Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science in Göttingen Fellowships 2026

🏛️ About the Fellowship

The Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science in Göttingen conducts interdisciplinary research into pressing issues of social and political change, with a particular focus on:

• Conflict
• Inequality
• The erosion of democracy
• Processes of social transformation

Max Planck Institutes provide outstanding facilities, academic resources, and intellectual environments to support independent research. These institutes are not tied to universities, and there are no teaching obligations for staff. However, teaching and collaboration with universities are possible.

🎁 Benefits

Selected fellows will enjoy the following benefits:

• A full-time position for a period of three years in a stimulating and internationally renowned research environment.
• Employment according to the collective wage agreement for the German public service (TVöD Bund, EG 13), depending on qualifications and experience.
• Excellent opportunities for academic development, international networking, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Essential Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• A PhD degree or equivalent in Political Science (the degree or all qualifications necessary for it must be obtained before the employment start date).
• An excellent publication record (i.e., publications in highly-ranked international journals) or demonstrated potential thereof.
• Demonstrated interest in the department’s research themes, with a willingness to develop additional subject-matter and regional expertise.
• Excellent command of quantitative research methods, including panel regression, analysis of large administrative data, survey data, and statistical programming in Stata/R/etc.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• A commitment to academic integrity and transparency.
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills.
• The ability to work independently as well as collaborate in an interdisciplinary team.

Desirable Qualifications

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Familiarity with causal inference methods.
• Expertise in Global South contexts relevant to the department’s regional focus, such as South Asia or West Africa.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in languages relevant to the department’s regional focus, such as Hindi or Bengali.
• Experience collecting, coding, and analyzing event data.
• Experience conducting fieldwork and qualitative interviews.

📅 Application Date and Process

• Application Deadline: 03 May, 2026
• Interested applicants can apply via the official application website.

🌐 Contact Information

For further details, visit the official Max Planck Institute for Political and Social Science career page.

• A full-time position for a period of three years in a stimulating and internationally renowned research environment.
• Employment according to the collective wage agreement for the German public service (TVöD Bund, EG 13), depending on qualifications and experience.
• Excellent opportunities for academic development, international networking, and interdisciplinary collaboration.