Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) (m/f/d), Department of Political Institutions and Conflict

Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften

At the Institute, the Department of Political Institutions and Conflict is inviting applications for the position of

Research Fellow (Postdoctoral) (m/f/d)

(full-time for two years with a starting date of April 1, 2026, or earlier). The newly established department "Political Institutions and Conflict" (led by Ursula Daxecker) studies the relationship between political institutions and conflict, broadly construed. Conflict is inherent in politics, but can be managed peacefully or break out in the open and turn violent. Research in the department explores how institutions impact whether conflict is managed peacefully or not, and how conflict itself can sustain or undermine institutions. The department’s empirical focus is on the Global South and combines advanced quantitative methods, such as survey-based and observational causal inference designs, with qualitative approaches, such as fieldwork and interviews. Through this research, the department aims to produce new, evidence-based insights relevant to policy and contemporary society.

Responsibilities (what you will do):

A postdoctoral research fellow with relevant skills and interests is sought for a project aiming to understand the persistence of political violence in democracies, with an empirical focus on India. Research largely agrees that the adoption of democracy reduces the severity of political violence, but low-intensity forms often persist. This project will describe and explain patterns of persistence, including why political violence continues to occur, in what form, and with what strategies. Moreover, the project will explore the effects of political violence on democratic quality. The empirical focus will be on India, the world’s largest democracy, yet one where many forms of political violence, including caste, religious, criminal, and party-based violence, persist despite decades of experience with democracy. The project relies on a multi-method approach, including quantitative analysis of news reporting on political violence, electoral and other administrative data, survey data, and qualitative data gathered from fieldwork and interviews. Specifically, you will:

• Conduct high-quality research within the framework of the project, including the design, collection and analysis of event data;
• Carry out fieldwork and interviews in India;
• Write academic articles with other project members (including the director and associated researchers at the MPI and other institutions);
• Assist with administrative responsibilities related to the project, including organization of workshops, writing deliverables, data management, and dissemination of project findings in general audience venues;
• Co-support and mentor PhD students and junior researchers working on the project;
• Be affiliated with and take active part in the research environment at the Department. Regular presence at the Institute is therefore required and researchers need to reside within commuter distance of Göttingen.

Requirements:

The following qualifications are essential:

• a PhD degree or equivalent in Political Science. The degree must have been obtained before the employment start date;
• excellent publication record (i.e., publications in highly ranked international journals) or demonstrated potential thereof;
• demonstrated interest in political violence, and willingness to develop additional subject matter and regional expertise;
• excellent command of quantitative research methods, including panel regression, analysis of large administrative data, survey data, and statistical programming in Stata/R/etc.;
• experience collecting, coding, and analyzing event data;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• a commitment to academic integrity and transparency;
• independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaborate in an interdisciplinary team.

The following qualifications are desirable:

• excellent oral and written communication skills in Hindi or Bengali;
• expertise in research on Indian politics;
• experience with large-language models;
• familiarity with causal inference methods, or willingness to acquire it;
• experience conducting fieldwork and qualitative interviews.

What We Offer:

The position is full-time and for a period of two years (with a probational period of six months) ending 31 March 2028. Salary is based on the German collective agreement for civil servants (TVöD Bund), level E 13. The Max Planck Society is mainly funded by German Federal and State Governments (see www.mpg.de). Max Planck Institutes provide outstanding facilities, academic resources and intellectual environments for the support of independent research. Max Planck Institutes are not tied to universities. There are no teaching obligations for staff, but teaching and other forms of co-operation with universities are possible. The Max Planck Society wishes to increase the participation of women across the sciences. Applications from women are therefore particularly welcome. Following its commitment to equal opportunities employment policies, the Max Planck Society especially encourages applications from persons with a disability. Persons of any nationality can apply.