Research Group Leader for the Research Group: Computational Dependencies and Cultural Data Studies

The University of Bonn is an international research university offering a broad range of subjects. With a 200-year history, some 31,500 students, more than 6,000 employees and an outstanding reputation in Germany and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the leading universities in Germany and has been awarded the status of a University of Excellence.

The Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) in cooperation with the Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH) is looking to fill the following position with effect from 1 January 2027, on a fixed-term contract until 31 December 2032:

Research Group Leader for the Research Group “Computational Dependencies and Cultural Data Studies”

The BCDSS, a German Research Council-funded “Cluster of Excellence”, offers excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary and comparative research of different forms of Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies (SADs) across time periods and world regions. During its first phase (2019–2025), the BCDSS successfully developed the concept of SAD as a comprehensive analytical framework to understand how power imbalances have been shaped in the past, and continue to influence, societies around the world today. In its second funding phase (2026–2032), the BCDSS will investigate the underlying causes and mechanisms that contribute to the persistence of SADs across historical and contemporary contexts. We aim to anchor Historically Informed Dependency Studies (HIDS) as a key interdisciplinary field in the humanities, encouraging scholars across the humanities and social sciences to systematically integrate the analysis of SADs into the study of social, economic, and cultural phenomena.

Our research focuses on five Research Areas:

• Transitions and Transformations of SADs,
• Economies of SADs,
• Power – Violence – Trauma,
• Cultural Heritage – Transitional Justice – Memory Cultures,
• Alternative Archives and Life Writing.

The successful candidate will lead the Research Group “Computational Dependencies and Cultural Data Studies”, and design and conduct independent projects in the field of Historically Informed Dependency Studies (HIDS) that relate to the BCDSS’ Research Area E “Alternative Archives and Life Writing”. The proposed project may address any issue relevant to the study of Strong Asymmetrical Dependencies, from any discipline respective to the chosen Research Area. Topics can therefore be of a wide variety – from micro studies to wide scale approaches, in any historical period or geographical region. A Research Group at the BCDSS is an independent research unit led by an early-career researcher to pursue an original research agenda while supervising a small team of researchers. Furthermore, the successful candidate will be part of the interdisciplinary and international research community. The BCDSS also offers opportunities for mentoring coaching and career development support.

Your tasks:

• Designing the research and technological profile for the Research Group, focusing on the computational analysis of strong asymmetrical dependencies (SADs) in societies of the past,
• Recruiting and supervising one doctoral researcher and one software developer,
• Conducting an independent research project resulting in a high-impact monograph or substantial digital/computational outputs,
• Developing and implementing custom software pipelines for the processing of historical source materials, utilizing methods such as HTR/OCR, Knowledge Graphs, LLMs, Geospatial Analysis, or Network Analysis as required by your research focus,
• Proactively addressing technical challenges such as algorithmic biases, model reliability, and the identification of marginalized or "invisible" actors in historical sources,
• Leading the Research Group to drive empirical and computational research objectives,
• Organizing hands-on technical workshops, hackathons, and seminars to foster digital competencies within the BCDSS and the Bonn academic community,
• Teaching at least two seminars per year, contributing to the curriculum in Computational Humanities and Data Studies.

Your profile:

• A postdoctoral researcher with a strong academic track record in Computational Humanities, Computer Science, Data Science, Digital Archaeology, Digital History, or a closely related field,
• Proven, hands-on programming expertise (specifically Python or R) and familiarity with professional software development workflows (e.g., Git, containerization, and data pipeline optimization),
• Demonstrated experience in applying computational methodologies—such as HTR/OCR, NLP, Knowledge Graphs, or Network Analysis—to historical or cultural datasets,
• A "data-critical" mindset: You possess the ability to deconstruct and quantify biases in AI models and are dedicated to making "invisible" historical actors visible through innovative algorithmic approaches,
• Strong interest in utilizing and further developing the Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH) research infrastructure,
• The administrative and personal aptitude to lead a small, agile team and act as a technical bridge between humanities and computer science.

We offer:

• Participation in the international research hub "Bonn Center of Dependency and Slavery Studies" and integration into the Bonn Center for Digital Humanities (BCDH),
• The opportunity to conduct independent research with robust technical support,
• An interdisciplinary environment where software development is valued as a core scientific contribution,
• Personnel resources to build your team (1 PhD position, 1 software developer position),
• Mentoring by two experienced professors from the Cluster of Excellence,
• Occupational pension (VBL),
• Many options available for university sports,
• Excellent access by public transport thanks to Bonn’s central location as well as the opportunity to take advantage of low-cost parking,
• Flexible working hours and the ability to work from home,
• Remuneration in accordance with TV-L pay grade 14.

Your application needs to include:

• Cover letter stating your motivation to work at the BCDSS (max. 1800 characters including spaces),
• Curriculum Vitae,
• A copy of your PhD certificate,
• An outline of the proposed Research Group (max. 10.000 characters including spaces). Please include information on:
  • Key research questions and hypotheses;
  • originality of the proposed project vis-à-vis existing scholarship and key publications in the field (with bibliography);
  • alignment of the project with the BCDSS’ research goals in general;
  • relevance of the project to the BCDH and Research Area E in particular and, if applicable, cross-connections to other Research Areas;
  • concise ideas for one PhD project and one project description for a software developer;
• The name and contact of two referees (position, professional address, and e-mail).

The University of Bonn promotes an open, respectful, and non-discriminatory academic culture and is actively committed to equal opportunity and family friendliness. We aim to eliminate structural disadvantages and to strengthen diversity in research, teaching, and administration. Therefore, we welcome all applications, regardless of ethnic or social background, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability, or age.

Applications from women and people with a documented severe disability (or equivalent status) will be given preferential consideration in accordance with the State Equality Act (LGG) NRW and Social Code (SGB) IX.

If you are interested in this position, please send your complete application to application@dependency.uni-bonn.de by September 15, 2026, quoting reference 2026/388. For technical reasons, applications may only be submitted by email as a single PDF file. Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Matthias Lang if you need any more information.