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Jean-Louis van Gelder
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Postdoctoral Researcher Position: Short-Term Mindsets and Crime at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Germany
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Computer Science
Funding
Fully funded research position with no teaching obligations; full-time (39 hours/week); remuneration based on TVöD Bund pay category 13 with mandatory social insurance contributions.
Deadline
Dec 1, 2026
Country
Germany
University
Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
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About this position
The Department of Criminology at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher for the project Short-Term Mindsets and Crime: Testing and Validating the Theory. The position sits within the institute’s broader Short-Term Mindsets research program, which aims to explain crime through the temporal focus of individuals on immediate versus long-term outcomes.
The successful candidate will join an international, interdisciplinary team in Freiburg im Breisgau and contribute to the development and empirical validation of Short-Term Mindsets Theory. The project focuses on sharpening core predictions, testing them against competing explanations, and refining how short-term mindsets are measured. The work is explicitly experimental and methodologically ambitious, with approaches including virtual reality, smartphone-based studies, longitudinal data, and advanced quantitative modeling.
The department brings together criminologists, psychologists, sociologists, mathematicians, and computer scientists to study the causes and consequences of criminal behavior and to develop approaches to crime prediction and prevention. The advertised role offers scope to develop your own research ideas within this framework while collaborating with international researchers in criminology, psychology, and related fields.
The institute describes a highly supportive research environment with laboratory facilities, specialist libraries and databases, well-equipped workspaces, and administrative and academic support. The position is embedded in a growing European research center at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, led in the Department of Criminology by Professor Jean-Louis van Gelder.
Funding details
Fully funded research position with no teaching obligations; full-time (39 hours/week); remuneration based on TVöD Bund pay category 13 with mandatory social insurance contributions.
What's required
Completed doctorate or close to completion in psychology (e.g. social, developmental), pedagogy, empirical criminology, behavioral economics, sociology, or a similar discipline; strong quantitative skills; experience with experimental research; strong interest in crime research and novel research methods; highly collaborative attitude and teamwork orientation; excellent written and spoken English; excellent social and communication skills. German is an asset but not required. Ideal candidates are committed to open science and transparent research practices and have a track record of first-authored publications.
How to apply
Submit a motivation letter, names and email addresses of at least two referees, your CV with publication list, your best first-authored publication, and study certificates/transcripts. Apply via the online application portal. Questions may be directed to Prof. Dr. Dr. Jean-Louis van Gelder or Dr. Annika Hampel.
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Professors
Professor at Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Germany
Research Interests
Criminology
Statistics
Sociology
Psychology
Behavioral Science
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Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.