PhD position at Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich

The Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich is one of the largest and most prestigious universities in Germany. The Department of Geography, Chair of Human-Environment Relations, at the Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, announces a PhD position. The successful candidate is expected to start on July 1st, 2013, or on the earliest possible date. Within a committed and motivated interdisciplinary team of researchers, you will receive above-average support and find an interesting working environment in a growing field of Geography.

Your tasks:

The successful candidate will work on the topic of governance of Phosphorous using inter- and transdisciplinary research methods. He/she will

• develop a conceptual framework on how to analyse governance systems of interwoven resource systems,
• analyse the governance system of Phosphorous at different aggregation levels and regarding specific flows, and
• assess the sustainability of the current system.

The emphasis will be on social, institutional, economic and ecological factors that facilitate or hinder the sustainable management of Phosphorous. You will have the chance to contribute your own ideas and help shape the project. Besides writing a PhD thesis, we expect you to participate in

• writing research proposals and
• teaching in the range of three hours per week.

Requirements and expectations:

• University degree (Master’s degree in Geography, Political Sciences, Environmental Sciences or similar fields of research)
• Knowledge of qualitative methods in social sciences as well as policy analysis
• Background in inter- and transdisciplinary issues
• Interest in agriculture, natural sciences, and modeling (e.g. Material Flow Analysis, System Dynamics)
• Ability to work in a team
• Language skills: German, English

The job is centrally located in Munich and is easily reached with public transport. We offer you an interesting and responsible job with opportunities for further education and personal development. The salary will be according to TV-L (E13). The workload comprises 60% and is limited to three years. Handicapped persons will be preferentially considered in case of equal qualification.

Applicants are requested to provide their documents (covering letter, CV, certificates, letters of reference with two referees, an assessment of their MSc thesis) electronically as one pdf file by May 21st, 2013, to Professor Dr Claudia R. Binder (claudia.binder@lmu.de). For further information please contact Professor Binder at the indicated email address.

Martin Zimmermann