[PHILOS-L] PhD Position in Philosophy of Physics/Science (Three Years, 75%)

[Berghofer, Philipp (philipp.berghofer@uni-graz.at)]

PhD Position in Philosophy of Physics/Science (Three Years, 75%)

Where: University of Graz, Austria
Starting date: March 1, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter
Duration: Three years
Salary: € 52,007.20 per year (gross)
Application deadline: February 2, 2026

The University of Graz is hiring a University Assistant without doctorate. The successful candidate is expected to write a dissertation connected to the research project “The Phenomenological Turn: From Epistemology to Quantum Mechanics” (funded by the Austrian Science Fund [FWF]). The dissertation will be supervised by Dr. Philipp Berghofer, the principal investigator of this project.

The successful candidate will be embedded in a research community of philosophers of physics, physicists, and phenomenologists that includes the PI of the project, two PostDocs who will be hired in early 2027, the collaboration partners of the project, researchers associated with another FWF project led by Philipp Berghofer, “The Ontology and Future of Gauge Theories”, and the members of the section Classical Phenomenology led by Prof. Sonja Rinofner-Kreidl.

Strong candidates will have a background in philosophy of physics and an interest in phenomenological approaches to quantum mechanics.

Possible fields of research for the dissertation project include:

• QBism and its relationship to phenomenology

• The quantum reconstruction program and its relationship to interpretations of QM

• The role of instruments in science with a focus on QBist approaches to scientific instrumentation

• Scientific perspectivism and its relationship to phenomenological approaches to QM

Your responsibilities

• Writing a dissertation at the University of Graz in the area of philosophy of physics or philosophy of science

• Participation in research projects of the working group of Dr. Philipp Berghofer

• Teaching courses and conducting examinations

• Supervision of students

Requirements

• Completed diploma or master’s degree in the area of philosophy or comparable degree

• Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English and/or German

• Scientific curiosity and interest in working on current research questions

• Independent working style and high level of initiative

• Strong teamwork and organizational skills

How to apply

All applications must be submitted via the Uni Graz job portal:

https://jobs.uni-graz.at/en/jobs/bebdf214-9e46-ea5b-b90f-69396da55f30

We welcome candidates with a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives and especially encourage members of underrepresented groups to apply.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact: philipp....@uni-graz.at

Summary of the Project

The wider research context of the FWF ASTRA project “The Phenomenological Turn: From Epistemology to Quantum Mechanics” concerns the epistemological significance of experiences and the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The overall objective is to make progress in philosophy of physics and epistemology by engaging experience-first epistemologies with agent-centered approaches to quantum mechanics. More precisely, the main aim is to establish a phenomenological-epistemological framework for reconstructing, interpreting, and understanding quantum mechanics. The hypotheses driving this project are that all epistemic justification and every piece of knowledge can be traced back to epistemically foundational experiences, that all justification-conferring experiences gain their justificatory force by virtue of their distinctive presentive phenomenology, and that it is the most fundamental aim of science to develop the formalism that allows the experiencing subject to answer the following question: Given my previous experiences, what should I expect to experience next?

Project link:

https://www.fwf.ac.at/en/research-radar/10.55776/AST1252624

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