Fully funded PhD position in the field of future-oriented intervention, Max Planck Institute

Abstract: The Max Planck Institute for Research on Crime, Security and Law, in collaboration with Leiden University, offers a fully funded PhD position to research future self-interventions to increase psychological resilience in at-risk youth. The aim of this interdisciplinary project is to develop and test a gamified smartphone application as a novel intervention tool.

Title: Doctoral student (F/M/DIV)

Fully funded PhD position in future-oriented intervention for at-risk youth

Research area: The project focuses on investigating the effectiveness of future self-interventions to increase future orientation and strengthen psychological resilience in at-risk adolescents with negative early experiences.

Location: The position is located in the Department of Criminology at the Max Planck Institute for Research on Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg i. Br., with the possibility of research stays at the Institute of Education and Child Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Eligibility/Qualification:

• A master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g. education, psychology, criminology, child development)
• Experience in conducting experiments and quantitative data analysis techniques
• Interest in multivariate research methods
• Ability to work independently with excellent planning skills
• Meticulous, proactive, highly motivated and determined
• Fluent English skills in communication and writing
• Commitment to open science and transparent research practices
• Knowledge of German or Dutch is an advantage but not a requirement

Job description:
As a PhD student in this project, your main tasks will include:

• Contribution to the development of a novel smartphone-based intervention
• Design and implementation of field experiments focusing on adolescents with negative childhood experiences
• Investigating the effectiveness of the intervention through large-scale research
• Management of support staff, including Bachelor/Master students and research assistants
• Writing scientific articles leading to a doctoral thesis and presentations at conferences
• The position is full-time (currently 39 hours per week) and does not include any teaching obligations.

How to apply:
Interested applicants must submit the following documents via the online application portal on the Institute’s website:

1. A letter of motivation (max. one page) explaining the match of interests and profile with the project objectives and selection criteria
2. CV, including list of publications if applicable
3. A writing sample, e.g. a master’s thesis, a presentation, a first-published journal article, etc.
4. Name and email address of at least one scientist who has agreed to provide a reference
5. Certificates of study and grade overviews

Deadline for applications: The application deadline is 8 September 2024. Interviews with shortlisted candidates are scheduled for October 2024.

For further information, applicants should visit the Institute’s website at: Max Planck Institute for Research on Crime, Security and Law

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