Hub Science Project “psychology of Transformation Towards Sustainability”: Postdoctoral Research Associate with a Background in Psychology or a Related Field

**28.05.2025**

As a humanistic, sustainable and action-oriented university, Leuphana University of Lüneburg stands for innovation in education and science. Methodological diversity, interdisciplinary cooperation, transdisciplinary cooperation with practice-based partners and an overall dynamic development characterize its research profile in the fields of culture, education, management & technology, public affairs, and sustainability. With the university-wide research development program “Embracing Transformation through research, education and knowledge transfer” (in short “Embracing Transformation”) Leuphana aims to establish itself as a leading university for the analysis and critical reflection of transformation processes. More than one hundred researchers at various career levels will collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment to generate transformation knowledge that empowers individuals and communities to manage societal challenges and develop solutions for the common good.

**Visit our website** to learn more about the five Key Subject Areas that are involved in the project: “Climate Futures in Digital Cultures”, “Companies das Drivers of Sustainability Transformations”, “Democratic Resilience”, “Organizing in Times of Crisis”, and “Toward a Regenerative Society”, complemented by a “Psychology of Transformation” acting as a Hub Science. To create synergies between these various fields and explore new perspectives, the “Leuphana Transformation Lab“ will be established as a shared intellectual and physical space to promote collaboration among the researchers involved.

The university is looking for a responsible, motivated and committed person hub science project “Psychology of Transformation towards Sustainability” to fill the position of a

**Postdoctoral Research Associate with a background in Psychology or a related field**

**(salary group EG 13 TV-L, as a full-time employee for a limited period until 31 August 2030 to start on 1 October 2025 or depending on your availability)**

We invite you to become part of an exciting community of highly motivated scholars and offer you the opportunity to advance your academic career as a postdoctoral researcher. You will be able to refine your own profile and build an international network by working with numerous professors, other postdocs, doctoral students and international fellows in a stimulating interdisciplinary setting. You will significantly further your field of study and its integration into the research agenda of “Embracing Transformation”, thus positioning yourself as an expert in the highly dynamic and future-oriented field of transformation research as well as management and organization studies. To fully benefit from the purpose and value of collaborative and interdisciplinary research facilitated by a shared physical space, an adequate presence on campus is expected.

In particular, the Psychology of Transformation project aims to contribute to a better understanding of individual and societal transformation processes, preferably in the context of the United Nations sustainability goals. It aims to investigate the conditions for successful transformation as well as how to cope with barriers and undesirable developments. In addition to the analysis of experience and behavior of individuals, the project seeks to consider the reciprocity of the individual as an actor of transformation and as a person affected by social transformation processes.

Methodologically, the project aims to synthesize existing knowledge, theories and models on the psychological aspects of transformation, while also gathering new empirical evidence on the topic. This will be achieved in cooperation with a team of seven PhD students. The thematic focus will be based on the experience and interests of the applicant, the professors involved and the interdisciplinary research teams in the Key Subject Areas. Possible topics may range from individual sustainable behavior and behavior change, resiliency during transformation, the consideration of psychological processes in policy making, the communication of transformation to the mitigation of societal polarization related to transformation.

**Your tasks**:

- Perform research in the fields of psychology, transformation and sustainability by developing and empirically test an integrative theory on transformational psychology through synthesizing and/or meta-analyzing previous findings and carrying out correlational and experimental research
- Contribute to the common objective of “Embracing Transformation” by analyzing transformation processes and generating transformation knowledge
- Advance your own academic career by preparing for a junior professorship or seeking funding for a junior research group, for example
- Participate in and co-organize regular meetings and workshops
- Co-supervise doctoral students
- Contribute to teaching on topics of the hub science project (2 German SWS = 1.5 regular teaching hours per w