Department of Communication and Media Research (IKMZ)
DOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITION AT THE CHAIR FOR SCIENCE COMMUNICATION (PROF. DR. MIKE S. SCHÄFER) 80 %
Start of employment approx. in September 2026, temporaryWe are looking for an excellent early-career scholar in communication science or a closely related discipline to join our team as a doctoral researcher in the context of the Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) “Children and Cancer.” The position is located at the Chair for Science Communication at the University of Zurich and focuses on health communication, esp. related to children and cancer.
What can we offer you?
- a stimulating and supportive environment and close collaboration in a productive, collegial team
- the opportunity to work in one of Europe's leading departments for communication research
- involvement in the NCCR “Children and Cancer,” one of Switzerland's major long-term research initiatives
- excellent resources and infrastructure for innovative empirical research
- close mentoring and support for doctoral training and career development
- the opportunity to develop an academic profile at the intersection of communication research, health communication, and computational and quantitative methods
Your responsibilities
- conduct excellent research in health communication, esp. on communication related to children and cancer
- contribute to surveys, survey experiments and/or computational analyses of news media and social media
- contribute to publications in international academic journals and present research at conferences
- collaborate closely with other researchers in the team and with partners in the NCCR
- take on a limited amount of organizational and administrative responsibilities
Your profile
- excellent university degree (MA or equivalent) in communication science or a closely related discipline
- strong interest in health communication and in research related to children and cancer
- strong methodological expertise in quantitative and/or computational methods
- clear interest in rigorous empirical social-science research
- proficiency in English, excellent command of German or French is required
- ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an ambitious research environment
Information on your application
Please hand in the following documents using the "Apply now" below:- Letter of motivation (max. 2 pages)
- CV including copies of degrees and relevant transcripts
- MA thesis or another sample of academic work
Deadline for applications is July 1, 2026. The position starts (approx.) in September 2026
If you have questions about the position, please contact Prof. Schäfer (m.schaefer@ikmz.uzh.ch).
For questions about the application process, please contact personal@ikmz.uzh.ch.
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Our employees benefit from a wide range of attractive offers. Find out more: https://www.uzh.ch/de/explore/work.html.
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Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
More → https://www.uzh.ch/en/explore/work.html
Working at UZH
The University of Zurich, Switzerland's largest university, offers a range of attractive positions in various subject areas and professional fields. With around 10,000 employees and currently 12 professional apprenticeship streams the University offers an inspiring working environment on cutting-edge research and top-class education. Put your talent and skills to work with us. Find out more about UZH as an employer!
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