Job Postings

Job Posting

The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is one of the largest, most research-intensive, and internationally oriented universities in Germany. At the Faculty of Business, Economics and Society, within the Communication Science research group (Prof. Dr. Adrian Meier), the following position is available starting April 1, 2025:

Research Associate/PhD Student (75%)
(m/f/d – Pay Grade E13 TV-L)

This is a fixed-term position for three years with the goal of further academic qualification (typically a PhD) as part of a third-party funded project supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG). An extension for up to three more years is anticipated. The position is part-time (75%) with remuneration according to pay grade E13 TV-L. The Communication Science research group provides office space in Nuremberg (Findelgasse 7/9), though the position allows for a significant degree of remote work (e.g., from home).

The Communication Science research group at FAU investigates the positive and negative effects of digital communication and media on users’ well-being, health, and self-regulation. The research focuses on media psychology theories and quantitative-empirical methods. For more details about the group, see here.

This position is part of a European collaborative project funded by the CHANSE/NORFACE program Enhancing Well-Being for the Future, supported by the DFG. The interdisciplinary project, PROMISE – Promoting Well-Being in Preteens, Adolescents, and Young Adults: Toward Improved Social Media Policies, integrates perspectives from communication, psychology, sociology, and media studies. Working with project partners from the UK (Amy Orben, Cambridge U), Austria (Tobias Dienlin, U of Vienna), Estonia (Veronika Kalmus, U of Tartu), and Spain (Charo Sádaba, U of Navarra), the position plays a central role in implementing an ambitious and forward-thinking research program.

The overarching goal of the project is to improve the mental well-being of young people through concrete, age-specific social media policies. These policies may include regulating access or usage time, redesigning or banning problematic platform features (e.g., infinite scrolling, like counts), or filtering problematic content through algorithms (content moderation). The position first involves identifying and systematizing such well-being-oriented policy proposals in an AI-assisted scoping review. These results will inform subsequent focus groups in five countries to incorporate young people’s perspectives and identify further intervention potentials. Finally, the position will contribute to testing promising policy interventions through field experiments using a “mock-up” social media app and the Experience Sampling Method (ESM). Regular exchanges with all project partners will occur through workshops in Cambridge, Nuremberg, and Pamplona, along with science communication activities with stakeholders in politics and society.

Responsibilities:

  • Developing & implementing essential parts of the research project (primarily WP1–3)
  • Independent research (e.g., coordinating and conducting data collections, data analysis, supervising research assistants)
  • Presentation of results at conferences, workshops, and via science communication formats (e.g., events, social media)
  • Writing manuscripts and publishing in leading journals in communication science, (media) psychology, and/or related social sciences
  • Academic qualification (publication-based PhD)
  • Collaboration within the Communication Science research group at the Faculty of Business, Economics and Society at FAU

Required Qualifications:

  • Excellent degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Communication Science, Psychology, or a related empirical social/behavioral science
  • (Very) good knowledge of quantitative-empirical and statistical methods
  • Strong analytical skills
  • Excellent command of English (spoken and written)
  • Independence and teamwork skills
  • Strong interest in topics related to digital communication, media psychology, media effects, media & youth, and/or media policy & regulation

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of qualitative research methods is advantageous but not mandatory
  • Familiarity with a data analysis programming language (e.g., R, Python) and advanced statistical methods (e.g., multilevel modeling, SEM, machine learning) is beneficial but not required. Support for acquiring such skills (e.g., through workshops) will be provided if needed.
  • Initial experience with scientific presentations or publications is advantageous but not required
  • German language skills are advantageous but not mandatory

Benefits:

  • Excellent academic environment at a research-intensive university and group
  • Collegial atmosphere in an interdisciplinary department and project
  • Opportunities for independent research and academic development
  • Dedicated mentoring of PhD students
  • International exchange and research collaborations
  • No teaching obligation, but opportunities to contribute to teaching and student supervision
  • Project budget (e.g., for conference and training travel, research assistants)
  • Workplace in the heart of Nuremberg’s old town with generous remote work options

 

FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg values diversity and has been a member of the Best Practice Club “Family in Higher Education” since 2016. The university promotes the equality of women and explicitly encourages women to apply. The position is suitable for individuals with disabilities, who will be given preference in hiring in cases of equal qualifications.

 

You are warmly invited to submit your application (cover letter, CV with academic background, certificates, relevant professional experience if applicable, list of presentations and publications if applicable, thesis or initial manuscript/publication as a sample work if applicable) in German or English language by January 12, 2025, as a single PDF via email to Prof. Meier. Flexibility (+/- 2 months) regarding the start date is possible; feel free to contact us.

For inquiries, please contact Prof. Dr. Adrian Meier (adrian.meier@fau.de).