Postdoctoral Researcher: “A global microhistory of colonialism and climate change and its relevance for global scale governance”

About us

The University Oldenburg is receiving 22.5 million euros from the Ministry of Science and Culture (MWK) and the Volkswagen Foundation from the “Strategic Development of Potential” funding line to sharpen its profile and strengthen its national and international competitiveness through the project "A Programme for Excellence. Developing Strengths and Building Potentials by Interdisciplinary and International Networking". Among other things, this is to be achieved through consistent networking across national and international borders, the promotion of students and scientists in early career phases and the strengthening of interdisciplinary research priorities in socially relevant and innovative areas.

The project “Governing the invisible, the vast and the complex: linking local maritime histories, microbial marine life, and emerging global scale effects” represents such an effort – an interdisciplinary “booster group” associated to “The Ocean Floor” Excellence Cluster, a collaboration on the topic between the University of Oldenburg, and the University of Bremen. The booster group, a collaboration of natural, and social science and humanities expertise (in biogeochemistry, global microhistory and geography) at Oldenburg will take a critical area of examination relevant to the ocean floor, and contemporary environmental governance, and re-examine it through a unique interdisciplinary and historical lens.

Its focus is on the global biogeochemical cycles that are essential to the climate and habitability of Earth. Changes to such cycles – notably the global C (carbon) cycle – are impacting people and planet today with increased CO2 in the atmosphere. Yet the role of history in shaping such changes, and the place of scale in rendering such changes amenable to governance, remain largely invisibilised. This project uniquely joins together research on microbial marine life and biogeochemistry, glocal maritime histories, global scale effects to consider how scale is vital to governing vast and complex environmental problems, and to make visible connections that could lead to better climate management. The project aims to investigate:

(1) Obscured local microhistories and its global impact on climate, influencing the C-cycle that remain mostly invisible in Western scholarship; 
(2) Obscured microbial aspects of the C-cycle that remain difficult for contemporary global governance to enrol and tackle due to their scale.

This position is linked to question (1), where the candidate will work in collaboration with the other postdoctoral researcher (linked to question (2)), the PIs (Profs. Freist, Dittmar and Peters), and where applicable the wider Ocean Floor cluster. The primary focus of the position will be to investigate the concept of scale as it pertains to colonialism and climate change with special emphasis on the reciprocally constitutive of local and global processes, connected to environmental change. They will help form the architecture and design of the project to be undertaken within the described remit. 

Your tasks

• To co-design with the PIs and second postdoc a programme of work that opens academic examination to the study of scale in relation to colonialism and climate change with special emphasis on the reciprocally constitutive of local and global processes connected to climate change.
• To undertake such a programme of work towards shared findings linked to the overall research aim to make visible scalar connections that could lead to better climate governance.
• To engage in a regular interdisciplinary dialogue with the project team, and to attend seminars, workshops and retreats.
• To networking with other booster groups and the connected Ocean Floor Excellence Cluster.
• To publish findings, independently and collaboratively, in the relevant academic journals or as appropriate as book chapters/a book.
• To actively participate in conferences and workshops.
• To acquire/deepen teaching skills by contributing to relevant programmes of study.

Your profile

Recruitment requirements are:

• A PhD and a qualifying university degree (master or diploma) in a relevant social science or humanities discipline (i.e. early modern history, human geography, anthropology);
• Previous experience of undertaking research in the social science or humanities research (at PhD and/or postdoc level) in an early modern global historical setting, preferably linked to environmental history / maritime history.
• Experience of using qualitative methodologies such as archival and textual analysis, and familiarity with global microhistorical approaches
• Demonstrable experience of working in an interdisciplinary setting;
• Demonstrable experience of effective working as part of research teams
• A publication profile commensurate to career stage;
• Fluent written and spoken English

Ideally you have:

• Knowledge of academic debates concerning space, scale and visibility.
• Demonstrable experience of sharing findings beyond the academy. 

We offer

We offer an opportunity for interdisciplinary working across institutes and faculties, part of an internationally connected, open, and friendly working environment at the University of Oldenburg. We will provide mentoring and support to establish or further development science management skills, both through support within the institute and through several schemes that are available at the University of Oldenburg and HIFMB. The compatibility of work and family life is of particular importance to the University of Oldenburg. Therefore, we offer the opportunity for flexible working time and workplaces. Equal opportunity is an inherent part of our personnel policy. 

Our standards

The University of Oldenburg is dedicated to increase the percentage of female employees in the field of science. Therefore, female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance to § 21 Section 3 NHG, female candidates with equal qualifications will be preferentially considered. Applicants with disabilities will be given preference in case of equal qualification.

Further information

This position will be based at the Institute of History in cooperation with the Academy Project Prize Papers, established on the campus of the University of Oldenburg. The candidate will be expected to also attend meetings, workshops, and other activities at the university, in the institutes connected to the booster group: the Helmholtz-Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB) a centre of interdisciplinary marine biodiversity research, and the Institute of Chemistry and Biology of Marine Systems (ICBM. The project will involve elements of archival work, and support will be provided for networking, conference attendance and other exchange activities.

First day of work is 01.02.2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The fixed-term contract is limited to 4 years (with the possibility of a 1-year extension following a positive overall project evaluation and subject to available funding).

Contact

If you have any questions regarding this job offer, please also feel free to contact Prof. Dr. Dagmar Freist, [email protected].