Prof. Dr. Stefan Thomas

Grants

2024 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: ‘PowerMii: Empowerment Research Groups for Girls with Migration Background for Empowering Biographies in Vocational Schools in Rural Areas’ in cooperation with the University of Siegen, Berufskolleg Siegen and Internationaler Bund. PI with a total volume of 1,104,000 euros, PL FH Potsdam: 482,000 euros (Nov 2024-Okt 2027)

2022 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: Second funding round of the ‘Innovative University’ funding initiative in cooperation with Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences and Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. Total volume 15 million euros, PL for the start project ‘Strengthening Civil Society: Sustainability and Citizen Science’: around 300,000 euros (March 2023-Dec 2028)

2021 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: ‘The Rural Educational Environments of Young Refugees in VET’(laeneAs) in cooperation with the Catholic University of Eichstätt. PI with a total volume of 713,000 euros, PL FH Potsdam: 442,000 euros (Oct 2021-Dec 2024) 

2020 European Commission - Horizon 2020: ‘CoAct! Codesigning Citizen Social Science for Collective Action’ in a total project volume of 2.05 million euros led by the University of Barcelona together with the University of Vienna, Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (Argentina), Global Innovation Gathering, Open Knowledge International (UK) etc. PL of the sub-project ‘Methodological Toolkit for Citizen Social Science’ and the Research Action ‘Gender Equalities in Berlin’: 281,740 euros (Jan 2020-Dec 2022), EU Horizon 2020, 873048.

2019 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: ‘The Future(s) of Democracy: Communities of Solidarity in the Age of Populism in Europe’. Boost funding for the preparation of an application in the EU Horizon 2020 funding line in the amount of 11,600 euros (Feb 2019-Apr 2019)

2018 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg: ‘Unaccompanied minor refugees’ in the amount of 55,550 euros (Sep 2018-Dec 2018)

2017 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: Funding of a research symposium in the ‘Framework Programme for the Promotion of Empirical Educational Research’ for educational scientists for 26,300 euros together with Prof. Frauke Hildebrandt (May 2017-Feb 2018)

2017 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg: ‘Needs Analysis of Specialists in Inpatient Family-Analogue Educational Support Services’ in the State of Brandenburg (Apr 2017-Jan 2018, 46,500 euros)

2016 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg: ‘Evaluation Study on the Situation and Care of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors’ in the amount of 153,300 euros (Nov 2016-Dec 2017)

2016 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport of the State of Brandenburg: ‘Preliminary Study on Biographies of Unaccompanied Minor Refugees’. 19,500 euros (April 2016-Aug 2016)

2016 Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth: ‘EQUIP Development of Quality and Interaction in Everyday Pedagogical Life’: PL for Module 1c: Children's Perspective in the Quality Development of Kitas (125,000 euros). Total project volume 1 million euros, May 2016-Dec 2019, PI: Prof. Frauke Hildebrandt, 

2015 Federal Ministry of Education and Research: ‘Multigenerational Housing: Community and Intergenerational Transfer for a Self-Determined Life in Old Age’ (April 2016-April 2019, 359,600 euros)

Academic Positions

since 2020 Potsdam University of Applied Sciences: Research Professor at the Institute for Applied Research Urban Future

since 2012 Potsdam University of Applied Sciences: Professor of Social Research Methods and Social Work

2024 Portland State University: Visiting Scholar at the School of Social Work

2015-2017 Sigmund Freud University Vienna: Guest lecturer for research methods

2014 Parental leave

2012-2013 University of California, Berkeley: Visiting Scholar at the Center for Urban Ethnography 

2012 Parental leave

2010-2012 Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin: Visiting Professor of Qualitative Research Methods (deputising for Prof. Dr Uwe Flick)

2010 Leuphana University Lüneburg: Lecturer for research methods in the Master's programme Prevention and Health Promotion

2009-2010 Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin: Visiting lecturer for qualitative research methods and theories and methods of social work

2008-2011 Freie Universität Berlin: Lecturer for research methods in the European Master in Children's Rights programme

2008 Part-time parental leave

2005-2009 Alice-Salomon-Hochschule Berlin: Lecturer for research methods, scientific work and theories and methods of social work

2004-2005 University of California, San Diego: Visiting Scholar at the Department of Sociology with Aaron Cicourel and Hugh Mehan

Education

2009 Dr phil. at the Free University of Berlin (summa cum laude)

1999 Diploma in Psychology at the Free University of Berlin (grade: 1.3)

Academic Services

2021 Peer reviewer of the doctoral programme for applied social and educational sciences at Fulda University of Applied Sciences for the Hessian Ministry of Science

2020 Peer reviewer as ‘Invited Expert’ for the EU call ‘H2020-Swafs-2020-1’

Since 2017 Liaison lecturer of the Hans Böckler Foundation 

2018-2019 Accreditation of the Master's programme Childhood Studies and Children's Rights

2016-2021 Head of degree programme Master Childhood Studies and Children's Rights 

2015 Chair of the Appointments Committee ‘Psychology with special consideration of social work with families, children and adolescents’

2015-2023 (Deputy) Chair of the Examination Board

2015 Chair of the Appointments Committee ‘Theory and Practice of Social Work in the Field of Child and Youth Welfare’

2014-2019 Member of the faculty council

2014 Chair of the appointments committee ‘Social work with children, young people and families with a focus on new media’

Professional Experiences

1998-2003 Treberhilfe Berlin e.V.: Outreach social work services and homes for social crisis intervention in young adults

1997-1998 ‘Gimme Shelter’ (Berlin): Social work assistant in a housing project for young adults

1996-1997 ‘Misfit’ (Berlin): Internship in a drug counselling centre 

Please see the German page.