PhD Position in Human–AI Collaboration for EMANAIRE (MSCA Doctoral Network) Technical University of Munich in Germany

Doctoral Candidate for MSCA Doctoral Network EMANAIRE, DC13: Understanding Skills for Human–AI Collaboration Among Young Professionals

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is recruiting a fully funded doctoral researcher for EMANAIRE (Empowering Human Agency in AI-Augmented Futures of Work), a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network investigating how artificial intelligence is changing work, professional practice, and human agency. The project is based at TUM in Munich, Germany, and is linked to an interdisciplinary European network of 15 doctoral candidates at nine universities.

This specific PhD project focuses on how young professionals develop the skills and judgment needed to work meaningfully and effectively with generative AI in everyday professional contexts. The topic is strongly interdisciplinary and connects AI, communication, psychology, sociology, management, information science, and related social-science perspectives. The research will explore co-agency between humans and AI, including task division, calibration, error detection, responsible disclosure, adaptation to AI behavior, trust, autonomy, and decision-making.

The position is a full-time employment contract for 36 months. The post includes social security, health insurance, pension contributions, approximately 25% teaching and career-development activities, international training, mobility, and a planned six-month intersectoral secondment. The gross monthly salary is approximately €3,800 before tax and social security contributions, including the MSCA mobility allowance; an additional family allowance may be available for eligible candidates.

Research activities may combine self-report measures, scenario-based tasks, behavioral experiments, and observational approaches. The specific design and research questions are open and will be developed jointly with the supervisory team, so applicants are encouraged to bring their own ideas to the project proposal. The work also includes ethics preparation, data management, open science, FAIR data practices, research integrity, and dissemination activities within the EMANAIRE network and beyond academia.

Supervision: The main supervisor at TUM is Prof. Sandra Cortesi. Depending on the project focus, co-supervision may also involve Prof. Christian Fieseler, Prof. Urs Gasser, Prof. Christoph Lutz, and Prof. Gemma Newlands (University of Zurich).

Eligibility highlights: Applicants of any nationality may apply, but candidates must not already hold a PhD and must satisfy the MSCA mobility rule. You must also be eligible to enroll in the relevant TUM doctoral program. English is the working language; German is not required.

Application window: The deadline is 1 November 2026. The expected start date is 1 January 2027, or by agreement. Apply online with a CV, degree certificates and transcripts, a short research proposal of up to two pages, and the contact details of two referees.

This is a strong opportunity for applicants interested in human-AI collaboration, digital technologies at work, responsible AI, professional learning, and interdisciplinary doctoral training in an international European research environment.