Fully Funded PhD (24) and Postdoctoral (8) Positions at University of Bonn, Germany – CRC 1780 FoodDiverse (2026)

The University of Bonn in Germany has announced a major international recruitment drive under the newly funded Collaborative Research Center (CRC 1780) titled “Food System Diversification for Sustainable Nutrition (FoodDiverse)”. The program offers 24 doctoral researcher positions and 8 postdoctoral researcher positions across multiple disciplines related to sustainable food systems, agriculture, nutrition, biodiversity, economics, environmental science, epidemiology, bioinformatics, geoinformatics, and systems modeling.

Funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), this large-scale interdisciplinary initiative aims to address one of the world’s most urgent challenges: transforming food systems to improve human health while reducing environmental degradation.

Applications are open until 14 June 2026.

About CRC 1780 FoodDiverse

CRC 1780 FoodDiverse is a multidisciplinary research initiative led by the University of Bonn in partnership with the University of Ghana. The project investigates how food system diversification can contribute to healthier diets, environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, resilience, and improved human wellbeing. 

The CRC focuses on two central research questions:

1. 1. How do different forms of food system diversification influence planetary health, human wellbeing, and ecosystem health?
2. 2. What are the most effective degrees and scales of diversification, and how can they be implemented in real-world food systems?

Research activities combine:

• Agricultural and environmental fieldwork
• Household and farm surveys
• Nutritional and health data analysis
• Remote sensing and geospatial analysis
• Bioinformatics and microbiome studies
• Economic and computational modeling
• Machine learning and causal inference methods

The research will be conducted primarily in Germany and Ghana, providing strong international and cross-cultural research exposure.

Total Positions Available

The CRC has announced:

• 24 Doctoral Researcher Positions
• 8 Postdoctoral Researcher Positions

All positions are initially offered for 3 years, with possible extensions depending on funding and project progress. 

Key Research Areas and Open Positions

1. Soil Health, Biodiversity, and Human Health

Project A01 investigates the connections between agricultural diversification, soil biodiversity, plant chemistry, microbiota composition, and human health outcomes.

Open Positions

• 1 Doctoral researcher in soil and plant nutrient analysis
• 1 Doctoral researcher in soil ecology and biodiversity assessment
• 1 Postdoctoral researcher in bioinformatics and microbial ecology

Relevant expertise includes:

• ICP and AAS analysis
• Soil fauna assessment
• Molecular microbial ecology
• Bioinformatics
• Environmental microbiology

2. Sustainable Cropping Systems and Agroecosystem Research

Projects A02 and A04 focus on crop diversification, agroforestry systems, ecosystem services, and resilience under climate change.

Open Positions

• 2 doctoral researchers in crop science/agronomy
• 1 doctoral researcher in agroforestry/agronomy

Research topics include:

• Crop diversification
• Soil carbon sequestration
• Agroforestry adoption
• Ecosystem service modeling
• Climate resilience

3. Biodiversity and Landscape Ecology

Project A03 studies biodiversity across farming landscapes and its relationship with human wellbeing and environmental perceptions.

Open Positions

• 1 Doctoral researcher in tropical biodiversity field research
• 1 Doctoral researcher in biodiversity statistics and geospatial analysis

Areas of interest include:

• Landscape ecology
• Bird, insect, and bat diversity
• Remote sensing
• GIS and spatial datasets
• Ecological statistics

4. Agricultural Economics and Food Systems Modeling

Several projects under Cluster B focus heavily on agricultural economics, food trade, sustainability policy, and computational modeling.

Open Positions

• Multiple doctoral researchers in agricultural economics
• Postdoctoral researchers in agricultural economics
• Doctoral researcher in systems modeling

Research themes include:

• Food market resilience
• Trade diversification
• Food policy impacts
• Behavioral economics
• Bayesian probabilistic programming
• Agent-based market models
• Sustainability governance
• Food system efficiency

This cluster is particularly strong for candidates with backgrounds in:

• Agricultural economics
• Environmental economics
• Econometrics
• Quantitative modeling
• Data science
• Computational economics

5. Nutrition, Epidemiology, and Public Health

Projects C01–C06 investigate dietary diversity, metabolic health, nutritional biomarkers, consumer behavior, and sustainability of diets.

