2026 Socioecological Implications of Nuclear Sites PhD Scholarships at Rachel Carson Center Munich

The Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society (RCC) at Ludwig Maximilian University Munich is offering two fully-funded doctoral positions in a five-year research project sponsored by the new Change! funding scheme of the Volkswagen Foundation. The Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society is one of the largest centers for advanced study in the environmental humanities in the world and hosts numerous international scholars. Its working language is English.

The Project: “(Dis)Empowered Communities” is a collaborative research initiative of academic and nonacademic partners. It consists of a comparative study of nuclear decommissioning experiences in four countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, and United States. The study seeks to understand how collective memories, environmental conditions, and technical characteristics of selected nuclear sites influence decommissioning choices and outcomes. Besides classic academic outputs, such as scientific publications and conference presentations, the project relies on public outreach initiatives and transformative research practices to foster local communities’ inclusion and active involvement through open workshops, policy reports, open-access audiovisual archive, and the making of a documentary film.

The research and dissertation of the PhD candidates will be supervised by Dr. Davide Orsini, principal investigator of the project, at LMU Munich. Perspective students can find more information here.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• First year of training and preliminary research on selected sites
• Second year: conduct 12 months of fieldwork and archival research
• Team work and collaboration to research design, co-organization of participatory workshops, and participation in documentary filmaking.
• Dissertation defense

• Table of Content
• About Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
• PhD Scholarship
• Aim and Benefits of PhD Scholarship
• Requirements for PhD Scholarship Qualification
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

PhD Scholarship

Aim and Benefits of PhD Scholarship

• The RCC offers an attractive compensation package, based on the tariff contracts for public service (65% of level E13, commensurate with experience) and 30 days paid vacation.
• Working hours are flexible, and the RCC offers a family-friendly working environment.
• The RCC may also assist, if necessary, with work permits and visas.
• As the candidate will be a state employee, they are required to have German health insurance and make contributions to the German tax and social welfare system.
• People with disabilities who are equally as qualified as other applicants will receive preferential treatment.

Requirements for PhD Scholarship Qualification

• MA in anthropology, history, geography, cultural studies, or a related discipline
• Fluency in English with strong English writing skills
• Proficiency in a relevant local language (German for those willing to conduct research in Germany; French for Belgium; Flemish is desirable for Belgium but not indispensable)
• Ability to work well in a team
• Commitment to conduct 12 months of fieldwork, as well as shorter follow-up visits (funds for travel and field expenses are available)
• Preferably, experience in conducting ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and video ethnography
• Background in history, anthropology, geography, or cultural studies is a plus

Application Deadline

How to Apply

Inquiries prior to the application deadline can be directed to [email protected].

To apply, please submit your application, including the following documents compiled into a single PDF file, to [email protected] by 30 November 2025:

• A cover letter/ letter of motivation (max. 2 pages), including a statement about current and past research interests and how they may be relevant to the project
• A short CV (max. two pages)
• Copies of university degree(s)
• A writing-sample (max. 20 pages), such as a master’s thesis or other single-authored text (term paper, peer-reviewed article, book chapter, etc.)
• Contact information of two references who can write recommendation letters in case of admission to the interview stage

Interviews will take place between 15–18 December 2025 via Zoom.

For more information, kindly visit LMU Scholarship webpage.