Paid PhD Position in Germany 2026 — Doctoral Researcher in Food Systems and Sustainability at IDOS Bonn (€40,000–€58,000)

Most PhD opportunities require you to fund yourself, survive on a minimal stipend, or compete for a scholarship that covers only part of your costs. This one is different.

The German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn is offering a paid doctoral researcher position — a real employment contract with a German public sector salary, pension contributions, annual leave, and flexible working arrangements — for a PhD candidate to conduct research on food system diversification and sustainable nutrition in Ghana and Germany.

The gross salary range is €40,000–€58,000 per year at 65% part-time, meaning the full-time equivalent is approximately €61,500–€89,000. This is not a scholarship. It is a salaried position. You earn a professional income while completing your PhD.

The application deadline is 14 June 2026 at 23:59 CET.

What Is IDOS?

The German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) is one of Germany’s leading research institutes at the intersection of development and sustainability policy. Based in Bonn — Germany’s former capital and the global hub of United Nations agencies and international development organisations, IDOS conducts high-quality applied research, offers independent policy advice to governments and international institutions, and facilitates transregional knowledge cooperation.

IDOS is not a university. It is a research institute — which means the working environment combines rigorous academic research with direct policy engagement. Doctoral researchers at IDOS do not just write theses — they contribute to research that informs real policy decisions at national and international levels.

The institute actively promotes diversity in all its forms — explicitly welcoming applications from people of colour, all nationalities, religions and beliefs, sexual orientations and gender identities, and people with disabilities or family migration histories.

The Research: What You Will Work On

This position sits within a major DFG (German Research Foundation) funded Collaborative Research Centre (CRC 1780) called FoodDiverse: Food System Diversification for Sustainable Nutrition. This is a large-scale, interdisciplinary research consortium bringing together the University of Bonn and IDOS to study the relationships between diversification at various food system levels — agriculture, markets, and diets — and planetary health in Germany and Ghana, in close cooperation with the University of Ghana.

The CRC brings together researchers from agronomy, agricultural economics, sociology, environmental sciences, ecology, nutrition, and human health across 21 separate sub-projects.

Your specific position is located in the sub-project “Behavioural Strategies to Diversify Food Consumption” — and more precisely the work package on “Discourse Analysis and Policy Options”.

Your doctoral research will focus on:

• Empirical research in Ghana and Germany on plant-based protein intake across different social groups
• Discourse and policy analyses around transformational consumption behaviour — how people, institutions, and governments talk about and govern dietary change
• Qualitative and ethnographic research methods — fieldwork in both countries, interviews, discourse analysis, and policy analysis

You will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge (IDOS Director and University of Bonn) and co-supervised by Jun.-Prof. Dr. Dominic Lemken and Prof. Dr. Monika Hartmann at the University of Bonn. Your PhD degree will be awarded by the University of Bonn, Faculty of Social Sciences.

This is rich, fieldwork-intensive doctoral research at the intersection of social science, food systems, sustainability, and policy — with a direct Africa connection through the Ghana component.

The IDOS Dual PhD Programme

This is not a solitary PhD experience. IDOS has a structured Dual PhD Programme that combines research and policy advisory work in a semi-structured environment.

The programme provides:

Group mentoring and training activities — regular research workshops with internationally recognised scientists, international conferences, and training opportunities.

Peer mentoring — self-organised peer mentoring among the IDOS PhD cohort, providing mutual support and intellectual exchange across research projects.

One-on-one mentoring — direct supervision from your PhD supervisors and additional mentors.

Research stays abroad — opportunities to participate in research stays at partner institutions internationally.

Policy engagement — alongside the academic dissertation, IDOS researchers contribute to policy advice work, giving doctoral candidates genuine exposure to how academic research translates into policy influence.

At least 50% of your working time is explicitly dedicated to your dissertation — ensuring that the employment responsibilities of the position do not crowd out the doctoral research itself.

What You Are Paid: The Full Employment Package

This is a German public sector employment contract. The benefits package is comprehensive by any standard.

The salary range of €40,000–€58,000 at 65% corresponds to the German public sector tariff EG 13, TVöD Bund — a standard classification for doctoral-level research positions at German public research institutes. The exact salary within this range depends on your qualifications and prior experience.

For an international researcher relocating to Germany, this salary — combined with Germany’s public health insurance, generous annual leave, and the stability of a public sector contract — represents a genuinely excellent financial foundation for doctoral study.

Bonn specifically is one of Germany’s most internationally oriented and livable cities. As the former federal capital and home to dozens of UN agencies and international organisations, it has a large, established international community, strong public transport, and a cost of living that is significantly lower than Munich or Frankfurt.

