"Das Junge ZiF"
Spokespersons
Paulina Gennermann (University of Marburg, Department of Modern History)
Karolin Wetjen (University of Göttingen, Seminar for Medieval and Modern History)
"Das Junge ZiF"
Postdoc Network
"Das Junge ZiF" is ZiF's own postdoc network dating back to 2002. Outstanding early career researchers are given a platform to practise and advance interdisciplinary discourse. The fellows meet at ZiF three times a year to discuss a self-chosen subject and exchange ideas about their individual research interests. In addition, the Fellows can organise interdisciplinary workshops. The Fellowships have a duration of four years and are awarded after an open application procedure.
Benefits of the Fellowship
Interdisciplinary Exchange
The Fellows are obligated to take part in the meetings of the postdoc network. They are carried out three times a year at ZiF.
Costs of travel and accommodation are covered by ZiF.
Workshops
The Fellows get the opportunity to propose and carry out an interdisciplinary workshop at ZiF. ZiF will organise the event and will cover costs of accomodation and travel up to 15.000 euros.
Research Stay
Fellows who are not members of Bielefeld University get the chance to conduct a 4 weeks research stay at ZiF. The stay can be split into shorter stays, depending on our accomodation capacities. Costs of Travel and Accommodation are covered by ZiF.
Members
- Current Fellows
Sören Altstaedt
Vy Pham Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies
Areas of Research:
- Energy planning
- Sustainability and climate change
- History and sociology of the future
Benjamin Angerer
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Bielefeld University, Centre for Teaching and Learning (ZLL)
Areas of Research:
- Human Problem Solving
- Analogies and Metaphors
- Conceptual and Representational Change
- Qualitative Methods in Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Science
Lukas Bäuerle
Johannes Kepler University Linz, Socio-Ecological Transformation Lab
Areas of Research:
- Economic Imaginaries in Transition
- Social Studies of Economics
- Economic Education
- Futures Studies
- Sustainability Transitions Research
- Socioeconomics
Leonie Bossert
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer University of Vienna, Philosophy of Media and Technology
Areas of Research:
- Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
- Normativity of Sustainability, including Sustainable AI
- Environmental and Animal Ethics
- Mircobial Ethics
- Human-Technology-Relations
- Conservation Ethics
Paulina Gennermann
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer University of Marburg, Department of Modern History
Areas of Research:
- History of Science, especially History of Chemistry
- History of the Flavor and Fragrance Industry in the 20th Century
- Perception of Natural and Non-Natural Substances in a Historical Context
- History of the Chemical Industry
- History of Medicine
- History of Psychopharmacology in the 20th Century
- Science in Global and Colonial Perspectives
Philipp Golka
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies, Economic Sociology Research Area
Areas of Research:
- Financial Markets
- Wealth and Inequality
- Political Economy
- Economic Sociology
Clemens Finkelstein
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Käte Hamburger Kolleg global dis:connect, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich
Areas of Research:
- Histories and Theories of Built Environments
- Science, Technology, and Environmental Knowledge
- Planetary Epistemologies and Experimental Sites
- Architecture as Environmental Medium
- Planetary Methods in the Humanities and Social Sciences
David Keller
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Hochschule München | University of Applied Sciences, Department of Applied Social Sciences
Areas of Research:
- Transcultural Mental Health
- History, Theory, and Ethics of Psychology and Psychotherapy
- Medical Humanities and Health Humanities
Hannah Klaubert
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Linköping University, Department of Thematic Studies/Technology and Social Change
Areas of Research:
- Nuclear literature and culture, nuclear heritage
- Ecocritical theory, environmental humanities
- Econarratology, environmental cultures
- Technomodernism
Michael Klenk
Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management
Areas of Research:
- Moral Psychology
- Epistemology
- Moral Philosophy
- esp. Theory and Ethics of Manipulation
Anna Leyrer
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Basel University, Department of History
Areas of Research:
- Frauen- und Geschlechtergeschichte
- Geschichte von Beziehungen in der Moderne
- intellectual history
- Demokratiegeschichte
- kultur- und gesellschaftstheoretische Fragestellungen
Samira Marty
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Universität Bayreuth, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology
Areas of Research:
- Political Violence
- Transnational Solidarity
- Social Unequality
- Political Extremism
- Historical Memory and Zeitgeist
Christian Mayer
University of Mannheim, Business School
Areas of Research:
- AI in Education
- Digital Learning
- Teacher Development
- Competency Assessment
Julio Paulos
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Areas of Research:
- Urban Studies
- Planning Theory
- Science and Technology Studies (STS)
- Material Semiotics
- Empirical Philosophy
Katja Christina Politt
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Paul Rehren
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Max Planck Institute fot the Study of Crime Security and Law
Areas of Research:
- Moral Psychology
- Experimental Philosophy
- Meta-Philosophy
- Digital Humanities
Martin Repohl
