Fully Funded Doctoral Candidate Position: (MSCA EMANAIRE), Technical University of Munich, Germany

Summary

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is offering a fully funded, three-year doctoral position as part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network EMANAIRE. This program focuses on how AI is transforming the future of work and human agency. The specific project (DC13) will investigate how young professionals develop the necessary skills and judgment to effectively collaborate with AI in their daily professional lives. This position includes a full-time employment contract, competitive salary, and comprehensive benefits, based in Munich, Germany.

Fully Funded Doctoral Candidate Position: Understanding Skills for Human–AI Collaboration Among Young Professionals (MSCA EMANAIRE)

Designation

• Doctoral Candidate (DC13) for MSCA Doctoral Network EMANAIRE

Scholarship Description

This doctoral project will delve into the development of skills and judgment among young professionals as they navigate collaboration with generative AI in professional settings. The research will move beyond mere AI usage to explore how individuals learn to integrate AI, divide tasks, assess its contributions, detect errors, and maintain control over decisions. A central concept is ‘co-agency’ – how human and AI capabilities converge and evolve. The project will examine aspects such as augmentation, calibration, responsible disclosure, adaptation to AI behavior, and recognizing when human judgment is paramount. It will also explore how understanding AI’s limitations shapes trust, autonomy, and decision-making.

The research will adopt an interdisciplinary and participatory approach, investigating how these capabilities vary across professional roles, sectors, experience levels, individual characteristics, and workplace environments, and their implications for motivation, autonomy, and well-being. Methodologies may include self-report measures, scenario-based tasks, behavioral experiments, and observational approaches. The specific research questions will be developed collaboratively with the supervisory team, and applicants are encouraged to contribute their own ideas.

Key Responsibilities:

• Examine skill development for meaningful human–AI collaboration among young professionals.
• Investigate task division, AI assessment, error detection, and prioritizing human judgment.
• Study capabilities related to augmentation, calibration, responsible disclosure, and autonomy.
• Explore how individual and environmental factors shape human–AI collaboration, trust, motivation, and well-being.
• Develop research questions and study designs with the supervisory team.
• Prepare ethics, data management, and open science materials, and conduct empirical research.
• Contribute to teaching at TUM.
• Complete a doctoral thesis and related research outputs.
• Participate in network training, cohort activities, and a six-month intersectoral secondment.
• Contribute to research integrity, equality, responsible AI, and open science practices.

Research Area

• Human–AI Collaboration
• Professional Learning
• Human Agency in AI-AugAugmented Futures of Work
• Digital Technologies at Work
• Psychology, Communication, Media Studies, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Systems, Sociology, Management, Organizational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Law and Technology, Science and Technology Studies, Political Science, or related social-science and interdisciplinary fields.

Location

• Munich, Germany (Technical University of Munich)

Eligibility/Qualification

Essential Requirements:

• A Master’s degree or equivalent qualification allowing access to doctoral studies, completed by the start date.
• Professional working proficiency in English (spoken and written).
• Willingness to travel for secondment and network activities.
• Eligibility under MSCA rules (see below).
• Willingness to enroll in a doctoral program at either the TUM School of Medicine and Health or the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology.

MSCA Eligibility Rules:

• No Doctoral Degree: Must not already hold a PhD. Candidates who have defended a doctoral thesis but not yet formally received the degree are ineligible.
• Mobility Rule: In the 36 months immediately preceding the start date, you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Germany for more than 12 months. (Excludes holidays, compulsory national service, and time spent in refugee status procedures).
• Doctoral Program Enrollment: Must be able to enroll in the TUM doctoral program in time.

Helpful (but not required) Qualifications:

• Interest in human–AI collaboration, professional learning, human agency, or digital technologies at work.
• Strong quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods skills.
• Experience with surveys, experiments, scenario-based methods, interviews, or observational research.
• Interest in interdisciplinary and participatory research.
• Strong academic writing skills and motivation to publish.
• Interest in teaching and working with students.

Table: Scholarship Details

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted through the official online application form by the deadline. Your application package should include:

1. A CV (without photo, date of birth, or marital status).
2. Copies of degree certificates and transcripts (English translations are acceptable; certified copies only if offered the position).
3. A short research proposal (max 2 pages) outlining your approach to this project, your interests, and what you would contribute. This is to assess your thinking, not a fixed design.
4. Contact details for two referees (letters will only be requested from shortlisted candidates).

Last Date for Apply

November 1, 2026

Apply Link

Apply Online Here

For any questions, please note that due to the high volume of inquiries, individual responses may not be possible. Please review the provided information carefully.