Research assistant (praedoc) (m/f/d)

General setting of the project:
The Einstein Research Unit (ERU) “Technologies in Global Health – From Innovation to Users (and Back)” explores how global health technologies – including vaccines, digitial technologies, and antibiotics – can be effectively implemented across diverse global contexts. The unit seeks to identify the factors that influence the acceptance, adaptation, and use of such technologies to enhance their impact within varied social, political, and infrastructural environments. Central to this work is the concept of the User–Technology Lifecycle – spanning development, prototyping, and implementation – and the role of users throughout these processes. Researchers from the Berlin University Alliance – comprising Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin – collaborate closely with partners from seven research
institutions in Ghana, Uganda, and Tanzania. Together, they develop inter- and transdisciplinary case studies focusing on (1) mental wellbeing, (2) antimicrobial resistance, and (3) vaccines. Three research groups bring together expertise from anthropology, digital innovation, ethics, engineering, medicine, and psychology.

Specific project description:
Digital technologies are transforming mental health care by providing scalable tools for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Yet their global impact remains limited by unequal access, cultural differences, and ethical concerns. In Tanzania and Uganda, our ERU sub-project, “Codesigning Digital Technologies to Enhance Youth Mental Wellbeing in Tanzania and Uganda”, focuses on young people – a particularly vulnerable group whose mental well-being is shaped by poverty, stigma, and environmental stressors such as climate change and conflict. Through co-design and co-creation, we explore how youth define mental well-being, identify key social and environmental challenges, and contribute to the development of a context-sensitive digital toolkit aimed at strengthening resilience and improving access to care. The person filling this position will investigate how environmental, digital, and socio- cultural factors intersect to shape youth mental health across rural and urban settings in Uganda, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Youth co-researchers
in Uganda will play a central role, ensuring culturally grounded insights that inform theory and guide the co-creation of adaptable, evidence-based mHealth interventions in collaboration with local stakeholders.

Job description:

• Conducting and analysing ethnographic-qualitative field research in rural and urban Uganda on the topic “Codesigning Digital Technologies to Enhance Youth Mental Wellbeing in Tanzania and Uganda”
• Contributing to the collaborative work of the Einstein Research Unit “Technologies in Global Health (TeGH)” and to the preparation of publications

Requirements:

• A master degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology or a related social science discipline with focus on ethnographic methods

Desirable:

• Experience in conducting ethnographic and research, preferably in an East African context
• Knowledge of Medical Anthropology, the Anthropology of Global Health and/or the Anthropology of Youth
• Experience with collaborative and/or participatory research methods
• Interest in pursuing a doctoral degree

We look forward to receiving your application, consisting of your CV and a max. two-page cover letter, which also includes a brief description of the proposed research.

Please send your application to Maximilia Josina Hogrebe at maximilia.hogrebe@charite.de. If you have any questions about the research project or the position, please feel free to contact Prof. Hansjörg Dilger (hansjoerg.dilger@berlin.de) before the application deadline.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Hansjörg Dilger (hansjoerg.dilger@berlin.de /
03083856872).

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents, indicating the reference code, no later than February 5th , 2026 in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Maximilia Josina Hogrebe: maximilia.hogrebe@charite.de or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin
Fachbereich Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften
Institut für Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie
Arbeitsstelle Medical Anthropology | Global Health
Maximilia Josina Hogrebe
Landoltweg 9-11
14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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Freie Universität Berlin is an equal opportunity employer.