Doctoral Position in Empirical Educational Research in Sport

The University of Vienna is a community of almost 11,000 individuals, including approximately 7,700 academic staff members, who passionately pursue answers to the profound questions that shape our future. Fuelled by curiosity and a deep sense of responsibility, they provide invaluable contributions to research and teaching, thus enriching our society. Are you also inspired and driven by the desire to make a meaningful impact?

Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences – Three Doctoral Positions (AUTUMN CALL 2026)

Faculty of Life Sciences
Working hours: 30 | Classification CBA: §48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc)
Job ID: 6168

The University of Vienna invites outstanding candidates to apply for three doctoral positions in the Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences as part of its Autumn Call 2026, offering eleven funded doctoral positions in total.

Your personal sphere of influence:

We are looking for outstanding international early-career researchers interested in pursuing doctoral research in the Vienna Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences (VDS-PhaNuSpo) of the University of Vienna as part of its Autumn Call 2026. Interested candidates can apply for a PhD position under the supervision of one of the following three supervisors in:

Empirical Educational Research in Sport

Please note that the project should be embedded in the German-speaking educational context.
Supervisor: Maike Niehues
PhD programme in Sport Science
Preferred Start date: 01/11/2026

Physical Literacy, Physical Activity and Health Education

Supervisor: Johannes Carl
PhD programme in Sport Science
Preferred Start date: 01/11/2026

For 1 & 2: The employment duration is 4 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to 4 years if the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a non-extension declaration.

Molecular Drug Targeting

Supervisor: Christoph Rademacher
Doctoral programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Preferred start date: 01/11/2026

The employment duration is 3 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to 3 years if the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a declaration of non-extension. With appropriate work progress, an extension to a total maximum of 4 years is possible.

Successful candidates will join the VDS-PhaNuSpo that brings together doctoral candidates and researchers from diverse disciplines and offers a structured doctoral programme, first-class supervision, vibrant research networks, opportunities to publish, teach, and engage internationally.

Your future tasks:

• Participation in research projects/research studies
• Development and implementation of an independent doctoral research project
• Dissemination of project results in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences
• Participation in teaching and independent teaching of courses as defined by the collective agreement
• Supervision of students
• Contribution to the organisation of meetings, conferences, and symposia
• Involvement in department administration
• Strong communication, data presentation, and visualisation skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

This is part of your personality:

You are invited to apply if you are a highly qualified graduate who:

• has completed a Diploma or Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in a field of announced position of interest, or a closely related discipline;
• demonstrates a strong interest in academic research and in pursuing a PhD at the University of Vienna;
• meets the doctoral admission requirements of the University of Vienna by the start of employment.

What we offer:

• Excellence in research: Join one of Europe’s leading universities with internationally recognised scholars.
• Vibrant research environment: Engage with top research groups, archives, libraries, and cross disciplinary centres—supported by seminar series, colloquia, and visiting fellows.
• Structured doctoral training: Benefit from close supervision and gain access to high-quality methods workshops, transferable skills development, and opportunities to present your work and receive expert feedback.
• Fair salary: A basic gross salary of monthly EUR 3.776,10 (on a 40h/week basis, 14x p.a.).
• Employment duration: See section ‘Your personal sphere of influence’.
• International networks: Connect to a global community and collaborative projects that encourage mobility and knowledge exchange.
• Inclusive culture: We foster equal opportunity, diversity, and a collegial environment where talent thrives.

It is that easy to apply (in English):

To apply for this position, you must submit a complete application through the job portal of the University of Vienna (apply now-button).

Complete applications include the following:

• Personal information and contact details
• Letter of motivation
• Scientific Curriculum Vitae
• Information and Certificates of university degrees and ECT transcripts
• Information on additional training, professional experience
• Contact details of references

Application deadline: 15 October 2026, 14 am CET

If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQs on the call website.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call +43-1-4277-18248 or email [email protected] with their request.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Isolde Prommer
[email protected]

We look forward to new personalities in our team!

The University of Vienna has an anti-discriminatory employment policy and attaches great importance to equal opportunities, the advancement of women and diversity. We place particular emphasis on enhancing women’s representation among the academic and general university staff, particularly in leadership roles, and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. Given equal qualifications, preference will be given to female candidates.