Daniela Kleinschmit

The University of Freiburg is offering a unique PhD position focused on research into power dynamics in forest governance, specifically within the context of climate change adaptation. This opportunity is part of the German-Canadian doctoral program FORSCALE, which investigates scale effects in forest adaptation to climate change. As a doctoral student, you will join an international group and explore how forests can be actively adapted to climate change, with a particular emphasis on governance structures and political levels in both Germany and Canada. The main working location is Freiburg, Germany, but the program includes a significant research stay in Canada to facilitate comparative analysis and international collaboration. The position is ideal for candidates with a background in environmental science, forestry, or political science, and who are interested in interdisciplinary and cross-cultural research. While funding details are not specified, such programs typically offer financial support. The application deadline is September 20, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit the provided link.

The University of Freiburg's Excellence Cluster Future Forests is seeking a postdoctoral researcher specializing in environmental and forest governance, with a focus on governance innovation and policy experiments. This interdisciplinary research center addresses the adaptation and transformation of forests and their societal use in response to global change, supported by the German Research Foundation. The successful candidate will join a vibrant team of over 50 researchers from four faculties and partner institutions, working on the GovInno project to identify, develop, and scale governance innovations for effective forest management. The postdoc will develop conceptual frameworks for governance experiments, focusing on local cooperative governance and political decision-making in Baden-Württemberg and Germany. Responsibilities include planning and conducting governance experiments, collaborating in interdisciplinary and international research, supervising early-career researchers, participating in project coordination, developing third-party funding proposals, publishing research, presenting at conferences, and contributing to cluster activities and outreach. Applicants must have a PhD in political science, human geography, or a related field, with expertise in governance innovation research and experimental policy methods. Experience in project management, independent and team work, strong German and English language skills, and a proven publication record are required. The position offers a fully funded three-year contract (salary TV-L 13), an individual budget for research and career development, flexible working hours, and a supportive, inclusive research environment. The application deadline is 29 March 2026, and the position starts 1 July 2026. Applications should be submitted via the University of Freiburg portal, referencing position number 00004853. For further information, contact Prof. Dr. Daniela Kleinschmit at [email protected]. Key research areas include forest governance, environmental governance, governance innovation, policy experiments, adaptation, transformation, and the interface between forests and society. The Future Forests Cluster provides an excellent platform for interdisciplinary research and professional development in one of Germany's leading universities.

The Excellence Cluster Future Forests at the University of Freiburg is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral position in Environmental/Forest Governance focusing on Innovation and Experiments (GovInEx) . This interdisciplinary role is centered on research into governance innovations , collaborative governance , and political decision making that goes beyond incremental change. The project aims to develop a conceptual framework for governance experiments and to conduct experiments related to local cooperative governance and decision making in Baden-Württemberg and Germany . Relevant research interests include environmental science , political science , geography , and related social-science approaches to forest and environmental policy. The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to conceptual work, planning and conducting governance experiments, interdisciplinary and international collaboration, supervision of early-career researchers, project coordination, proposal development, publications, conference presentations, and cluster outreach. Eligibility highlights: a PhD or equivalent in environmental governance, political science, human geography, economics, or a related field; experience with choice experiments , survey experiments , or game theoretic experiments ; experience in governance innovation and collaborative governance; project management skills; and very good spoken and written German and English . High-quality publications in governance research are expected. Funding and conditions: full-time position, salary according to TV-L E13 , with an individual financial budget for project-specific expenses and career development activities. The position is limited until 30 June 2029 . Application deadline: 2 August 2026 . Apply via the University of Freiburg application portal and include a cover letter, CV, certificates/transcripts, and optionally a publication list. Reference number: 00005062 . Contact: Prof. Dr. Daniela Kleinschmit , Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy, University of Freiburg.