The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is offering doctoral positions in global public economics, focusing on mechanism design for tax clubs and jurisdictional reward funds. The Welfare and Policy Design working group, led by Prof. Dr. Matthias Kalkuhl, is based at the EUREF Campus in Berlin-Schöneberg and provides an inspiring, interdisciplinary research environment for natural and social scientists. The research agenda aims to develop and evaluate international mechanisms that increase global welfare by mitigating harmful tax competition and incentivizing countries to implement policies for climate change mitigation, pandemic prevention, and other global public goods. Candidates will contribute to empirically calibrated economic models and work on optimizing proposals for new international mechanisms.

Key responsibilities include solving economic models analytically and numerically, visualizing and communicating results, contributing to academic publications and policy briefs, refining and developing models, supporting empirical calibration, and collaborating with other researchers. The position emphasizes impact-oriented research and offers opportunities to engage in ongoing academic and policy debates.

Applicants should possess strong programming and mathematical skills or demonstrate a willingness to acquire them. Experience with Mathematica and Python is desirable, as is familiarity with public economics, international trade theory, game theory, and mechanism design. Prior knowledge in these areas is valuable but not mandatory, as skills can be developed through team discussions and selected readings. Additional skills such as strong writing, presentation, and engagement with empirical data are highly valued.

The positions are funded for 36 months with a 75% share of the total E13 salary under the German public tariff scheme (TV-L Brandenburg). Benefits include a collective pay scheme, subsidized travel card or Deutschland-Ticket, flexi-time, and mobile working options. PIK values equality and diversity, actively encourages applications from women and parents returning from parental leave, and offers a lively community of PhD students and supportive PhD Representatives.

Applications should be submitted by 05.04.2026 via the PIK website application form. International applicants must provide a certificate evaluation from the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). For further information, visit the ZAB website or contact Dr. Lennart Stern. This is an excellent opportunity to complete a high-quality dissertation within a collaborative and transdisciplinary research environment, contributing to ambitious research with real-world impact.