The University of Passau owes its strong visibility and good repute to excellent research, innovative teaching and its tight-knit international academic networks. Some 11,000 students and more than 1,300 staff study and work on our university campus, which is located a stone's throw from the historical Old Town of Passau and combines state-of-the-art technical infrastructure with award-winning architecture. Internationally successful high-tech companies and a vibrant start-up scene, coupled with a rich culture and Lower Bavarian traditions, give Passau and the surrounding area a special appeal that makes it a great place to live and work.


The DFG Research Training Group 2720 «Digital Platform Ecosystems» at the University of Passau invites applications for

Doctoral Positions
(Ph.D. Candidates)



to start at the earliest convenience.
We offer fully funded full- and part-time positions (75%-100% FTE, TV-L 13) based on a fixed-term contract with social security and healthcare contributions. Remuneration is in accordance with pay grade E13 of the German public-sector collective agreement, TV-L. The positions are intended to be awarded for three years. Continued employment from October 2028 onward is subject to renewal of project funding.
The Research Training Group (RTG)
The RTG (see https://dpe.uni-passau.de/en for more information) is a postgraduate excellence programme and vibrant interdisciplinary research community, comprised of 20 doctoral (Ph.D.) and postdoctoral students, seven principal investigators/doctoral supervisors and an international network of research partners from the disciplines of information systems, management, organisation, marketing, economics and communication studies. The RTG is generously funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG; https://www.dfg.de/en/ ) and investigates the idiosyncratic characteristics of digital platform ecosystems and their implications for the transformation and design of economic value-creation architectures as well as for overarching socio-economic and regulatory developments. The RTG is seeking positions to be supervised by any one of the following professors: Stefan Bauernschuster (Public Economics); Michael Grimm (Development Economics); Carolin Häussler (Organisation & Technology Management), Andreas König (Strategic Management & Innovation), Jan Krämer (Internet Business), Hannah Schmidt-Petri (Science Communication), and Thomas Widjaja (Management of Information Systems).


What we seek
You are a highly motivated postgraduate with an excellent master's degree (awarded by a university) in information systems, management, organisation, marketing, economics, communication studies, or a related field of study . You can apply before graduating if you are close to finishing your degree - please contact us for details.

Excellent analytical skills and a keen interest in digital platforms.
Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team , open-mindedness, and the motivation to work on a research project independently and diligently.

Excellent spoken and written English language skills . Knowledge of German is not a requirement.


What we offer
The opportunity to pursue doctoral study at a renowned German university as part of a particularly strong research team with internationally recognised research activities at the highest scholarly level (see https://www.dpe.uni-passau.de/en/publications ).

Mentorship by at least two professors .

Your own research budget for conference visits and hiring student workers to assist with research.

No formal teaching obligation, but opportunities to participate in and contribute to the DPE curriculum.

A tailored and interdisciplinary doctoral training programme , complete with a fully funded three-month research visit abroad, external course programme (summer schools, workshops), co-supervision by leading international scholars and much more. The programme is designed such that students are enabled to complete their doctoral degree within three years.

You will participate regularly in international conferences and become integrated into an international research network.

Excellent infrastructure including IT equipment on one of Germany's most beautiful university campuses.

How to apply
Please visit www.dpe.uni-passau.de/en/application for details on the application process.
Direct your application and motivation letter to any one of the above-mentioned professors, indicating areas of mutual interest.
You can apply at any time, as we will be accepting applications on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.
We will start reviewing received applications on 15 February 2026 .


If you have any further questions, please contact Dr Verena Komander by email at dpe@uni-passau.de or get in touch with the relevant professors directly for questions regarding their research areas.
The University of Passau wishes to increase the proportion of its female staff and expressly encourages women to apply for these positions.
The positions are suitable for candidates with disabilities. Those who are registered disabled are given preference over non-disabled applicants who do not otherwise have statutory preferential status if their overall personal aptitudes, skills and qualifications are equal.
Emailed applications are kept on file for six months after the conclusion of the appointment procedure, whereupon they are deleted from our systems. Please visit www.uni-passau.de/en/university/current-vacancies for our data privacy policy.



DFG Research Training Group 2720 «Digital Platform Ecosystems» · University of Passau · Dr.-Hans-
Kapfinger-Str. 16 · 94032 Passau, Germany
https://dpe.uni-passau.de