Two Doctoral Students

The DFG Emmy Noether Junior Research Group “Archival Sovereignty: Indigenous Digital Media, Language Revival and Land Defense in the Andes”, led by Dr. Maradiegue (Department of Anthropology of the Americas), is inviting applications for two doctoral students at 65 % working time for the period of October 1, 2026 — September 30, 2029 , initially limited to 3 years with the possibility of a one‑year extension.

The University of Bonn is an international research university with a wide education and research profile. With a 200‑year history, approximately 31,500 students, more than 6,000 staff, and an excellent reputation at home and abroad, the University of Bonn is one of the most important universities in Germany and is recognized as a university of excellence.

The DFG Emmy Noether Junior Research Group

The project analyses the formation of digital archives by Indigenous groups and actors in their own epistemological ways and in connection with their ancestral lands and environments. It examines how such formation relates to agendas of language revitalization and defense of territories. Using the original concept of “Archival sovereignty”, the research group investigates the principles, agencies, and cosmopolitics related to archival formation by Quechua Cañaris peoples, an Andean Indigenous group. The project aims to understand how Quechua Cañaris activists navigate other non‑Indigenous archival regimes and participate in the restitution of historical audiovisual materials preserved at university archives.

• Writing a PhD thesis
• Conducting theoretically and ethnographically‑grounded research, engaging with critical perspectives in Andean studies, Indigenous studies, and the anthropology of archives and media
• Conducting ethnographic fieldwork in Peru on the topic of Indigenous communities, archives and epistemologies, with two fieldwork stays of approximately 4 months each; methodologies include elicitation of audiovisual materials, digital ethnography, and the collaborative production of a public exhibition and a multimedia website
• Collaborating on developing a shared research framework for the research group, while pursuing personal research interests
• Presenting at academic conferences and other relevant fora

The offer

• Opportunity to collaborate with international partners with diverse expertise
• Funding for fieldwork and travel to conferences
• Additional support for applicants with childcare responsibilities
• Company pension scheme (VBL)
• Remuneration according to pay group 13 TV‑L

Your profile

• MSc/MA in anthropology, Indigenous studies, area studies, sociology or related subjects
• Experience in ethnographic research with strong research skills
• Interest in situated and empirical research in sensitive contexts
• Excellent command of oral and written Spanish and English
• Basic knowledge of the Quechua language
• Resilient mindset for fieldwork challenges
• Reliable, structured, organized and a team player
• Prior relevant research and work experience is a plus

Diversity and equal opportunity

The University of Bonn is committed to diversity and equal opportunity. It is certified as a family‑friendly university. The University of Bonn seeks to increase female representation in staffing areas where women are underrepresented and provides special career support. It thus expressly encourages qualified women to apply. Applications will be handled in accordance with the NRW State Gender Equality Act (Landesgleichstellungsgesetz, LGG NRW). Applications from qualified candidates with a certified severe disability or from those of equal status are especially welcome.