Tender for scholarships

From funds from the Hans Böckler Foundation 6 doctoral scholarships for the graduate programme “Just and sustainable transformation (JUST).” (PK 056) at the University of Kassel are offered starting earliest in November 2024. They will be dealing with key issues arising from the societal challenges of socio-ecological transformation. Primary working languge is German, although PhD projects can be pursued both in German and English.

Overall, there will be four thematic clusters at the centre of the programme (read more here):

01) Socio-ecological sustainability through transformative education

02) Accessibility in open space, urban and landscape planning

03) Diversity and inclusion for sustainable companies and supply chains

04) Social, just and sustainable institutions

Preference is given to applications from social sciences, law, economics and education as well as disability studies, industrial psychology and planning science. An interdisciplinary design of the projects is desirable, but not mandatory. Doctoral projects can be advanced in German and English.

Developing research about sustainable transformation

The graduate programme JUST is embedded in the newly found Kassel Institute for Sustainability, that brings together research and education in the area of ecological, economic and social sustainability with its 17 professorships. Moreover, JUST profits from the longtearm regional cooperation of the Research association for social law and social policy (Forschungsverbunds für Sozialrecht und Sozialpolitik, FoSS) of the University of Kassel and the Hochschule Fulda.

The tension between the necessary ecological transformation, strengthening of social standards and the reduction of growing inequality is politically challenging, and its analysis is a scientific desideratum. The transformation to a sustainable way of doing business, working and living requires research that recognizes conflicting goals and offers possible solutions while at the same time working out the complementarity of a participatory social and ecological transformation. The sustainability goals of the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), are the global document of a political strategy for realizing the transformation. The implementation of this Agenda 2030 requires the processing of multiple conflicting goals not only between ecological and social, but also between cultural, economic and institutional transformation goals.

Four research areas

The graduate programme JUST will analyse the conflicting goals and complementarities of socio-ecological transformation in four thematic areas whose detailed description can be read here.

1. Socio-ecological sustainability through transformative education in the educational, social and health care sector

mainly supervised by: Prof. Dr. Andreas Eis (Professor for Didactics of political education) / Prof. Dr. Manuela Westphal (Professor for Socialisation with the focus on migration and intercultural education)

2. Accessibility and participation in open space, urban and landscape planning

mainly supervised by: Prof. Dr. Marianne Hirschberg (Professor for Disability, inclusion and social participation) / Prof. Dr.-Ing. Markus Leibenath (Professor for landscape planning and communication) / associated: Prof. Dr. Stefanie Hennecke (open space planning)

3. The importance of diversity and inclusion for sustainable companies and supply chains

mainly supervised by: Prof. Dr. Stefan Gold (Professor for Sustainable corporate management) / Prof. Dr. Oliver Sträter (Professor for Work and organisational psychology)

4. Social, just and sustainable institutions

mainly supervised by: Dr. Sarah Schulz (political science, focus: authoritarianism/democracy) / Prof. Dr. Felix Welti (Professor for Social and health law, law of rehabilitation and disability)

The main topics, possible subject combinations and the assignment to the supervising professors result from the thematic focus of the potential doctoral project and can be coordinated individually. Please inform yourself about the research priorities of the scientists mentioned. In addition, in order to coordinate your projects, get in touch with the people in whose research field you locate yourself in before applying.

Information on the application for the scholarships (period: 15.02.-31.05.2024)

The sholarships will start earliest in November 2024 for a maximum duration of three years.

Doctoral students will then receive a grant of €1,650 (includes €1,550 basic scholarship, €100 flat-rate research cost allowance). In addition, up to €100 health insurance subsidy and, if applicable, family allowances can be paid. In autumn 2026 an increase of the basic scholarship of 100€ is expected.

If there is individual interest and provided that funds are available, employment of up to 25% full-time is also possible in addition to this doctoral scholarship at the University of Kassel.

The doctoral grants are decided according to the guidelines of the BMBF and the selection criteria of the HBS. Applicants must provide evidence of an above-average degree (MA/M.Ed./state examination) and socio-political or trade union commitment.

Please apply with the required documents and an exposé (max. 10 pages) in which the planned project is outlined and classified in the research program of the doctoral college. Information from HBS on creating the synopsis can be found here. A scientific assessment is not necessary at this point. Please send your application exclusively via the online application portal of the Hans Böckler Foundation. The application portal is available here and open from 15.02. up to (including) May 31st, 2024. The award of the scholarship will be announced in October 2024.

For questions about the application procedure please write to: bewerbung[at]boeckler[dot]de