TUD Dresden University of Technology, as a University of Excellence, is one of the leading and most dynamic research institutions in the country. Founded in 1828, it is a globally oriented, regionally anchored top university, focusing on the grand challenges of the 21st century. It develops innovative solutions for the world's most pressing issues. The Cluster of Excellence "Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era (REC²)" addresses the key challenge posed by the ubiquitous use of electronics, which leads to an enormous resource and energy consumption and the generation of electronic waste. REC² establishes the scientific foundation for the electronics of the future, including new material platforms, component concepts, and integrated systems that enable the realization of responsible electronics in an ecologically, economically, and socially sustainable manner.
In a range of research and academic programs, REC² unites the natural and engineering sciences with the humanities, social sciences, and medicine. This wide range of disciplines is a special feature not only of the Cluster, but also of TUD, facilitating interdisciplinarity and transfer of science to society. As a modern employer, TUD offers attractive working conditions to all employees in teaching, research, technology, and administration. The goal is to promote and develop their individual abilities while empowering everyone to reach their full potential. For TUD, diversity is an essential feature and a quality criterion of an excellent university. Accordingly, we welcome all applicants who are committed to contributing their achievements and productivity to the success of the entire institution.
The Cluster of Excellence REC² offers at the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science, Institute of Media and Communication, Chair of Science and Technology Communication a position as
Research Associate / PostDoc (m/f/x)
(subject to personal qualification, employees are remunerated according to salary group E 13 TV-L)
starting as soon as possible. The position within the project "Communicating Responsible Electronics: Sustainability Trade-Offs and Message Framing in Technology Adoption" (ComTra) is limited until December 31, 2027. The period of employment is governed by the Fixed Term Research Contracts Act (Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz – WissZeitVG).
The project contributes to REC² research on responsible decision-making, transformative cultures, and communication. It will strengthen collaboration between STEM, sustainability research, and the social sciences by developing evidence-based guidance on how responsible electronics can be made more communicable, acceptable, and adoptable across stakeholder settings.
You will lead the project ComTra. The project investigates how sustainability trade-offs and gain/loss message framing shape the acceptance and adoption of selected REC² technologies.
Tasks:
- develop and lead an empirical research program on sustainability trade-offs and message framing in responsible electronics
- identify salient sustainability trade-offs in the three REC² use cases through document analysis, expert exchange, and targeted exploratory interviews
- develop experimentally testable vignette materials, factorial-survey designs, and gain/loss framing and trade-off manipulations
- conduct pretests, manipulation checks, vignette experiments, and factorial-survey experiments across the selected cases
- collect, analyze, and interpret quantitative and qualitative data on communication strategies, acceptance conditions, and adoption barriers
- collaborate closely with partners from REC²; participate in workshops and cluster-wide exchange formats
- synthesize findings into communication guidance and transfer outputs for REC²
- present research at inter-/disciplinary workshops and conferences and publish findings in communication science and adjacent fields
- contribute to the preparation of a third-party funding proposal as a REC² satellite project
- participate in project coordination
Requirements:
- an excellent university degree and a PhD in Communication Science or a closely related social-science field
- strong expertise in empirical communication research, preferably including experimental designs, survey research, vignette studies, and/or factorial surveys
- sound knowledge of sustainability communication, science and technology communication, risk/benefit communication, technology adoption, or related fields
- interest in responsible electronics and in inter- and transdisciplinary collaboration with researchers from natural sciences, engineering, sustainability research, and the social sciences
- proven ability to publish in international peer-reviewed journals and to present research to academic and interdisciplinary audiences
- experience with quantitative data analysis; experience with qualitative exploratory methods is an advantage
- strong organizational and project-management skills, independence, reliability, and a collaborative working style
- excellent command of English, both written and spoken; knowledge of German or willingness to acquire German-language skills is an advantage
We offer:
- an interesting and diverse postdoctoral role at a well-connected institute that conducts interdisciplinary and methodologically diverse research
- the opportunity to develop an independent research profile at the interface of communication science, sustainability research, and responsible electronics
- close collaboration with REC² researchers
- the possibility to contribute directly to evidence-based communication guidance for responsible technologies
- flexible working hours to support work-life balance
- a wide range of professional development and continuing education opportunities
- In REC² you will join a team of enthusiastic scientists who pursue creatively their individual research agenda inspired by the cluster’s innovative approach and support. Your research will be fostered by the REC² philosophy to promote aspiring researchers, which includes:
- access to state-of-the-art research of leading academic institutes
- possibility of exchange with partner institutions in the Global South
- promotion of gender equality and a family-friendly work environment
- mentorship via the REC² mentoring board
TUD strives to employ more women in academia and research. We therefore expressly encourage women to apply. The university is a family-friendly university. We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities. If multiple candidates prove to be equally qualified, those with disabilities or with equivalent status pursuant to the German Social Code IX (SGB IX) will receive priority for employment.
Application: Please submit your detailed application with the usual documents by June 26, 2026 (stamped arrival date of the university central mail service or the time stamp on the email server of TUD applies), preferably via the TUD SecureMail Portal https://securemail.tu-dresden.de by sending it as a single pdf file to [email protected] or to:
TU Dresden, REC², Prof. Sven Engesser, Helmholtzstr. 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
Please submit copies only, as your application will not be returned to you. Expenses incurred in attending interviews cannot be reimbursed.
TUD is a founding partner in the DRESDEN-concept alliance.
Reference to data protection: Your data protection rights, the purpose for which your data will be processed, as well as further information about data protection is available to you on the website:
https://tu-dresden.de/karriere/datenschutzhinweis.