Open Positions

• Doctoral researchers in nutrition and nutritional physiology
• Postdoctoral researchers in nutritional epidemiology
• Doctoral researcher in biostatistics
• Doctoral researcher in sociology
• Postdoctoral researcher in epidemiology
• Postdoctoral researcher in food systems science

Key topics include:

• Dietary diversity metrics
• Nutritional biomarkers
• Gut microbiome research
• Cardiometabolic disease prevention
• Healthy ageing
• Consumer behavior
• Sustainable diets
• Public health nutrition

6. Remote Sensing, Machine Learning, and Geoinformatics

Projects A06 and INF integrate remote sensing, causal inference, FAIR data systems, and geospatial infrastructure.

Open Positions

• 1 Doctoral researcher in environmental/agricultural economics
• 1 Postdoctoral researcher in computer science/geoinformatics

Desired expertise includes:

• Satellite data analysis
• GIS
• Machine learning
• FAIR data management
• Database systems
• Spatial analytics
• Web-based data portals

Salary and Employment Conditions

All positions are funded under the German public salary system (TV-L 13).

Salary Structure

• Doctoral researchers: 65% TV-L E13
• Postdoctoral researchers: 100% TV-L E13

Depending on experience and taxation, estimated monthly gross salaries are approximately:

Position                                 Estimated Gross Salary

PhD Researcher                      €3,200–€3,700/month
Postdoctoral Researcher         €5,000–€6,000/month 

These positions also include:

• German social security benefits
• Health insurance contributions
• Paid vacation
• Pension contributions
• International research environment
• Career development support

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

Most advertised PhD programs focus narrowly on a single discipline. CRC FoodDiverse is different.

This initiative combines:

• Agriculture
• Environmental science
• Nutrition
• Public health
• Economics
• Data science
• Biodiversity
• Systems modeling
• Bioinformatics

into one integrated research framework.

The project also provides:

• Strong international collaboration with Ghana
• Interdisciplinary supervision
• Access to advanced datasets and laboratories
• Opportunities for high-impact publications
• Structured research training through the Integrated Research Training Group (IRTG)

For researchers interested in sustainability, food systems, climate resilience, and planetary health, this is one of the strongest European opportunities currently available.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility requirements vary by project, but generally:

For Doctoral Positions

Applicants should hold:

• A Master’s degree in a relevant discipline
• Strong quantitative or laboratory skills depending on the project
• Good academic record
• Interest in interdisciplinary research

For Postdoctoral Positions

Applicants should have:

• A completed PhD in a relevant field
• Publication record
• Advanced methodological expertise
• Experience with interdisciplinary collaboration

Strong English proficiency is expected for all positions.

Required Application Documents

Applicants need to prepare the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivation letter
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Academic certificates and transcripts
• Writing sample
• Contact details of two academic referees

Applicants can apply for up to three preferred projects in order of priority.

Application Deadline

Application Deadline:14 June 2026
Location: University of Bonn, Germany

Partner Institutions Include:

• University of Bonn
• ZALF
• LIB Bonn
• DZNE
• IDOS
• University of Ghana

Official Application Portal

Applications must be submitted online through the University of Bonn portal.

Apply here: Job Application Portal

Vacancy Details: Click here

Final Thoughts

The CRC 1780 FoodDiverse initiative represents a major investment in the future of sustainable food systems research. With fully funded positions across environmental science, agriculture, nutrition, economics, public health, and computational sciences, this program offers outstanding opportunities for early-career researchers worldwide.

Candidates with interdisciplinary interests, strong analytical skills, and motivation to work on real-world sustainability challenges should strongly consider applying.

The combination of international collaboration, advanced research infrastructure, long-term funding, and high-impact themes makes this one of the most attractive European research programs announced for 2026.