The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is recruiting highly qualified Post-Docs or more senior Research Scientists to join the Lab of Migration and Mobility and/or the Lab of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being, within the Department of Digital and Computational Demography, headed by MPIDR Director Emilio Zagheni. 

Digital and computational demography is a growing interdisciplinary field that tackles fundamental questions across all domains of population research by combining the methods and perspectives of computational sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and statistics. The field has emerged in parallel with rapid technological improvements in computing, the spread of Internet and mobile technologies, and the increased digitalization of data and of people’s lives. Our group brings together methodologists (from areas like statistics, computer science or formal demography) with population scientists in order to foster cross-pollination of ideas, to advance methods and theories of demographic research, and to address pressing scientific and societal questions.

Candidates who can enrich, complement or expand projects in Research Areas of the Lab of Migration and Mobility or Research Areas of the Lab of Population Dynamics and Sustainable Well-Being would be particularly welcome. Across all profiles, ability and willingness to work in interdisciplinary teams in order to conduct cutting-edge research that advances our understanding of population processes is key.

Examples of themes that we are interested in strengthening include (but are not limited to):

• The use of advanced statistical analysis, machine learning or causal inference for estimating, understanding and forecasting demographic and health outcomes, at the individual and aggregate levels, including as they relate to life course and socio-economic and labor market dynamics.
   
• Modeling, understanding and forecasting migration flows, including dynamics by age and gender, by level of education, and for high-skilled migration, as well as integration of migrants and the social and economic implications of migration.
   
• The assessment of the impact of socio-technological transformations, including the digitalization of life and the adoption of Artificial Intelligence tools, on socio-demographic inequalities, demographic outcomes, family formation (e.g. the role of online dating), gender inequalities, intergenerational relationships, and well-being.
   
• The assessment of the relationships between climate change, population dynamics and individual behaviors, including the impact of climate change on demographic and health indicators.

Applications have to be in English and submitted online via this survey and include the following documents:

1. Curriculum Vitae
    
2. Letter of interest (Max 1 page)
   Briefly state why you are interested in joining the MPIDR, how the MPIDR could foster your professional development and career trajectory, and in which ways your interests and skills fit the research program of the department and corresponding lab at MPIDR.   
    
3. Research Statement (Max 2 pages)
   Briefly describe your research accomplishments, as well as ongoing and future research plans. Please also describe your technical skills, areas of expertise, as well as the type of scientific contribution that you envision making at MPIDR.
    
4. Names and contact information for 2 academic referees
    
5. Two writing samples or publications

Our labs are committed to transparent and reproducible research. We welcome applicants who have embraced open science practices in their work and/or are enthusiastic about developing open science practices.

The announcement will be open until the positions are filled. In order to receive full consideration, applications should be submitted by October 10, 2025. The starting date is flexible, but no later than fall 2026. The successful applicants will be offered a 3-year contract with remuneration commensurate to experience (starting from currently approx. 63,000 EUR gross per year for researchers who have just completed their PhD, up to approx. 72,500 EUR gross per year for more senior scientists), based on the salary structure of the German public sector (Öffentlicher Dienst, TVöD Bund). They are expected to be in residence at the MPIDR.

For inquiries about the positions, please contact the Labs deputy heads Daniela Perrotta or Ugofilippo Basellini.

The MPIDR is one of the leading demographic research centers in the world, part of the Max Planck Society, a network of more than 80 institutes that form Germany’s premier basic-research organization. Max Planck Institutes have an established record of world-class, foundational research in the sciences, technology, social sciences and the humanities. They offer a unique environment that combines the best aspects of an academic setting and a research laboratory.

The MPIDR is an equal opportunities employer. Respect and inclusivity are central to our work culture, where diversity in gender, background, beliefs, abilities, and identities is embraced and valued. We are committed to shaping a culture that encourages continuous development of each person’s skills and potential. 

We value diversity and are keen to employ individuals from minorities and under-represented groups. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

The Max Planck Society offers a broad range of measures to support the reconciliation of work and family. These are complemented by the MPIDR’s own initiatives. For more information, see: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/go/work-family

In addition, there are a range of Max Planck Society-wide initiatives and measures primarily geared towards helping young female researchers and mothers to advance their career. For some examples, see: https://www.demogr.mpg.de/go/career-development

We invite applications from qualified and highly motivated students for a 3.5-year St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship in Population Health. The PhD studentship is funded by the University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR). The PhD student will be working in the intersection of population health, kinship demography and geography. The project will investigate how adult children contribute to their parents’ health and survival (including the role of residential proximity). The project will involve analysis of individual-level data from high-income countries (including the UK). The project will be part of the International Max Planck Research School for Population, Health and Data Science (IMPRS-PHDS) imprs-phds.mpg.de and The Connecting Generations Centre (CGC) cpc.ac.uk/research_programme. The studentship is available from January 2023.

In the first 21 months, the successful applicant will be working in the Laboratory of Population Health at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany, one of the leading centres for demographic research in the world. Please see:
demogr.mpg.de/population_health.

For the remainder of the studentship, they will be working at the University of St Andrews. They will become a member of the Population and Health Research Group at the School of Geography and Sustainable Development (SGSD), which combines expertise in advanced techniques of demographic, longitudinal and spatial analysis. For further details about the research group, please see: populationandhealth.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk. The student is expected to use the opportunity of preparing a PhD thesis as a collection of research articles according to the PGR regulations of the University of St Andrews.

During the period in Germany, the PhD student will be paid according to the MPIDR rules and regulations. This includes: 1) A contract currently amounting to a gross salary of about €34,295 per year, including a Christmas bonus (Weihnachtsgeld); and 2) Financial support for travel, research training, and data acquisition. During the period in the UK, the St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship will cover: 1) A maintenance grant of £16,062 per year (in the 2022/23 academic year, subject to increase annually according to the ESRC rules and regulations); 2) A research training support grant (RTSG) of £750 per year; and 3) Full tuition fee waiver.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated PhD student to join an international team of researchers applying advanced quantitative methods and statistical modelling to a cutting-edge population and health science topic. Students with an excellent master’s degree (distinction or merit in the UK) or the equivalent national qualification in any area of social, health and environmental sciences including statistics and applied mathematics who are interested in this opportunity must submit their application by 26th September, 2022. Please see the advice on applying for research degree programmes at: st-andrews.ac.uk/study/apply. Please apply to the programme “PhD Geography (Science)”. Please include a cover letter outlining your interest in applying advanced quantitative methods to studying populations. Please also upload an academic writing sample (normally a chapter of a Masters dissertation) to your online application. Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed in the first half of October. The University of St Andrews and the Max Planck Society strive for equal opportunities. Applications of any background are welcome. The Max Planck Society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

For informal inquiries, please contact Dr. Yana Vierboom (vierboom@demogr.mpg.de), Dr. Júlia Mikolai (Julia.Mikolai@st-andrews.ac.uk), Prof. Mikko Myrskylä (office-myrskyla@demogr.mpg.de) and Prof. Hill Kulu (Hill.Kulu@st-andrews.ac.uk). For informal enquires about the application process please contact Helen Olaez at: gsdpgradmin@st-andrews.ac.uk. Please include ‘St Andrews–Max Planck PhD studentship’ in the subject line of your email.