Post-Doc Position in Social & Environmental Psychology
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research position at the University of Leipzig, Germany, Social Psychology Group, to work on a project entitled, “Energy Citizenship and Energy Communities for a Clean-Energy Transition (EC2)”, funded by the European Commission (Horizon 2020). The successful candidate will work closely together with the Principal Investigators, Prof. Dr. Immo Fritsche and Dr. Torsten Masson and will join a vibrant research environment at the Social Psychology Group (https://www.lw.uni-leipzig.de/en/sozpsy/startseite.html) and collaborate with the international research teams of EC2 (e.g., the psychology groups at the Universities of Graz, Austria, and Groningen, The Netherlands).
The position is full-time from 1 May 2021 until 30 April 2024, salary group E 13 TV-L.
The Leipzig sub-project investigates the role of social identity processes and collective action motivation in the formation of pro-environmental energy behaviors, testing and developing pertinent theorizing (see Social Identity Model of Pro-Environmental Action; Fritsche, Barth, Jugert, Masson, & Reese, 2018) employing experimental (survey & lab) methods. Specifically, we investigate the conditions under which people adopt responsibility for
sustainable energy use and supply (“energy citizenship”) and the role local energy communities play for this, investigating both members and non-members of energy communities. We collaborate with other sub-projects at different universities in the EU on identifying the antecedences and consequences of energy community membership and the constituents of energy citizenship attitudes and behaviors.
Your tasks
- Conceptualizing, planning, conducting, analyzing experimental lab and survey studies in coordination with the PIs
- Supervising student assistants
- Working with, and advancing, empirically founded theory in the area of social and environmental psychology
- Coordinating and administrating the sub-project at the University of Leipzig
- Coordinating, conceptualizing, and documenting two interdisciplinary project workshops on developing an interdisciplinary understanding of energy citizenship (involving colleagues from social psychology, law, and economics)
- Disseminating project findings to the international scientific community in social psychology and environmental psychology (e.g., conference presentations, publication in high-impact journals)
- Working on an independent research program in relation to the project topic (opportunity for personal qualification and pursuing a career in science)
Your profile:
- Completed academic university degree (Master or equivalent) in the field of psychology or related social sciences
- Doctoral degree in psychology (completed or close to completion)
- Strong skills and experience in empirical research in social psychology (e.g., conceptualizing and conducting lab and field studies, analyzing the data, publication in international academic journals)
- High interest in basic and applied research in the areas of social and environmental psychology (particularly, in group processes and social identity, motivated social cognition and the psychology of the environmental crisis)
- Ability and readiness to interact with international scientists from other disciplines
- Ability to work independently
- Command of English and German language (German is the administration language at the University of Leipzig)
- Strong interest in an academic career
We offer
- Joining a vibrant research group of junior and senior researchers that stresses cooperation and creativity
- Expertise & collaboration opportunities on group processes and social identity, motivated social cognition, and the psychology of the environmental crisis
- Living & working in a medium-sized city of exceptional quality of living
- Working at the second eldest German University, founded in 1409, and at the first university institute of psychology worldwide (founded by Wilhelm Wundt in 1879) with other strong research institutions nearby, such as two relevant Max-Planck Institutes and the Helmholtz-Center of Environmental Research
- Flexible and family-friendly working hours
- Support for the acquisition of follow-up funding
- Employer-funded pension
Please, contact Immo.Fritsche@uni-leipzig.de or Torsten.Masson@uni-leipzig.de for any questions.
Disabled applicants with equal qualifications will be given priority consideration.
Please, send your application (including a motivation letter, CV, publication list, academic certificates, and a representative paper) by 28 February 2021 to Immo.Fritsche@uni-leipzig.de
https://www.lw.uni-leipzig.de/en/sozpsy/startseite.html
