PhD Position in Archaeological Sciences

University of Tubingen

The following position is available at the Paleoanthropology Section of the Faculty of Science beginning November 1st 2025 or shortly after.

PhD Researcher in Primate Communication / Language Evolution (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 75%)

The position will be filled for a fixed term until June 2029. Payment is at 75% of full time E13.

The position is associated with the project “Modeling Great Ape Signaling Behavior” under the auspices of the Collaborative Research Center “Common Ground” (CRC1718), which is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), at the University of Tübingen. The project is led by Principal Investigators Dr. Marlen Fröhlich, Prof. Dr. Michael Franke (both Tübingen) and Prof. Dr. Manuel Bohn (Lüneburg).

The successful candidate will support the project by collecting and analysing data on multimodal communication in great apes, focusing on gestures, vocalizations, and facial expressions. Studies will also consider contextual information such as physical and social context, prior interactions, rank differences, and kin relationships. Our goal is to study the importance of different information sources in great ape communicative interactions. This project will focus directly on the evolution of common ground. We will explore the implied cognitive complexity of great ape communication to identify evolutionary trends and simulate dynamics that might explain the evolution of common ground in humans. For more information about the methods and data, see the following articles:

Requirements for employment are a completed M.Sc. or equivalent in a relevant field (Biology, Psychology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Linguistics, Cognitive Science, or similar), and experience with collecting and analyzing behavioral data, as documented through course work or research projects. Attestable experience with animal communication research and fieldwork under physically demanding conditions is highly desirable.

The successful candidate will collaborate closely with a second PhD student focused on the development of bespoke probabilistic models. Thus, an affinity towards statistical modeling is important. In-depth skills in probabilistic modeling and hands-on experience with data from animal communication can be acquired on the job but require willingness to learn. The ability to work in a diverse, multi-national team is required.

The project offers a cohesive and diverse research environment at the University of Tübingen and a dedicated interdisciplinary project team within a larger interdisciplinary Collaborative Research Center. We offer the opportunity to acquire cutting-edge research methods, combining observational studies on primate communication with bespoke probabilistic modeling.

The University of Tübingen seeks to raise the number of women in research and teaching and therefore urges qualified women academics to apply for these positions. Equally qualified applicants with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process. The University of Tübingen is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. It therefore takes individual situations into account and asks for relevant information. The employment will be handled by the central administration of the University of Tübingen.

Please send your application together with the required documents (motivation letter summarizing your research experience and interests, extensive CV, list of publications, contact details of three potential referees) by August 13, 2025 to our administrative coordinator Ursula Münster, ursula.muensterspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de . Project-related enquiries may also be sent to this address.

General information on hiring processes and the German academic system can be found here.

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