Who Should Apply: Qualifications and Requirements

Essential qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant field of the social sciences — Human Geography, Sociology, Political Sciences, Anthropology — or in Agricultural and Nutrition Sciences
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with research methodologies in social sciences, particularly qualitative and ethnographic social research methods
• Strong motivation and genuine commitment to completing a PhD
• Strong writing, communication, and organisational skills
• Fluent written and spoken English

Desirable qualifications:

• Research or work experience in Africa — directly relevant given the Ghana fieldwork component
• Good command of German — not essential but an asset for the German fieldwork component and working life in Bonn
• Eagerness to work in an interdisciplinary, globally dispersed team
• Willingness and suitability to travel internationally, including countries with a tropical climate (tropical suitability required — this refers to health readiness for fieldwork in Ghana)

International degree holders: If you hold a foreign university degree, you must attach a database excerpt from Anabin (the German recognition database) to confirm recognition of your degree by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Check anabin.kmk.org to verify your degree’s recognition status before applying.

The Research Context: Why This Project Matters

Food system diversification — moving toward more plant-based, diverse, and nutritionally balanced diets — is one of the most consequential sustainability challenges of our time. The connections between dietary patterns, agricultural production, climate change, and human health are deeply intertwined, and the policy levers for accelerating dietary transition are poorly understood.

The FoodDiverse CRC is specifically studying this in both a Global North and a Global South context — Germany and Ghana simultaneously. This comparative design is rare and valuable: most food systems research is conducted either in high-income or low-income countries, not both together. The behavioural and discourse analysis component you would be leading sits at the human and political heart of why food system transitions succeed or fail — not the agricultural or ecological dimensions, but the social, communicative, and policy dimensions.

For a social scientist with interests in development, sustainability, food, behaviour, or policy — and particularly one with Africa experience or interest — this is a genuinely compelling intellectual environment.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted exclusively via IDOS’s online application portal by 14 June 2026 at 23:59 CET.

Reference the position number in your application: 2026-B-02

Required documents:

• Cover letter — addressing your motivation, relevant experience, and how your background connects to the research focus
• Curriculum vitae — comprehensive, academic and professional history
• Relevant certificates — degree transcripts and certificates, Anabin recognition documentation for foreign degrees
• Any other relevant supporting materials

Interviews: Expected to take place in July 2026.

Questions: Contact Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge directly at directorate.office@idos-research.de

Tips for a Strong Application

Your cover letter is everything. A cover letter for a doctoral researcher position at a research institute like IDOS needs to do three things: demonstrate your academic preparation (specifically your social science research methodology background), show genuine intellectual engagement with the research topic (food systems, behavioural change, discourse analysis, sustainability policy), and make a credible case for why this specific project — in Ghana and Germany, in FoodDiverse — is the right environment for your doctoral research.

Connect your Africa experience explicitly. If you have research, fieldwork, or work experience in Africa — particularly West Africa or Ghana — make this central to your application. It directly addresses one of the most practically important requirements of the position.

Address the German language question honestly. If your German is limited, say so honestly and describe any plans to develop it. IDOS employs an international team and the primary working language for this position is English — German is an asset, not a barrier.

Show your qualitative methods background concretely. The position specifically requires experience with qualitative and ethnographic social research methods. Name the methods you have used, describe the contexts in which you used them, and reference specific projects or your thesis if applicable.

Get your Anabin documentation ready. This is a practical step that takes time for some international applicants — do not leave it until the last week before the deadline.

Key Dates

Honest Assessment: Who Should Apply

This position is ideal for a social scientist with a Master’s degree in human geography, sociology, political science, anthropology, or agricultural/nutrition sciences who has genuine research methodology skills — particularly qualitative methods — and who wants to pursue a PhD in a structured, well-resourced, policy-engaged environment with a real Africa fieldwork component.

The paid employment structure removes the financial precariousness that characterises most doctoral experiences. The IDOS dual programme provides structured support rather than leaving you to navigate your PhD in isolation. The research topic — food systems, behavioural change, and policy in Ghana and Germany — is genuinely important and connected to active international policy debates.

For African researchers specifically — particularly those from Ghana or West Africa with existing research networks or contextual knowledge — this position is an exceptional match. The Ghana fieldwork component is central to the research design, and a researcher who brings direct knowledge of that context brings something the position cannot easily replicate otherwise.

The deadline is 14 June 2026. If your background fits, apply now.

FAQ

Is this a scholarship or a paid job? It is a paid employment position — a German public sector contract. You receive a salary, benefits, pension contributions, and annual leave as a regular employee, while simultaneously completing your PhD.

Can international applicants apply? Yes. IDOS explicitly welcomes applications from people of all nationalities. The position is international in orientation, and the working language is English.

Do I need to speak German? A good command of German is listed as an asset, not a requirement. The primary working language is English. Willingness to develop German language skills is helpful.

What degree do I need? A Master’s degree in a relevant social science discipline or in agricultural/nutrition sciences. The position is for doctoral-level research — you must not yet have a PhD.

What does “tropical suitability required” mean? The fieldwork component includes research in Ghana. Applicants need to be medically suitable for travel to and fieldwork in tropical climate conditions. This is a standard requirement for positions involving fieldwork in West Africa.

Where do I apply? Through IDOS’s online application portal at idos-research.de. Reference position number 2026-B-02 and submit all required documents by 14 June 2026 at 23:59 CET.

Who do I contact for questions? Prof. Dr. Anna-Katharina Hornidge at directorate.office@idos-research.de 

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the Paid PhD Position in Germany 2026