The Research Training Group Economics of Connected Natural Commons: Atmosphere and Biodiversity (ECO-N), seeks to fill the following positions:

14 Doctoral Researchers (m/f/d/x) in the DFG Research Training Group ECO-N

Job vacancy from 11.12.2025 · Reference number 190/2025

Remuneration

Salary group 13 TV-L

Term

three years*

Volume

75 % of a full-time position (each position), part-time position possible

Start date

1 September 2026

* Fixed term of three years, according to planned academic training (extension by a fourth year is envisaged)

Founded in 1409, Leipzig University is one of Germany’s largest universities and a leader in research and medical training. With around 30,000 students and more than 5000 members of staff across 14 faculties, it is at the heart of the vibrant and outward-looking city of Leipzig. Leipzig University offers an innovative and international working environment as well as an exciting range of career opportunities in research, teaching, knowledge and technology transfer, infrastructure and administration.

The Research Training Group (RTG), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2024, involves the Faculties of (1) Economics and Management Science, (2) Life Sciences, and (3) Physics and Earth System Sciences at Leipzig University, as well as the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig.

ECO-N combines interdisciplinary research on how to sustainably use and conserve natural commons – such as biodiverse forests, fertile soils, regional climate, or clean urban air – with a rigorous course programme providing disciplinary and interdisciplinary competencies. A total of approximately 30 early-career researchers and established researchers from economics, meteorology, and biology collaborate within ECO-N. A welcome week, annual retreats, and a continuous lecture series with international guests, as well as synthesis activities, constitute the collaborative, fair and inclusive working environment in the ECO-N research training group.

Doctoral programmes in Economics, Meteorology, and Integrative Biodiversity Research provide high-level disciplinary graduate education, complemented by interdisciplinary advanced training modules tailored to ECO-N.

For more information, please visit the RTG’s website: www.eco-n.org.

The role

Quantitative research on sustainable use of natural commons as part of an interdisciplinary team
Writing and publishing of scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals; presentation of your own research at national and international conferences
Participation in the disciplinary doctoral programmes (in Economics, Meteorology, or Integrative Biodiversity Research), and in the RTG’s advanced training modules
Contributing to the RTG’s doctoral seminars and events
Opportunity of contributing to synthesis working groups as part of the RTG.

About you

Very good master’s degree or equivalent (either already completed, or completed by the time candidates are selected), in Economics, Meteorology, Biology, or a related discipline
Profound knowledge of quantitative research methods such as statistics, econometrics and/or modelling
Strong interest in sustainable use and conservation of natural commons
Fluent English communication skills (speaking and writing)
Team-orientation and openness for interdisciplinary and international collaboration.

What we offer you

A responsible role in the exciting environment of a large university
Working in a friendly, helpful, and high-performing team
Opportunities to participate in winter and summer schools, international conferences and research stays
Flexible working hours and mobile working for a better work-life balance
Opportunities for further training and professional development as part of a structured staff development programme
Diverse range of corporate health management
Remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the states, including annual bonus and company pension plan
Excellent transport links and the option to purchase a discounted public transport ticket, such as the Deutschlandticket as a commuter pass
Extensive catering in the cafeterias and cafés of the Leipzig Student Services Association.

Leipzig University aims to increase the proportion of women in positions of responsibility and therefore expressly invites qualified women to apply. Severely disabled persons – or persons deemed legally equal to them under Book IX of the German Social Code – are encouraged to apply and will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. If you have any questions about accessibility or need assistance with this application process, please contact Leipzig University’s disability officers at: schwerbehindertenvertretung@uni-leipzig.de.

Have we sparked your interest?

Information and documents required

Cover letter (in English) stating in the subject line which of the doctoral project(s) (see list below and find more information on the website: www.eco-n.org) you wish to apply for. Additionally, please describe your motivation for doing a PhD within ECO-N, your research interests and your relevant experience
Digital copy of your master’s certificate and transcript of records
PDF of one research paper you have written (e.g. your master’s thesis, bachelor’s thesis, or a seminar paper).

