University of Tübingen Fully Funded PhD Positions in Global South Studies (RTG 3105)
University of Tübingen.About the Programme
The Interdisciplinary Centre for Global South Studies at the University of Tübingen is recruiting for the DFG-funded Research Training Group (RTG) 3105, "Figurations of the Precarious in the Global South". The group offers six fully funded doctoral researcher positions on E13 TV-L (75%), each a temporary appointment for four years, with employment scheduled to begin on 1 April 2027.
What the Research Explores
RTG 3105 critically tests the scope of the precarious, and derivatives such as precarity, precariousness and precarisation, as categories of cultural and social analysis in the Global South. It is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach at the crossroads of transregional studies on Asia, Africa and Latin America, examining how social actors perceive precarity and the strategies and repertoires of resistance they mobilise. Research is organised across five thematic plateaus:
- Plateau 1: Mediating Precarity
- Plateau 2: Contesting Politics of Precarity
- Plateau 3: Territorialising Precarity
- Plateau 4: Facing Ecoprecarity
- Plateau 5: Embodying Precarity
Positions and Funding
Six doctoral positions are available at E13 TV-L, 75%, as temporary contracts running for four years. The appointments are handled by the central administration of the University of Tübingen, and the doctoral thesis may be written in German or English (with French, Spanish or Portuguese permissible by faculty exception). There is no application fee.
Who Can Apply
The call is open to applicants from literature, cultural and media studies, anthropology, sociology, educational and political science, law, history, ethics and sustainability research, as well as area studies on Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Law is explicitly named as an eligible discipline, making this a strong fit for law graduates working on rights, governance, precarity or Global South legal themes. Applicants must hold an excellent Master's degree in a relevant discipline and demonstrate specialist expertise on one or more Global South regions. International applicants are welcome; academic English at C1 (CEFR) is required.
Application Requirements
- Proposal for a PhD project (8 to 10 pages, in English)
- Motivation letter (2 to 3 pages, in English)
- Academic curriculum vitae (in English)
- Master's certificate (or equivalent) and Transcript of Records
- Master's thesis and relevant academic publications
- Two letters of recommendation from scholars in your field
How to Apply
Submit your application by email to sekretariat.ibero@romanistik.uni-tuebingen.de by 1 September 2026. All attachments must be in PDF only and must not exceed 10MB in total. The group also welcomes applications for formal association from doctoral researchers funded through other sources, who participate in the academic programme while remaining independently funded.