You can choose between the following scientists and research fields: 

• Dr. Sonja Berg & Prof. Dr. Bernd Wagner (Geology and Mineralogy): Antarctic research

• Prof. Dr. Boris Braun (Geography): How (wild) animals become commodities

• Prof. Dr. Susanne Crewell, Dr. Kerstin Ebell, Dr. Vera Schemann (Meteorology): Arctic clouds, water vapour and precipitation

Further information can be found below. 

Sonja Berg & Bernd Wagner: Antarctic research

discipline: Geology and Mineralogy

The DFG (German Research Foundation) priority program "Antarctic Research" (SPP 1158) funds research projects in the fields of Biology, Physics/Chemistry and Geosciences. The interdisciplinary nature of the program is reflected in the research objectives, which focus on improving the understanding of polar processes and mechanisms, on investigating the response of Antarctic ecosystems to environmental change and on the interaction of Antarctic climate system components. Various workshop formats are offered as part of the SPP in order to promote networking between the individual disciplines and projects.

Our research topics within the program: Exploring ice-free coastal regions in East Antarctica provides a unique opportunity to study how the solid earth, ice sheets, and the ocean interact under changing climatic conditions. These terrestrial areas host unique ecosystems. In order to reconstruct environmental changes, including relative sea level changes, ice sheet fluctuations and the response of these ecosystems, we utilize sedimentary records from lakes, avian deposits, and marine environments. More specifically, geophysical, geochemical and biological methods will be combined to disentangle recent and past changes in hydrological conditions, such as mixis conditions, water salinity, nutrient level and temperatures in lakes and marine inlets.

Further information on the team and their work can be found through https://geologie.uni-koeln.de/arbeitsgruppen/quartaergeologie/team/dr-sonja-berg

Boris Braun: How (wild) animals become commodities

discipline: Geography

The planned PhD research project will take a more-than-human perspective on the question of how (wild) animals become commodities and which commodification and standardization processes play a role in this process. The basic idea is that the biological characteristics of the animals have an influence on how this commodification of “the wild” evolves and which value chains emerge. This also affects the livelihood aspects of local economies in the hunting/fishing areas as well as aspects of animal welfare and nature conservation. Since ornamental fish are by far the most frequently traded animals internationally, their trade chains will be the focus of the analysis. Depending on the applicant's background, the PhD project can have two orientations: Either the catch of and trade in freshwater fish (especially Cichlidae) from the great African lakes (Lake Tanganyika, Lake Malawi) or that of coral fish from Southeast Asia (e.g. from Indonesia) shall be empirically investigated.

Thematically related research projects funded by the German Research Foundation have already started their work at the beginning of 2024 (see e.g. https://geographie.uni-koeln.de/en/research/working-groups/economic-geography-and-environmental-change/research)

Applicants should have a background and Master’s degree in economic/human geography or a related subject. 

Susanne Crewell, Kerstin Ebell and Vera Schemann: Arctic clouds, water vapour and precipitation

discipline: Meteorology

The Transregional Collaborative Research Centre TR172 (AC)³ (www.ac3-tr.de) provides a unique research environment to study the increase of Arctic near-surface temperature during the last decades, which is commonly referred to as Arctic Amplification, from complementary viewpoints, bridging various observations and modelling approaches. The overarching scientific objective of (AC)³ is to identify, investigate, and evaluate the key processes contributing to Arctic Amplification, improve our understanding of the major feedback mechanisms, and quantify their relative importance for Arctic Amplification. Doctoral researchers are supported by the Integrated Research Training Group of TR172, which promotes their further qualification and academic independence.

The PhD project is expected to contribute to the scientific questions of TR172 and can be related to the thematic areas of

• atmospheric water cycle processes (clouds, water vapour, precipitation)
• passive and active microwave remote sensing of the atmosphere from ground-based, aircraft, and satellite instrumentation
• high-resolution (~100 m) modeling of mixed-phase clouds and the enviroment (turbulence, heterogeneous surfaces) at observational measurement sites  

Further information on the team and their work can be found through https://geomet.uni-koeln.de/forschung/ag-crewell