The Johanna Mestorf Academy at Kiel University is offering two postdoctoral scholarships for a two-year period, in connection with the new ARCWorlds research platform. The Academy is a central institution dedicated to research and education on past societal, environmental, and cultural change, operating at the intersection of the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The research environment is highly interdisciplinary, with projects supported by the Excellence Cluster ROOTS and the ARCWorlds platform.

ROOTS explores the origins of social, environmental, and cultural phenomena that have shaped human development, focusing on four main research lines: human population dynamics and biodiversity, inequalities and conflict escalation, anthropogenic environmental transformation, and the creation and impact of boundaries on social well-being. The ARCWorlds research building is being established to host working groups and provide advanced infrastructure for innovative research, including the Center for Collaborative Synthesis in Archaeology (CCSA), which contributes to the global CfAS initiative.

Research at JMA spans human-environment dynamics from the Later Stone Age (ca. 12,000 BCE) to the end of the pre-modern era, with expertise in geoarchaeology, geobotany, social archaeology, physical anthropology, urban archaeology, history of knowledge, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, stable isotope research, settlement archaeology, ethnoarchaeology, data analysis, archaeoclimate, and dendroarchaeology. The Academy is committed to broadening research perspectives beyond Europe, especially to Asia and Africa, and encourages early career experts from these continents to apply.

Successful candidates will conduct high-quality interdisciplinary research, supported by the ROOTS Academy. The scholarships provide a monthly grant of 3200€, with additional opportunities to apply for research funds and benefit from ROOTS membership. Applicants must hold an outstanding PhD in a relevant field and demonstrate excellent English language skills. The application process requires submission of a cover letter, CV, research agenda, statement of contribution to ROOTS, references, confirmation letter from a ROOTS Subcluster Speaker or Laboratory Head, PhD dissertation, and academic certificates, all in English.

Applications should be sent as a single PDF file (except for the doctoral thesis) to [email protected]. The deadline for submission is April 30, 2026. For further details, visit the Kiel University ROOTS website or contact Prof. Dr. Martin Furholt. This opportunity is ideal for early career researchers seeking to advance interdisciplinary studies in archaeology, anthropology, and history within a vibrant academic community.