2026 Research fellow in the field of Conservation Science at Humboldt University of Berlin

Your responsibilities:

• scientific services in research for the project: “POWERSHIFT,” funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) under the Biodiversa+ Joint Research Call “Biodiversity and Transformative Change (BiodivTransform)”. 
• the project investigates how power dynamics shape biodiversity conservation movements and how these dynamics can be transformed to enable more equitable and effective conservation strategies.
• close collaboration with the project leader (PI) and coordination with project partners at INRAE, France, University of Vienna, Stockholm University, and Istituto di Ecologia Applicata 
• designing and carrying out fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan 
• organizing workshops in Kyrgyzstan and Berlin to engage with policy-makers 
• participating in and documenting transdisciplinary workshops and Action Learning Sets with practitioners 
• analyse and interpret data using appropriate qualitative and/or mixed methods 
• publish results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and contribute to policy- and practice-oriented outputs (policy briefs, guidelines, workshop materials)
• present findings at international conferences and practitioner meetings 
• contribute to project coordination where relevant (e.g. organising workshops, liaising with partners, data management)
• tasks for own scientific qualification (doctorate): development and implementation of an independent doctoral project that contributes to the core objectives of POWERSHIFT, focusing on power dynamics in collaborative conservation initiatives and their socio-ecological consequences.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineFebruary 25, 2026
• Study LevelPostdoctoral Fellowships
• SponsorHumboldt University of Berlin
• City to studyBerlin
• School to studyHumboldt University of Berlin
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Requirements

• completed scientific university degree in a relevant field (preferably with good grades):
• environmental or sustainability social science
• human geography, political ecology, development studies
• sociology, political science, or related disciplines
• interdisciplinary environmental studies with strong social-science components
• demonstrated interest in power, justice, inequality or governance in environmental or conservation contexts (e.g. through previous research, thesis, or work experience)
• solid training in qualitative social research methods, such as semi-structured interviews, focus groups, ethnographic or participatory approaches; openness to mixed methods is an asset
• strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to work conceptually with theories of power, institutions and social-ecological systems
• ability and willingness to conduct fieldwork (including potentially in rural or remote areas) and to work collaboratively with a range of actors (NGOs, community groups, government agencies, networks)
• very good command of English (written and spoken, at C1 level).
• experience with basic quantitative methods (e.g. surveys, simple statistics, social network analysis) is a plus, but not mandatory
• language skills in German, Russian, or Kyrgyz is advantageous, but not mandatory

Application Documents

• Cover letter
• CV
• Relevant certificates

Check also:
2026 Fully Funded Humboldt Research Fellowship
2026 Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholarship

Application Deadline

How To Apply

• Please send your application, including your documents, referencing the job id DR/019/26 to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Department of Goegraphy, Prof. Dr. Ranjini Murali (located: Rudower Chaussee 16, 12489 Berlin), Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin or preferably in electronic form as a single PDF file to Ms. Barbara Richter ([email protected]).

For more information, kindly visit the Humboldt University of Berlin website.