PhD position in Psychology: Sustainable decision making and behavior change

We are seeking applicants for a four-years PhD position within the newly founded Center for Psychology of Sustainability and Behavior Change at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Basel. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Dr. Ulf Hahnel and a team of international leading scholars to conduct research on the cognitive and affective mechanisms underlying sustainable judgment and decisions around the world.

• Design experimental studies to examine judgments and decisions in the climate and energy domain across 12 nations around the globe
• Interact with international leading researchers and think tanks and contribute to the coordination of the project network
• Coordinate online data collection in the target nations in collaboration with the team and external partners
• Analyze multilevel cross-national (longitudinal) experimental data
• Write scientific articles in collaboration with international experts
• Contribute to the supervision of master students

• An excellent master's degree in psychology
• Very good methodological and statistical skills (using R preferably)
• Strong interest in decision making and sustainability topics
• Previous experience with cross-cultural and longitudinal research is a plus
• Interest in pursuing a scientific career
• Willingness to work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Excellent oral and written skills in English

The newly founded Center for Psychology of Sustainability and Behavior Change provides a fast growing and stimulating international research environment to work on some of today's most pressing societal challenges. The position will be embedded within the internationally recognized research area Social, Economic, and Decision Psychology of the University of Basel, the University Basel network Sustainable Futures (https://sustainable-future.unibas.ch/en/ ), and the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences (https://www.unige.ch/cisa/ ). Further benefits include:

• A large international network, including 13 universities, research centers, and international think tanks such as Hong Kong University, the University of Queensland, Michigan State University, the University of Waikato, Stanford University, the Yale Program of Climate Change Communication, the University of Amsterdam, and the London School of Economics.
• Excellent working conditions including a competitive salary (starting at about CHF 47'000)
• Comprehensive doctoral training programs
• Additional funding for conference travel and education
• Basel is located at the Rhine and the borders of France and Germany and is noted for its international character and high quality of life.
• The University of Basel is an equal opportunity and family friendly employer committed to excellence through diversity

To increase the number of women in leading academic positions the university strongly encourages applications from women.

Application / Contact

Please send your application via e-mail to [email protected] ideally before April 20, 2022. Interested applicants are asked to send one single pdf document containing :

• Cover letter outlining the motivation to pursue a PhD in the context of this project
• Curriculum Vitae
• Relevant certifications (e.g., transcript of grades),
• A sample document of academic writing (e.g., master thesis)
• One letter of recommendation

Review of applications will begin on April 20, 2022 and will continue until the position has been filled. The earliest starting date is July 1, 2022. Please don't hesitate to contact [email protected] for further inquiries.