The KLI

3 KLI Postdoctoral Fellowships on

“Evolutionary theory in interdisciplinary context”

Evolutionary arguments and theories are often mobilized in other disciplines as well as in different societal contexts and discourses. These translations are challenging and require interdisciplinary and theoretical engagement at the intersection of evolutionary biology and other scientific or scholarly fields. In order to foster this engagement, the KLI is seeking 3 postdoc fellows conducting interdisciplinary evolutionary research with a focus on theoretical approaches, including conceptual, mathematical, and historical analyses. 

We encourage applications from research fields such as evolutionary medicine, including evolutionary epidemiology in public health; evolutionary ecology and conservation biology; evolutionary neuroscience and psychology; and biocultural evolution. Projects may also comprise empirical work carried out with partner institutions. Furthermore, we invite projects from ethics, philosophy, history and social studies of science that engage with the epistemological and ethical issues that emerge when using evolutionary arguments and theories in contexts and discourses outside of evolutionary biology. 

 

Please contact: Guido Caniglia (guido.caniglia@kli.ac.at ) and Philipp Mitteröcker (philipp.mitteroecker@univie.ac.at )

 

Who is encouraged to apply?

Postdoc fellowships are individual fellowships for researchers in residence and are awarded to work independently on the applicant’s research project. The fellowships are especially well-suited for post-docs whose research deals with the historical, philosophical, and conceptual foundations in the disciplines mentioned above but also for empirical researchers who wish to elaborate on the conceptual, epistemological, and methodological underpinnings and implications of their work. The applicants should be interested in and eager to extend their research perspective by drawing on novel concepts of evolutionary theorizing, philosophy of science, and cognition research based on long-standing work done at the KLI.

Details of the fellowships:

  • Duration: KLI postdoc fellowships are awarded for a period of 12 months, renewable for additional 12 months upon positive assessment 
  • Starting date: Fellowships must start within the calendar year of 2023. A start between September and December 2023 is encouraged.

Benefits of working at the KLI:

  • Being part of the KLI Resident Fellowship Program: KLI fellows will be part of the KLI Resident Fellowship Program and will enjoy all benefits connected to this position.
    • While working on their own project, the postdocs will participate in the regular activities of the KLI (e.g., KLI Colloquia, KLI Lab).
    • The fellows will also be able to participate in workshops and professional development activities at the KLI.
    • The successful applicants will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment and will be connected to a wide network of scholarsand institutions inside and outside Vienna, a city that offers a strong and multidisciplinary research environment with multiple opportunities for collaborations in fields related to evolution. 
  • Relocation Allowance: The KLI will cover transportation costs for the move to Vienna or Klosterneuburg. The KLI will provide accommodation in the vicinity of the institute for the first two weeks of the fellowship.
  • Travel Budget: KLI Fellowship provides a travel budget to attend scientific events related to the project.
  • Use of KLI facilities and library: Each fellow will have a workspace in the beautiful and stimulating facilities of the KLI.

Application and selection procedure

 

Pre-selection

Step    1   

Aspiring applicants fill in the Contact Form. Please specify “Evolution across fields” in the motivation section of the form.

 

Deadline: December 15, 2022

Application

 

Step 2     

The KLI selection committee will notify the aspiring applicant. The successful ones will be invited to submit a full application.

 

By the end of January 2023 

Step 3

Applicants will submit their full application to the following email address: evolution2023@kli.ac.at

 

 

Deadline: February 15, 2023

 

Selection

 

Step 4

The selection committee will select successful applications and invite candidates for an interview.

 

By mid March 2023

Step 5

The interview will take place at the KLI by using video conference technologies.

 

Between mid March and early April 2023

 

 

 

Decision

Step 6

 

 

The KLI Board of Directors will make a final decision on the application.

 

By the end of April 2023

Expected start of fellowship

Step 7

Cohort 2023 of Postdoctoral Fellows will start their fellowship at the KLI

Sept.-Dec. 2023

 

Important: Forms and detailed procedures for the full application will be provided only to applicants after Step 1.

A full application will comprise:

  • Research project 
  • Motivation statement
  • CV 
  • Publication list 

The applications will be selected using the following criteria:

  • Theoretical relevance of the project
  • Interdisciplinary aspects of the project
  • Societal relevance of the project 
  • Feasibility of work-plan
  • Fit with the KLI mission and vision