Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

More than one million years ago, early hominins found their way from Africa via Central Asia to Southeast Asia, opening a new geographical chapter in the early prehistory and dispersal of members of the genus Homo. Many questions about the routes, how and when exactly these migrations took place, and about evolutionary biocultural implications involved in that important period of human prehistory remain to be answered. The scientific funding programme therefore invites young scientists in Southeast Asia to submit project applications for field and/or laboratory research, in particular for explorations and excavations of new fossil sites.

South-East-Asian palaeontological and palaeoanthropological research at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt goes back to pioneering works of the world-renowned palaeontologist Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald, who joined Senckenberg in 1968, funded by the Werner Reimers Foundation.

The funding programme supports promising and creative research ideas offering to early-stage scientists (m/f/d) from a Southeast-Asian country up to 10 years after the doctorate to apply for an academic scholarship. Applicants may apply for costs for travels, accommodation, transports, fieldwork equipment and consumables, as well as allowances for field assistants, lab works, or own living expenses, publications and a scientific workshop / colloquium. Costs should be outlined along with a project timeline in a detailed budget plan submitted with the project description and objectives.

The methodological approach for the planned research project can be chosen freely within the context of human evolution in Southeast-Asia. The project should contribute to the Senckenberg research programme on Biocultural Evolution. Applicants must demonstrate a very good command of English.

Homepage: https://www.senckenberg.de/de/karriere/wissenschaftlerinnen/#content-0002_3

Founded in 1817, Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung (SGN) is one of the world’s leading research institutions in the field of biodiversity. At our twelve sites in Germany, scientists from over 40 nations conduct cutting-edge research on an international scale. Our headquarter is located in the thriving commercial metropolis of Frankfurt (Mainhatten) in the heart of Germany, which also hosts one of our most famous facilities, the Senckenberg Natural History Museum.

The Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, the Daimler and Benz Foundation, Gerda Henkel Foundation and the Werner Reimers Foundation will jointly bestow the Southeast-Asia Biocultural Evolution Research Fund for 2026 - 2027 (“Research Fund”) for a research project in a thematic context of human evolution and palaeo-biodiversity in South-East-Asia.

At the Senckenberg Research Institute Frankfurt, we call for applications for the

Southeast-Asia Biocultural Evolution Research Fund 2026 - 2027

More than one million years ago, early hominins found their way from Africa via Central Asia to Southeast Asia, opening a new geographical chapter in the early prehistory and dispersal of members of the genus Homo. Many questions about the routes, how and when exactly these migrations took place, and about evolutionary biocultural implications involved in that important period of human prehistory remain to be answered. The scientific funding programme therefore invites young scientists in Southeast Asia to submit project applications for field and/or laboratory research, in particular for explorations and excavations of new fossil sites.

South-East-Asian palaeontological and palaeoanthropological research at the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt goes back to pioneering works of the world-renowned palaeontologist Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald, who joined Senckenberg in 1968, funded by the Werner Reimers Foundation.

The funding programme supports promising and creative research ideas offering to early-stage scientists (m/f/d) from a Southeast-Asian country up to 10 years after the doctorate to apply for an academic scholarship. Applicants may apply for costs for travels, accommodation, transports, fieldwork equipment and consumables, as well as allowances for field assistants, lab works, or own living expenses, publications and a scientific workshop / colloquium. Costs should be outlined along with a project timeline in a detailed budget plan submitted with the project description and objectives.

The methodological approach for the planned research project can be chosen freely within the context of human evolution in Southeast-Asia. The project should contribute to the Senckenberg research programme on Biocultural Evolution. Applicants must demonstrate a very good command of English.

Your (academic) profile

• You are holding a citizenship of a Southeast-Asian country
• You have a doctorate in geosciences, life sciences, or archaeology
• The doctorate is no longer than 10 years ago
• You are affiliated to a university or an official research institution

Location: Your home institution, and temporarily the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt

Type of contract: For the duration of the project affiliation with Senckenberg Society for Nature Research. Project Funding for 24 months / or: period from 01.01.2026 – 31.12.2027.

Benefits: The Research Fund comprises of € 75.000 per year, for two years, with a possible extension for an additional third year (pending on report output review). It may include travel, fieldwork and labwork expenses, allowances (up to € 2.500 per month) and budget for a project related research colloquium or workshop in Southeast-Asia or in Germany.

Senckenberg is committed to diversity. We benefit from the different expertise, perspectives and personalities of our staff and welcome every application from qualified candidates, irrespective of age, gender, ethnic or cultural origin, religion and ideology, sexual orientation and identity or disability. Applicants with a severe disability will be given special consideration in case of equal suitability. Senckenberg actively supports the compatibility of work and family and places great emphasis on an equal and inclusive work culture.

Are you interested?

We look forward to your application documents (in English language) mentioning the reference number (ref. #01-25063) sent as a single PDF document until 30.11.2025 by e-mail only.

Please include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Letter of motivation for your application for the Southeast-Asia Biocultural Evolution Fund 2026 - 2027
• Academic transcripts, grades and certification (e.g. Bachelor, Master, Diploma, PhD)
• Brief description of your current activities (studies or professional activities)
• Max. three-page outline of your planned research project, including detailed budget plan
• Letter of support (e.g. from a faculty member, supervisor or employer). This letter should be also written in English.
• Applicants must demonstrate good language skills in English, e.g. in form of a certificate from a language test or language course.

Please send your application to:

Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung

Senckenberganlage 25

60325 Frankfurt am Main

E-Mail: recruiting@senckenberg.de

For more information on the Research Fund, please contact: Prof. Dr. Ottmar Kullmer via e-mail: ottmar.kullmer@senckenberg.de.

For data protection information on the processing of personal data as part of the application and selection process, please refer to the privacy policy on our homepage at https://www.senckenberg.de/en/imprint/