Fully funded PhD opportunity in Germany at the University of Bonn and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) within the BCDSS–IDOS research group Power, Knowledge, and Servitude at Sea (POESIS).
The doctoral project, “Submerged Dependencies,” focuses on marine governance, cultural heritage, environmental justice, ocean studies, and power/dependency relations in coastal and underwater spaces. Research themes include marine protected areas, submerged environments, cultural heritage and custodianship, security regimes and militarised maritime spaces, biodiversity conservation, climate justice, participatory mapping, multimodal ethnography, archival research, oral histories, policy analysis, restitution, reparations, and postcolonial marine governance.
This is a fully funded 4-year doctoral position based in Bonn, Germany. The position is part-time (65%) and paid under TVöD EG13, with a gross annual salary of approximately €39,000–€55,000. The PhD will be awarded by the University of Bonn and is embedded in an interdisciplinary research environment with mentoring, workshops, conferences, fieldwork support, research stays abroad, skills training, and collaborative supervision.
Eligibility: Applicants should hold a Master’s degree with very good grades in critical social sciences or humanities. Suitable backgrounds include anthropology, sociology, environmental history, archaeology, maritime/ocean studies, critical heritage studies, and related fields. The call especially welcomes candidates with experience in Global South or majority-world contexts, or regions shaped by colonial and/or post-socialist histories. Strong English skills are required; German is an asset. If your degree is from outside Germany, you must include an Anabin excerpt for recognition.
Supervision: The doctoral project will be co-supervised by Dr. Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa and Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge.
Deadline: 17 May 2026 at 23:59 CET.
How to apply: Submit your application exclusively via the portal using position number 2026-A2-01. Required documents include a cover letter, CV with certificates, a research proposal (max 2,000 words including references), and two reference letters if available. Upload PDF files only.
Underwater Archaeology and Maritime History jobs 