PhD Research Associate (m/f/d) – EXC 2052 Africa Multiple

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Review of applications will begin on 20 October 2026.

PhD Research Associate (m/f/d) in Climatology at the University of Bayreuth

From 1 January 2027 or at the earliest possible date thereafter for a fixed term of 48 months (75% part-time employment; salary grade TV-L E13).

The Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence is a major collaborative and transcontinental research institution in the field of African Studies. It is comprised of five Africa Multiple Research Centres (AMRCs), based at the University of Bayreuth (Germany), Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), Rhodes University (Makhanda, South Africa), Joseph Ki-Zerbo University (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) and University of Lagos (Nigeria). The AMRCs conduct their work via six Research Sections with members from all locations.

The advertised position is part of the Research Section “Ecologies” and the project “(Un/In) Habitability in African Urban Transition Zones”. The project involves researchers in South Africa, Germany, Tanzania and Nigeria, collaborating to reconfigure African Environmental Studies through a focus on urban world-making and the social-ecological dynamics of (un/in)habitability in African urban transition zones. It examines how urban worlds are rendered liveable or unliveable through the interaction of biophysical conditions (e.g. heat/flooding), socio-technical infrastructures, spatial and temporal transformations, and socio-cultural practices. The project focuses on transition zones where environmental pressures, infrastructural reconfiguration, and (post)colonial planning legacies intersect most acutely, and where practices sustaining or reworking habitability (e.g. urban greening, repair, informal infrastructural adaptation) are emerging, negotiated, contested, and learned.

This call is for a dynamic PhD scholar from climatology or meteorology interested in urban climatology in the context of the climate crisis, with an interest in inter- and transdisciplinary work in the project. The focus is on the impacts of climate change using own measurements in the two study regions, remote sensing and modelling approaches to quantify and forecast the impacts of urban heat waves and flooding. The PhD will work in the Climatology Lab of the University of Bayreuth (Prof. Dr. Cyrus Samimi) and is co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Gladman Thondhlana (University of Pretoria, South Africa). The fieldwork will be jointly undertaken with the other PhD candidate from humanities to foster the inter- and transdisciplinary characteristic of the project.

The following is required for the position:

• successful completion of a master's degree in Climatology or Meteorology,
• proven knowledge of multivariate statistics and time series analysis wit R or Python,
• proven knowledge in Remote Sensing,
• willingness to work inter- and transdisciplinary with the scholars from humanities,
• preparedness for long fieldwork in the project regions Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Nelson Mandela Bay (South Africa),
• excellency in English,
• willingness to present research results at international conferences or similar forums, and to do a dissertation.

What you can expect:

• Integration into the internationally connected research environment of the Cluster of Excellence EXC 2052 Africa Multiple.
• A funded 75%, TV-L E13 PhD position for four years.
• A dedicated research budget, including funding for fieldwork in Tanzania and South Africa.
• Close interdisciplinary supervision and support in developing an international publication profile
• Opportunities for international networking through research stays and conference participation across Africa and Europe.
• Membership in the Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS).

The University of Bayreuth is an equal opportunities employer. Candidates with disabilities who have equal qualifications will be given preference. The university aims to increase the proportion of women and therefore explicitly invites women to apply.

Your application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, please submit your application by 15 October 2026. Please apply online quoting the keyword “habitabilities” via theapplication portalof the university.

Your application should include a cover letter, CV, academic transcripts and degree certificates. The documents will be deleted in accordance with data protection regulations once the position is filled.

If you have questions, contact Prof. Dr. Cyrus Samimi (cyrus.samimi@uni-bayreuth.de).