Working titles for doctoral projects (supervision, anticipated institution of employment)

ICP Urban Air
P1: Income Inequality and Urban Environmental Quality in the Global South (Professor Melanie Krause, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)
P2: The Impact of Vegetation on Urban Air Quality (Professor Ina Tegen, Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS))
P3: The Hidden Costs of Resilience. Sectoral Outages and Air Pollution in Cities (Professor Bernd Süßmuth, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)

ICP Forests
P4: Ecosystem Service Provisioning of Contemporary and Future Tree Floras in Central Europe under Climate Change (Professor Christian Wirth, Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences)
P5: Effects of Household Bioenergy Use on Forest Management (Professor Daniela Thrän, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)
P6: Natural Capital Values Revealed by Public and Private Forest Management (Professor Martin Quaas, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)
P7: From Tree Demography to Ecosystem Services: Modelling Mixed-species Forest Management in a Changing Climate (Dr Nadja Rüger, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)

ICP Regional Climate
P8: Worst Case Weather and Climate Extreme Events and their Impacts (Junior Professor Sebastian Sippel, Leipzig University, Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences)
P9: Macroeconomic Consequences of Extreme Weather (Professor Thomas Steger, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)

ICP Soils
P10: Policy Options for Biodiversity-Friendly Soil-Management Decisions (Junior Professor Bartosz Bartkowski, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ))
P11: Soil Biodiversity Threats, Benefits, and Solutions across Land-use Types (Professor Nico Eisenhauer, Leipzig University, Faculty of Life Sciences)

ICP Aerosols
P12: Aerosols and the Rate of Climate Change: Implications for Tipping Point Avoidance and Adaptation Opportunities (Professor Thomas Bruckner, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)
P13: Aerosol Climate Damage: Visibility and Thunderstorms (Professor Johannes Quaas, Leipzig University, Faculty of Physics and Earth System Sciences)
P14: Financing Carbon Dioxide Removal (Professor Gregor Weiß, Leipzig University, Faculty of Economics and Management Science)

For queries on the application process, please contact Maria Schnabel (m.schnabel@wifa.uni-leipzig.de); for questions on the research projects, please contact the contact person stated in the project descriptions or Professor Martin Quaas (martin.quaas@idiv.de).

Please submit your application with the documents listed above by 30 January 2026, quoting reference number 190/2025, via www.eco-n.org/apply. Please note that it is not possible to guarantee confidentiality and rule out unauthorised access by third parties when communicating by unencrypted email. We kindly request that you submit copies only, as we are unable to return application documents. Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

Privacy information

If you choose to apply and send us your documents, you do so voluntarily. Any personal data contained within your application documents, or obtained during an interview, will be processed by Leipzig University – as the advertiser of the position – exclusively for the purposes of the selection process for the position advertised. It will not be passed on to third parties without your consent in the individual case. The legal basis for such data processing is Sect. 11(1) of the Saxon Data Protection Implementation Act (SächsDSDG) in conjunction with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The controller for the application process within the meaning of the GDPR is the addressee of the application, specified in the advertisement.

Your personal data will be stored for six months after the end of the recruitment process and then erased or destroyed in accordance with data protection regulations. You may refuse or withdraw your consent with effect for the future without giving reasons. In these cases, Leipzig University will not or no longer be able to process and consider your application. Under the GDPR, subject to the relevant statutory requirements you have the following rights vis-à-vis the addressee of the application with regard to your personal data: right of access (Art. 15 GDPR); right to rectification of inaccurate personal data (Art. 16 GDPR); right to erasure (Art. 17 GDPR); right to restriction of processing (Art. 18 GDPR); and right to object to processing (Art. 21 GDPR). If you have any questions, please contact the Data Protection Officer at Leipzig University (office: Augustusplatz 10, 04109 Leipzig). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Saxon Commissioner for Data Protection.