement in the areas of science communication and outreach is expected. Shared office spaces will be made available to the fellows. Participation in the Kolleg's English-language training program is mandatory.

Requirements:

You hold an excellent university degree in Cultural Studies or a comparable field such as Geography, Anthropology or History. We especially welcome studies with global perspectives, particularly from North America, Asia or Africa. You possess strong teamwork skills and a willingness to collaborate across disciplines, and demonstrably excellent English language skills (C1 level minimum). Knowledge of German is desirable but not a requirement.

We offer:

• The opportunity to pursue a doctorate within the Schaufler Kolleg with a structured qualification program and integration into an interdisciplinary research project.
• You will receive a fully equipped office workspace on the premises of TUD and access to an excellent research infrastructure, including participation in Research Studios and writing retreats.
• The Graduate Academy and other central institutions of TUD offer numerous further training and qualification opportunities.
• In addition, within the limits of the available project funds, the Schaufler Lab will cover the costs of conference travel.

Inclusion and equal opportunities are important to us. We therefore look forward to receiving applications from people regardless of gender, origin, sexual orientation, worldview, or disability. TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The University is a family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment. The fellowship does not constitute an employment relationship.

Reference to data protection:

Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website: https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/datenschutzhinweis