Open positions
PhD positions at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History (MPI-SHH)
The MPI-SHH pursues an integrative approach to the study of human history. “Hard” facts as bones, teeth, plants, stones and “soft” facts as languages, history, or religions can say a lot about human history. It is our task to understand and interpret them. The International Max Planck Research School for the Science of Human History (IMPRS-SHH) is seeking for researchers knowing well how to decode such facts and data and looking for new ways of decoding them. The IMPRS-SHH is a cooperation of the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History and Friedrich Schiller University, both situated in Jena, a traditional as well as a modern university town in the heart of Germany. The IMPRS-SHH is offering 16 PhD positions for 14 projects as listed below. Applicants must have a Master’s degree and may apply for up to three projects.
Projects
- 01 Ancient proteins as indicators of climatic and evolutionary change. Involved subjects: Archaeology, Earth Sciences, Palaeoenvironments, Palaeontology, Geoscience.
- 02 Co-estimating Human Mobility and Language Dispersal with Ancient DNA and Linguistic Data. Involved subjects: Population Genetics, Linguistics, Spatial Modeling, Demographic history.
- 03 A comprehensive analysis of microorganisms and viruses from ancient samples using minion sequencing techniques. Involved subjects: Bioinformatics, Archaeogenetics.
- 04 Contact and change in the diversification of the Indo-Iranic languages. Involved subjects: Historical Comparative Reconstruction, Language Evolution.
- 05 Cross Linguistic Strategies of Denotation. Advancing data and methods in lexical typology. Involved subjects: Historical Linguistics, Language Evolution, Cognition.
- 06 Dog-Human Cooperation – A Comparative Approach. Involved subjects: Comparative Psychology, Animal Cognition, Communication, Cooperation.
- 07 Environments and the Palaeolithic Cultures of Central Europe. Involved subjects: Archaeology, Earth Sciences.
- 08 Eurasian Corridors of Communication – Fruits, Crops, and Words. Involved subjects: Historical Comparative Reconstruction, Contact Linguistics, Linguistic Palaeontology, Archaeobotany, Isotope Analysis.
- 09 The evolution and diversification of the Caucasian languages. Involved subjects: Historical Linguistics, Language Evolution, Caucasian Languages.
- 10 Evolution of Nonverbal Communication – Music and the Voice“. Involved subjects: Cognitive Neuroscience, Communication, Genetics, Linguistics, Psychology.
- 11 Functional morphology and variability of the auditory system – frameworks in the search for human speech evolution. Involved subjects: Physical Anthropology, Zoology, Audiology, Hearing Physiology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Linguistics, Radiology.
- 12 Late Bronze Age Kuckenburg – settlement, burial ground, fortification and-or place of sacrifice? Involved subjects: Archaeology, Isotopes Analysis, Archaeogenetics, Archaebotanic, Archaezoology.
- 13 Domestication of Perennial Plants – Evolution and Dispersal. Involved subjects: Archaeobotany, Evolutionary Ecology, History, Agronomics, Palaeontology, Plant Biology.
- 14 Reconstructing lost worlds – Quaternary continental Ostracoda as tools in geoarchaeology. Involved subjects: Micropalaeontology, Palaeoecology, Palaeoclimate.
Being integrated into state-of-the art ongoing research at the MPI-SHH and FSU, the IMPRS-SHH provides doctoral researchers a stimulating environment and optimal conditions for their PhD projects and custom-made preparation for the time thereafter, both with regard to academic and non-academic careers. We offer a clearly structured doctoral program with three pillars: a mentoring program for individual supervision by outstanding scientists, a scientific program of high academic standard, and a transferable skills program.
Participating disciplines include Agronomics, Archaeobotany, Archaeogenetics, Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeozoology, Audiology, Bioinformatics, Comparative Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Contact Linguistics, Demographic History, Earth Sciences, Evolutionary Ecology, Genetics, Geoscience, Hearing Physiology, Historical Linguistics, History, Linguistic Palaeontology, Linguistics, Micropalaeontology, Palaeoecology, Palaeontology, Physical Anthropology, Plant Biology, Population Genetics, Psychology, Radiology, Zoology.
Among others, the following methods and subjects are important: animal cognition, cognition, communication, cooperation, DNA, domestic dogs, isotope analysis, historical comparative reconstruction, language evolution, palaeoenvironments, spatial modeling.
The language of the IMPRS-SHH is English. The graduate school provides a regularly attended coordination office supporting the PhD students from all over the world.
Starting date
The preferred starting date of PhD appointment: September 1st, 2019 / or on individual basis between July 1 and October 1, 2019
Contract type
TV-B/L 13 (50% / Max Planck support contract or contract with university), temporary, 3 years (extension possible)
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://imprs.shh.mpg.de/index.php/applications/open-positions/