A Doctoral Researcher on Privacy in Emerging Technologies [P1] (m/f/d)

At the University of Göttingen -Public Law Foundation-, Institut für Informatik, there is a position as

to be filled. Starting date is as soon as possible. The position is limited to 28.02.2030 .

The University of Göttingen is receiving a grant of 15 million euros from the „

Potenziale strategisch entfalten

“ funding program of the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and the Volkswagen Foundation. Through a range of measures, strategic development goals and the university’s research profile will be strengthened. A central component of this effort is the establishment of five

Campus Research Alliances.

These alliances will bring together interdisciplinary research activities across the campus, focusing on future-oriented thematic areas.

As part of the newly established interdisciplinary Campus Research Alliance on Responsible Emerging Technologies CA.REX, we are seeking a highly motivated researcher to pursue a doctoral degree in an interdisciplinary research environment. CA.REX brings together principal investigators and researchers from Computer Science, Law, Psychology, Ethics in the Medicine, and related disciplines to investigate the responsible development, deployment, and governance of emerging technologies, especially Extended Reality (XR). The consortium addresses fundamental scientific and societal challenges arising from the increasing integration of immersive technologies into domains, such as healthcare and medical education.

In addition to this position in the

Computer Security and Privacy group

led by

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Delphine Reinhardt

focusing on

privacy, transparency, and control

, the consortium focuses on three other overarching interdisciplinary research themes: Human Autonomy, Trust, and Behavior

[P2] (Prof. Anne Schacht), Power, Markets, and Access [P3] (Prof. Eckart Bueren), and Risk, Resilience, and Long-term Effects (Prof. Silke Schicktanz. UMG) [P4].

Your profile

• A very good M.Sc. degree in computer science, human-computer interaction, or a related field,
• Background in at least one of the following fields: privacy and security, HCI, usable privacy and security, interactive systems, immersive technologies,
• Strong programming skills,
• Ideally previous experience in conducting user studies,
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to interdisciplinary research teams,
• Very good command of English is mandatory, advanced German skills are an advantage,
• Strong motivation to pursue a doctoral degree and contribute to high-impact interdisciplinary research.

Your main responsibilities

• Conduct independent research on privacy, transparency, and control in immersive technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), and Extended Reality (XR), including threat analysis and the development of human-centered privacy-preserving solutions,
• Collaborate with researchers from Law, Psychology, and Ethics in the Medicine within CA.REX,
• Publish and present research results at leading international conferences and in high-quality journals,
• Supervise Bachelor’s and Master’s student projects.

Our offer

The successful candidate will become part of a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative research consortium addressing responsible emerging technologies from technical, ethical, legal, and human-centered perspectives. We offer:

• CA.REX provides an outstanding interdisciplinary research environment with regular scientific exchange through colloquia, interdisciplinary reading groups, annual workshops, networking events, and international visiting researcher programs,
• CA.REX doctoral researchers will benefit from close supervision by an interdisciplinary Thesis Advisory Committee and numerous opportunities for national and international collaboration,
• A stimulating academic environment with excellent opportunities for scientific and personal development,
• A collegial, supportive, and inclusive team culture.

The University of Göttingen is an equal opportunities employer and places particular emphasis on fostering career opportunities for women. Qualified women are therefore strongly encouraged to apply in fields in which they are underrepresented. The university has committed itself to being a family-friendly institution and supports their employees in balancing work and family life. The University is particularly committed to the professional participation of severely disabled employees and therefore welcomes applications from severely disabled people. In the case of equal qualifications, applications from people with severe disabilities will be given preference. A disability or equality is to be included in the application in order to protect the interests of the applicant.

Please upload your application in one pdf file including the usual documents until 8/24/2026 on the application portal of the university using this link:

http://obp.uni-goettingen.de/de-de/OBF/Index/76583

. For more information get in touch with Patricia Nitzke directly via E-Mail: nitzke@cs.uni-goettingen.de, Tel. +49551 3926046 .

Please note:

With submission of your application, you accept the processing of your applicant data in terms of data-protection law. Further information on the legal basis and data usage is provided in the

Information General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)