PhD and Postdoctoral Positions in Sustainable Food Systems and Food System Diversification at University of Bonn University of Bonn in Germany

The University of Bonn’s Center for Development Research (ZEF) is recruiting for the new Collaborative Research Center (CRC 1780) Food System Diversification for Sustainable Nutrition (FoodDiverse), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). The announcement covers 24 doctoral researchers and 8 postdoctoral researchers working in the broader field of sustainable food systems.

This interdisciplinary project studies relationships between diversification at different food system levels—such as agriculture, markets, diets, and planetary health—in Germany and Ghana, in close cooperation with the University of Ghana and several partner institutions including DZNE, Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels, IDOS, and ZALF. The research spans multiple disciplines, including agricultural economics, agronomy, sociology, environmental sciences, ecology, nutrition, and human health.

Doctoral researchers will conduct research on CRC topics, including method development, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and publication of results, and will also prepare a dissertation. Postdoctoral researchers will carry out similar research tasks and are expected to have prior experience in food system-related topics, demonstrated through publications.

Eligibility highlights include a Master’s degree for doctoral positions or a doctorate for postdoctoral positions, strong English language skills, interest in interdisciplinary collaboration, and willingness to travel internationally for fieldwork, cooperation, and conference presentations. The positions are in TV-L pay grade 13, with 65% funding for doctoral researchers and 100% funding for postdoctoral researchers. The project also provides full funding for field work, travel, and related research costs, plus support for career development.

Applications must be submitted through the online portal by 14 June 2026. Applicants should indicate which CRC project(s) they are interested in. More details and the application portal are available on the FoodDiverse website.