Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Research Methods

Postdoctoral Research Fellow on Research Methods (m/f/d, E13 TV-L, 100%)

Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology

Bewerbungsfrist: 11.01.2026

The Hector Research Institute of Education Sciences and Psychology and the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network are currently inviting applications for the position:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow on Research Methods 
(m/f/d, E 13 TV-L, 100%, for 3 years with potential of extension for 3 more years)

We are seeking an excellent postdoc who is motivated to work on the development of new research methods and/or their application to research questions in Education Sciences and Educational Psychology. Applicants may come from any of the following (or related) fields: psychology/psychometrics, data science, statistics, econometrics, or education sciences. The position will be funded for 3 years with a potential extension for additional 3 years. The starting date for this position is as soon as possible, but we are committed to accommodating candidates’ individual circumstances. The successful candidate will primarily be mentored by Professor Benjamin Nagengast and Assistant Professor Elisabeth Kraus. 

The Hector Research Institute is a nationally and internationally leading research center in education sciences and psychology. More than 80 scientists work on current research topics in agile structures. The Hector Research Institute cooperates closely with the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network (Learning, Educational Achievement, and Life Course Development), an international research network in the field of educational research with an integrated PhD training program.

The successful candidate is expected to specialize in research methods (potential areas of expertise include: Item response theory, causal inference in non-experimental designs, psychometrics, randomized controlled field trials, longitudinal and multilevel modelling, machine learning methods, artificial intelligence). Experiences in and/or contributions to open science would be beneficial. Tasks include:

1. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals relevant to the development and application of quantitative methods in Education Sciences and Educational Psychology;
2. Collaborating with members of the Hector Research Institute and LEAD on research projects and publications, and
3. Providing a diverse range of methodological expertise and consulting, particularly in quantitative methods and statistics, for various projects.

Additionally, we expect postdocs to teach one course per semester.

Requirements

• Outstanding PhD degree from the above-mentioned fields with excellent grades and a strong interest in research from interdisciplinary perspectives;
• Extensive experience in the design, implementation, and analysis of studies on the effectiveness of teaching-learning settings or evaluation studies, as well as very good knowledge of quantitative research methods and data analysis;
• Nationally and internationally visible research (shown by relevant publications) in fields highly relevant to the institute's research;
• While beneficial, proficiency in German is not necessary for this position.

The postdoc will benefit from unique opportunities, including:

• Close collaboration, mentoring, and professional development;
• Supportive environment to enable presentations at national and international conferences and publications in highly ranked journals to advance an (international) academic career;
• Opportunities for interdisciplinary and international exchange programs (e.g., lab visits); access to the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network and the Hector Research Institute’s postdoctoral academy PACE, which offers further training, coaching, and mentoring at postdoctoral level.

For further inquiries about the position, please reach out to Prof. Benjamin NagengastBenjamin.Nagengastspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de  or Jun-Prof. Elisabeth KrausElisabeth.Krausspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de  

Applications including (a) a cover letter detailing your research experiences, interests, and methodological skills, (b) a CV, and (c) degrees and other certificates with transcripts should be sent via email in one single pdf-file using the subject “Postdoc research methods” to jobsspam prevention@hib.uni-tuebingen.de . The deadline is January 11, 2026. 

The University of Tübingen is committed to equity and diversity and actively promotes equal opportunities. Equally qualified candidates with disabilities will be given preference in the hiring process. The University of Tübingen is committed to increasing the percentage of women in research and teaching and thus encourages women with adequate qualifications to apply.

Employment will be officially carried out by the central university administration.