Postdoctoral Fellowships – Leuphana University’s Transformation Lab
Job Description
Leuphana University’s Transformation Lab is offering up to seven 24‑month postdoctoral fellowships starting 1 April 2027, aimed at outstanding early‑career researchers developing grant proposals in transformation research. Applications close 30 September 2026.
🧭 Summary of the Call
The Leuphana Transformation Lab is an international, interdisciplinary research hub focused on major societal transformation processes. It brings together 20+ professors, 50+ PhD and postdoctoral researchers, and five Key Subject Areas: climate futures in digital cultures, democratic resilience, organizing in crisis, regenerative societies, and companies as drivers of sustainability transformations, plus the psychology of transformation.
The Lab invites applications for up to seven postdoctoral fellowships (up to 24 months, in residence, 2027–2029). Fellows will join Leuphana’s flagship program Embracing Transformation, contribute to its conceptual streams, and develop a high‑quality grant proposal (DFG, ERC, Volkswagen Foundation, etc.) to be hosted at Leuphana.
📚 Eligibility
- PhD must be successfully defended at the time of application.
- Typically within 3 years of PhD completion.
- Strong early research record aligned with transformation research.
- All documents must be in English (or certified translations).
🔍 Research Expectations
Applicants must outline:
- Their understanding of transformation
- How their project engages conceptual questions in transformation research
- How it fits one of the Lab’s three conceptual streams:
- Epistemologies of Transformation — how transformation is known, conceptualized, narrated, enacted.
- Disruption and Transformation — disruption, crisis, rupture as features of contemporary life.
- Scales and Temporalities — how scale and time shape transformative projects.
Applicants may also link proposals to the Lab’s Key Subject Areas or other disciplines at Leuphana.
🤝 Participation & Support
Fellows are expected to:
- Engage actively in Lab activities
- Collaborate with Leuphana scholars
- Join interdisciplinary exchanges
- Receive structured support in grant development
One fellowship is reserved for a candidate currently based at a Scottish university under the Lower Saxony–Scotland partnership.
📄 Application Requirements
Submit separate PDFs (English only):
- PhD proof
- Academic CV (no photo)
- Degree certificates
- Cover letter (max 2 pages)
- Research proposal (max 3 pages + 1‑page conceptual stream reflection)
Upload via the Leuphana Portal by 30 September 2026.
🗓️ Selection Timeline
Evaluation begins October 2026 and continues until all fellowships are filled.
