Research Associates in the DFG Research Unit ‘The Promise of Security in Catastrophic Times’, § 28, 3 HmbHG
The DFG Research Unit 5870 "The Promise of Security in Catastrophic Times" (PROMISE) invites applications for 5 research associates (doctoral researchers) (75% TV-L for 4 years) and 3 research associates (postdoctoral researchers) (100% TV-L for 4 years) starting 1 April 2026.
PROMISE brings together scholars from political science, sociology, international relations, communication studies, and human geography to investigate how governments and societies across Europe navigate the challenges, priorities, and limits of protection in the face of multiplying crises. We study how democratic promises of security are being rethought and reshaped in what we conceptualize as catastrophic times. PROMISE consists of eight research projects that explore changing security promises and protection practices, ranging from disaster preparedness and international humanitarian aid to community-led protection initiatives by marginalized groups:
1. Changing Notions and Practices of Defense and Security in Finland and the Baltic States since 2014
Prof. Dr. Anna Geis (HSU)
2. Infrastructures of Protection: Planning for Catastrophes to Come
Prof. Dr. Christine Hentschel (UHH), Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder (UHH/ IFSH)
3. Protection Mainstreaming through Valuation Practices in the United Nations
Dr. Holger Niemann (IFSH)
4. Conceived through Practice: Unearthing the Security Promise Norm and Its Contested Meanings
Prof. Dr. Antje Wiener (UHH)
5. Life under Pressure: Political Intervention in the Face of Urbicide
Prof. Dr. Susanne Krasmann (UHH)
6. Defensive Publics and Their Imagined Security Communities in the Digital Realm
Prof. Dr. Kleinen‑von Königslöw (UHH)
7. Reclaiming the State’s Security Promise from the Perspective of Statelessness
Prof. Dr. Eray Çaylı (UHH)
8. Security Utopias in Catastrophic Times
Prof. Dr. Nina Perkowski (UHH)
Who we are: PROMISE is a collaborative and interdisciplinary research unit involving the University of Hamburg (UHH), the Helmut Schmidt University/ University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg (HSU), and the Institute for Peace Research and Security at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) .
Your Profile
You hold a Master’s or PhD degree in a relevant discipline. You are dedicated, curious and eager to contribute to interdisciplinary research on security and protection in times of crisis. You are able to work both independently and collaboratively within a team, have strong research skills, and communicate effectively in English; German language skills are an advantage.
We offer
Embedded in a strong and collaborative research ecosystem in Hamburg, PROMISE provides an inspiring and supportive environment for interdisciplinary scholarship. Designed as an intellectual hub for critical and out-of-the-box security research, PROMISE advances understanding of how democracies negotiate the boundaries and priorities of protection in times of crisis. You will join a friendly and dynamic research community with regular workshops, colloquia, mentoring opportunities and excellent conditions for early-career researchers.
Instructions for applying
Further details on the Research Unit and its projects are available at:
Current job openings within PROMISE can be found here: