The Heinz Nixdorf Institute and the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Paderborn, Institute of Human Sciences/Philosophy and Ethics of techno-scientific Cultures offers one position starting as soon as possible as a Doctoral Researcher (f/m/d) with regular working hours of 65 %. The position is limited for a fixed term of 48 months corresponding to the job profile within the approved project period. The opportunity for further scientific qualification is given.

Presentation

As soon as Possible with regular working hours of 65 %. The position is limited for a fixed term of 48 months corresponding to the job profile within the approved project period. The opportunity for further scientific qualification is given.

The position is financed as part of an ERC Synergy Grant on the “Cultures of the Cryosphere. Infrastructures. Politics, and Futures of Artificial Cooling” (CultCryo), which, is an internationally highly visible research project.

As an ethnographic oriented praedoc, you will be working in an interdisciplinary, international team at the forefront of cultural studies! CultCryo’s overarching objective is to historically reconstruct and map the emergence of the “cryosphere” (the modern dependency on artificial cooling) starting in the 1950s, and to analyze its dependence on cultural factors (norms, values, practices, time regimes, concepts) in four paradigmatic research fields (food, air condition, biomedicine, computing), comparing different world-regions. As a PhD student you will mainly devote your time to an ethnographic case study of the use of blockchains to securitize food supply chains (e.g., the “IBM Food Trust”), thereby interlocking two of our paradigmatic research fields. This work will include analyzing company sources, conducting interviews with experts as well as preparing and undertaking field research. This will involve following the securitized food supply chain; investigating the origin and circulation of key foodstuffs, their adoption as securitized commodities, and the tracing of their movements through data centre hubs to retailers and consumers.

Your PhD-project will be in close collaboration with a Post-Doc working on the same case study and will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Suzana Alpsancar (UPB) and Prof. Dr. Bronwyn Parry (ANU). “CultCryo” started in September 2024 and will run for six years: https://cryocultures.org/. If you have any questions, please contact: suzana.alpsancar@uni-paderborn.de

Scope of work

• Research in the context of the ERC Project “CultCryo” (100 %)
• Ethnographic case study in collaboration with a Postdoctoral researcher on the application of blockchain for securitizing food supply chains
• Review the scientific and grey literature on blockchain for food supply chains
• Analyzing a business model for food securitization (company literature and resources, expert interviews, grey literature on regulation and cross border protocols)
• Preparing and undertaking ethnographic field research that traces the movement of food stuffs across the geographic locations (following the food supply chain)
• Support for building the “Cryo-Atlas” (mapping the cryo-sphere)
• Contribution to the “Cryogenic Cultures Archive” (a collection of alternative ways of cooling)
• Cooperation with other researchers from CultCryo (“computing”, “values, norms, imaginaries”)
• Creation of (joint) scientific publications
• Co-organization of and participation in project-related scientific events (regular workshops and internal team meetings)
• Presentation of project results at national and international conferences
•  Project management, reporting-duties

Hiring requirements

• Academic university degree (Master) in Sociology, Science and Technology Studies, Anthropology or related fields
• Experience or knowledge of qualitative and/or ethnographic field research methods
• A very good command of written and spoken English, basic German (or willingness to develop this)
• Willingness to travel (field work in different world regions)

We offer

• Participation in one of Europe’s most visible research projects
• Exciting, highly relevant research topics in a vibrant team environment
• Flexible work arrangement including mobile work
• Attractive fringe benefits such as childcare facilities and sports activities
• Opportunities for internal and external training and development
• Additional benefits in accordance with the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L) such as annual bonus and capital-forming benefits as well as

Application procedures

Applications from women are particularly welcomed and, in case of equal qualifications and experience, will receive preferential treatment according to state law (LGG). Part-time employment is generally possible. Likewise, applications of disabled people with appropriate qualifications are explicitly requested. This also applies to people with equal status according to the German social law SGB IX.

Applications including cover letter, CV, list of publications (if applicable), writing example using the Ref. No. 7066 should be sent  to: cultcryo-secretariat@uni-paderborn.de,

by Sptember 12, 2025.

Information on the processing of your personal data can be found at: www.uni-paderborn.de/zv/personaldatenschu.