Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Educational Psychology for Interdisciplinary Project on Literary Attention

The position is limited to two years. The anticipated starting date is 01 November 2026 or the earliest possible date thereafter.

The position is part of the project LitAttention – What Short Fiction Knows About Attention and Attention PPolitics, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). LitAttention combines approaches from cognitive literary studies, computational literary studies, psycholinguistics, and educational psychology to investigate literary techniques and linguistic devices that guide readers’ attention, and to examine the use and effectiveness of short prose fiction in educational settings. LitAttention is based at the Department of English Literatures and Cultures at the University of Stuttgart and is embedded in a strong interdisciplinary research community. The subproject focusing on educational psychology will be conducted in close collaboration with The Hector Research Institute of Education Science and Psychology at the University of Tübingen and the Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien (IWM), two of the leading centres for empirical educational research in Germany and internationally.

Your tasks

The successful candidate will explore the potential of short fiction to foster cognitive activation and self-regulation in educational settings within the broader framework of interdisciplinary attention studies.

Responsibilities include:

• Designing, conducting, and evaluating randomised controlled (field) studies in the context of educational effectiveness.
• Contributing to the (theoretical and empirical) development of the LitAttention subproject focusing on short prose fiction in educational settings
• Participating in the organisation of project events, outreach activities, presentations, and project publications.
• Collaborating closely with researchers at The Hector Research Institute of Education Science and Psychology and IWM at Tübingen while being based at the University of Stuttgart

Required qualifications

• A PhD degree in Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Education Sciences or a related discipline
• A strong research profile and an excellent publication record commensurate with career stage
• Demonstrated expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating experimental studies, including randomised controlled field studies
• Ideally, experience in research on the cognitive mechanisms of reading
• Excellent written and spoken language skills in English; German proficiency is a plus
• A strong interest in interdisciplinary research
• Excellent communication and organisational skills, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Familiarity with literary studies is not required but is considered an asset

What we offer

• The opportunity to join an international, highly motivated, and supportive research team
• A stimulating, international work environment, strongly committed to interdisciplinary research
• Membership in the Tübingen Postdoctoral Academy for Research in Education (PACE) and the LEAD Graduate School & Research Network
• Individual mentoring to support professional and scientific development
• Access to internal training, professional development, and coaching opportunities
• Numerous additional benefits offered by the University of Stuttgart (https://www.beschaeftigte.uni-stuttgart.de/en/)

Please email your application to elc@ilw.uni-stuttgart.de via the above 'Apply' button by 15 September 2026, using “LitAttention Postdoc” as subject line. Please include the following documents (compiled in one single pdf-file): cover letter including a description of your past and current research interests as well as your expertise in the required area; CV including a publication list; copies of academic certificates and transcript of records; an abstract of your PhD thesis (or equivalent); and the names and contact details of two academic referees. Please also submit a PDF document of your PhD thesis (or equivalent).

For further information about the position, please contact Prof. Dr. Sibylle Baumbach, sibylle.baumbach@ilw.uni-stuttgart.de and Prof. Dr. Ulrich Trautwein (ulrich.trautwein@uni-tuebingen.de).

The University of Stuttgart is a certified family-friendly university and offers a wide range of services to support early-career researchers (https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/research/early-career-researchers/) and to enhance social equity (https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/university/profile/equality-diversity/). The University of Stuttgart is an equal opportunity employer (https://www.uni-stuttgart.de/en/university/employer/). Women who apply will be given preferential consideration in areas in which they are underrepresented. Applications from severely disabled candidates with equivalent qualifications will be given priority.