PhD Research: Reconstructing orogenic plateau uplift and continental collision from sedimentary basin archives
Host institution: Department of Structural Geology and Geothermics, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Location: Göttingen, Germany
Start date: October 2027
Duration: 3 years
Application deadline: 31 August 2026
Funding route: DAAD Doctoral Programs in Germany scholarship
Applications are invited for a PhD research project investigating the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the NW Zagros suture zone in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The project will examine how the sedimentary archive records the early stage of the Arabia–Eurasia collision, thrust-sheet activity, source-area unroofing, sediment routing, and post-collisional orogenic plateau uplift.
The main aim is to determine how basin accommodation developed in the collisional lower plate, how provenance and depositional environments changed through time, and whether stratigraphic shifts were controlled primarily by tectonics, climate, or their interaction.
Applicants should have a background in sedimentology, stratigraphy, basin analysis, tectonics, geochemistry, geomorphology, or a related field. Fieldwork experience is essential. Experience with GIS, petrography, geochemical datasets, geochronology, thermochronology, or quantitative geomorphology is desirable.
The position is intended for candidates who wish to apply for a DAAD Doctoral Program scholarship in Germany. Applicants should meet the main DAAD requirements, including above-average academic qualifications, completion of a Master’s degree or equivalent by the start of funding, and eligibility under DAAD’s degree-date and Germany-residency rules.
https://www2.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/datenbank/en/21148-scholarship-database/?detail=57135739
The successful candidate will join an active research environment focused on tectonics, sedimentary basins, provenance, and lithosphere deformation, with opportunities for fieldwork, laboratory training, international conferences, and peer-reviewed publication.
Applicants should submit a cover letter no longer than one page, an abstract of their Master’s thesis, and a CV in a single PDF file. Shortlisted candidates will be supported in preparing the full DAAD application.
Applications and informal inquiries should be sent by email to:
Dr. Renas I. Koshnaw
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Geowissenschaftliches Zentrum Göttingen
Department of Structural Geology and Geothermics
Goldschmidtstr. 3
37077 Göttingen, Germany
renas.koshnaw@geo.uni-goettingen.de
https://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/dr.+renas+i.+koshnaw/609644.html
https://sites.google.com/view/dr-renas-i-koshnaw/home