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer UNESCO Chair on Global Understanding for Sustainability
Areas of Research:
- Theory of Society and Social Theory
- Materiality, Environment, Sustainability
- Relational qualities beyond the human
- Practices of planetary habitability
- Qualitative research methods
- Theorizing and Phenomenology (esp. with Hans Blumenberg)
Melina Schleef
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Bielefeld University, Department of Business Administration and Economics
Areas of Research:
- Digital Transformation
- Artificial Intelligence
- Smart Products and Services
- Sustainability
- Cooperation Between Established Companies and Start-Ups
- Legal Framework Conditions in Innovation Management
Laura Schmitz-Justen
Münster University, English Department
Areas of Research:
- 18th-, 20th-, and 21st-Century British Literature
- Women’s Suffrage Fiction
- Law and Literature
- Feminist, Gender and Queer Theory
- Disability Studies
- Postcolonial Studies
Daniel Schumann
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Sociology
Areas of Research:
- Diversity Research
- Sociology of Education and Knowledge
- Discourse and Dispositif Research
- Methodologies of Qualitative Social Research
Matthias Täufer
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France
Areas of Research:
- Mathematics, esp. Harmonic Analysis
- Operator Theory
- Spectral Theory
- Partial Differential Equations and Their Applications in Control Theory and Mathematical Quantum Mechanics
Karolin Wetjen
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer University of Göttingen, Seminar for Medieval and Modern History
Areas of Research:
- Modern and Contemporary History, esp. Climate History
- History of Knowledge
- Colonial History
- History of Religion
Valerij Zisman
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law
Areas of Research:
- Philosophy of Law
- Normative Ethics
- Moral Psychology
Nadine Zwiener-Collins
Universität Bielefeld/P. Ottendörfer Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Geschwister-Scholl-Institute of Political Science
Areas of Research:
- Politics and Gender
- Quantitative Research Methods and Critical Data Literacy
- Social and Political Inequalities
- Political Participation and Attitudes
- Political Representation
Former Fellows
- 2025
- Torbjörn Cunis (Engineering)
- Saskia Fischer (German Studies)
- Carolin Gebauer (British Studies)
- Maximilian Heimstädt (Economics)
- Michael Homberg (History)
- Janin Jäger (Mathematics)
- Alexander Koch (Information Science)
- Nicole Ludwig (Information Science)
- Benjamin Paaßen (Information Science)
- Rima-Maria Rahal (Sociology)
- Benjamin Schäfer (Data Science)
- Jan Wohland (Environmental Systems Science)
- 2019
- 2016
- Jan Christoph Bublitz (Law)
- Philipp Erbentraut (Politics)
- Christa Finkenwirth (Anthropology)
- Thomas Fischer (Economics)
- Hanjo Hamann (Law)
- Marie Louise Herzfeld-Schild (Music)
- Matthias Hoesch (Philosophy)
- Valérie Kobi (Art)
- Florian Muhle (Sociology)
- Simone M. Müller (History)
- Norbert Paulo (Philosophy)
- Joachim Wündisch (Philosophy)
- 2014
- Elmar Behrmann (Biology)
- Thiemo Breyer (Philosophy)
- Mareike Fischer (Mathematics)
- Roman Gibhardt (Literary Studies)
- Marcus Hartner (Literary Studies)
- Adrian Hermann (Religious Studies)
- Melanie Krüger (Psychology)
- Ingmar Lippert (Science and Technology Studies)
- Vanessa Lux (Psychology)
- Dana Mahr (Science and Technology Studies
- Anita von Poser (Ethnology)
- Daniel Ruprecht (Mathematics)
- Matthias Schaffrick (Literary Studies)
- Tanja Skambraks (History)
- Cordula Vesper (Psychology)
- 2011
- Beat Bächi (History)
- Peter Cserne (Law)
- Olga Galanova (Social Science)
- Heike Greschke (Sociology)
- Malte Griesse (Easteuropean History)
- Susanne Hakenbeck (Archaeology)
- Anja P. Jakobi (Political Science)
- Monika Krause (Sociology)
- Sigrid Kusch (Environmental Science)
- Lars Kuchinke (Experimental Psychology)
- Cornelis Menke (Philosophy of Science)
- Klaus Nathaus (History)
- Johannes Paha (Economics)
- Karola Pitsch (Linguistics)
- Jörn Reinhardt (Law)
- Kai Marcel Sicks (German Language and Literary Studies)
- 2009
- 2006
- Christian Fiebach (Psychology)
- Alexander C. T. Geppert (History)
- Christian Greiffenhagen (Sociology)
- Thilo Gross (Ecology)
- Michael Guggenheim (Sociology)
- Matthias Richter (Medical Sociology)
- Mark Schrödter (Social Pedagogy)
- Xiaobing Wang-Riese (Cultural Anthropology)
- Matthias Weigelt (Sports Science)
- Karin Weis (Psychology)
- 2005
- Daniela Bailer-Jones (Philosophy)
- Matthias Brand (Physiological Psychology)
- Thomas J. Bürvenich (Physics)
- Peter Giesl (Mathematics)
- Kay Hamacher (Physics)
- Silke Kipper (Animal Behaviour)
- Timo Kirschstein (Medical and Health Sciences)
- Nicole C. Krämer (Personality and Social Psychology)
- Frank Peter (Culture and Social Anthropology)
- Thomas Weitin (German Language and Literature Studies)
- 2004
- 2002
- Artemis Alexiadou (Language and Literature)
- Nihat Ay (Mathematics)
- François Balloux (Biology and Environmental Research)
- Johann Bizer (Law)
- Herbert Dawid (Economics)
- Brigitte Haar (Law)
- Elke Kaiser (History)
- Carmen Kaminsky (Sociology)
- Günther Knoblich (Psychology)
- Nikola Kompa (Philosophy)
- Stephan Lessenich (Sociology)
- Susanne Lütz (Political Science)
- Annette Rompel (Biology and Environmental Research)
- Petra Schwille (Chemistry)
- Christina von Hodenberg (History)
How to Become a Fellow
- We offer
- a 4-year membership in the renowned ZiF postdoc network
- 3 meetings a year to discuss jointly selected topics, disciplinary questions and to share academic experiences
- organisation of an interdisciplinary workshop (upon application), max. funding amount 15.000,- €
- research stay at ZiF for up to 4 weeks
- Application Requirements