Funded PhD Positions in Cultures of Repair (IRTG) at University of Potsdam and University of Melbourne University of Potsdam in Germany

Pre-call for applications for 12 funded PhD positions in the International Research Training Group (IRTG) Cultures of Repair, jointly convened by the University of Potsdam and the University of Melbourne.

The programme is designed for doctoral researchers whose projects engage with at least one of three research areas: Environments of Repair, Reparative Readings, and Repairing Relations. It brings together research in literary studies, postcolonial studies, cultural studies, gender studies, queer studies, media studies, and history, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on repair as a critical, creative, and future-oriented practice.

The call offers 6 funded PhD positions at the University of Potsdam (65% TV-L E13) and 6 funded PhD scholarships at the University of Melbourne. The programme is co-funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the University of Melbourne. Successful candidates will follow a structured joint qualification programme, spend one year at each institution, and receive a jointly awarded PhD degree from both universities.

The research themes include care, maintenance, reparation, environmental futures, critical reading practices, and the repair of social and historical relations. The programme is especially relevant for applicants interested in the intersections of culture, ecology, justice, memory, and reparative methodologies.

Application timeline: the portal opens on 1 July 2026 and the deadline is 12 July 2026. The PhD programme begins on 1 February 2027 and runs until July 2030.

Prospective applicants should review the programme page and prepare their materials in advance.