Ph.D. fellowship within veterinary simulation

We are offering a Ph.D. fellowship within veterinary simulation at the University of Copenhagen Center for Veterinary Simulation at Frederiksberg and Taastrup campuses, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences to commence 1 May 2026 or after agreement.

Our groups and research
General practice and evidence-based veterinary simulation is a strategic research and teaching priority within our department. The PhD candidate will be based at the research group for Companion Animal General Practice, Dermatology and Didactics. The PhD fellowship is a new cross department collaboration between this research group and the research group for Equine Internal Medicine and Sports medicine. The groups are focused on evidence-based teaching methods and research to promote companion animal and equine health and welfare. Our research groups are responsible for and continuously develop the core veterinary clinical curriculum ensuring essential day-one competencies needed for companion animal and equine general practice. We have a long track record in performing research in student learning environments and veterinary simulation models within veterinary education. This includes both theoretical and practical propaedeutic training using both low and high fidelity simulation models with 24/7 access to UCPH VetSimCenter for the veterinary students. Further our focus is on aligning day-one competencies across medicine and surgery with the needs of general practice.

Our groups are part of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. The department includes faculty, diplomates, residents, and senior clinicians and two university veterinary teaching hospitals, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

Project description
We are seeking a highly motivated, innovative and dedicated Ph.D. candidate to join our research team in an innovative project focusing on technology-enhanced learning in veterinary education The Virtual Veterinary Hospital: Developing Day-1 Competencies through Veterinary Simulation. The project aims to design and implement an immersive virtual simulation environment supporting acquisition of essential Day-1 competencies for veterinary graduates within companion animal and equine general practice. By leveraging virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR) technologies and AI-driven tools, the project seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical clinical skills in both equine and companion animal practice.

The project will involve conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to map fulfilled and unmet needs for virtual simulation in veterinary education, including a systematic literature review on current and future yet unmet Day-1 competencies. The candidate will contribute to establishing the first conceptual model for a virtual veterinary universe tailored to the Danish educational context and define success and evaluation criteria for virtual competency acquisition. The work further includes the innovative development of a virtual simulation platform, scenario design, and programming components.

As a PhD student in our groups, you will be responsible for performing the needs assessment, designing and executing a research protocol, contributing to the development of a virtual simulation platform and scenarios, and conducting validation and possible follow-up studies to evaluate its educational impact. You will work with advanced immersive technologies, collaborate with interdisciplinary partners, perform statistical analyses, interpret findings, prepare manuscripts for publication, and disseminate your results through conferences and scientific applications, communicating our scientific results and engaging with collaborators.

Principal supervisor: Associate professor, Tina Møller Sørensen; Co-supervisor, Professor Tina Holberg Pihl.

Duration: 3 years as a Ph.D. student. The defense usually takes place after the 3-year employment period.

Job description
Your key tasks as a Ph.D. fellow are

Preparation of your own scientific project with data analysis and writing of manuscripts in collaboration with your colleagues and supervisors in the research group. Develop a virtual learning environment for Danish veterinary students. Participation in the propedeutic and clinical teaching at both Frederiksberg and Taastrup Campus.

Your key tasks as a Ph.D. fellow at the SUND Faculty are:

Carrying out an independent research project under supervision, with content as outlined above in the project description.

• Completing Ph.D. courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in active research environments including an international stay at another research institution.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project.
• Obtaining experience with the immersive technologies needed for your Ph.D. project.
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a Ph.D. thesis on the grounds of your project

Profile
We are seeking an open-minded, motivated, innovative and enthusiastic candidate, who synergistically enjoy the scientific aspects and the clinical and practical aspects of research and teaching our next generation of veterinarians.

You are interested in educational research within veterinary medicine, particularly in the development and evaluation of simulation-based learning, digital tools, and Day-1 competencies.

Are motivated by innovation in veterinary training and can envision yourself contributing to future advancements in veterinary education and clinical skills development.

Enjoy working both independently and as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary team that includes educators, clinicians, designers, and technologists.

Take pleasure in writing, presenting, and communicating research, and is motivated to contribute to research-based teaching and dissemination.

Are interested in working in an environment that integrates veterinary clinical practice with digital simulation development, including scenario design, evaluation studies, and collaboration with technical partners.

Have competencies within or are open to engage in hands-on learning related to VR/AR tools, programming, or virtual scenario building (training will be provided).

Requirements

• An academic veterinary degree or equivalent. Please note that your masters degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (BSc 3 years + MSc 2½ years).
• A Danish Veterinary Authorization or needed qualifications to obtain Danish Veterinary Authorization within three months after commencing the PhD studies.
• Strong communication skills, both written and oral; proficient in English and preferable in Danish as well.
• Strong scientific and analytical skills and the drive to work independently.
• Preferable clinical experience from general companion animal and/or equine practice
• Experience with VR/AR tools, programming, digital design, or educational research is an advantage, but not a requirement.
• Experience with fund raising is an advantage, but not a requirement.

Applicants are encouraged to explain in their motivation letter how they match the specific requirements and to highlight other relevant qualifications. Adding reference letter(s) from previous employers or a list of references as part of the application is encouraged.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Section for Clinical Practice and Diagnostics, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen.

The culture of the department is typically Scandinavian with a flat structure and a tradition for close collaboration where all employees are expecting openness, mutual respect and sharing of ideas. Information about the department can be found at the website (https://ikv.ku.dk/english/)

Terms of employment
The employment as a PhD student is full time and a fixed-term position for 3 years. The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

Starting date is 1 May 2026 or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the faculty’s rules on achieving the degree. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 30,716 DKK/Roughly 4,117.59 EUR (April 2024 level) plus pension.

Questions
For further questions about the job description and qualifications for the positions please contact Associate Professor Tina Møller Sørensen, Email: [email protected], TEL: +45 23649496.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking Apply now below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills, publications, abstracts, conferences, contact details for at least two references, and other skills relevant for the position.

3. Documentation of degree and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database/?set_language=en. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science 4. Documentation of other relevant postgraduate degrees if available

Application deadline: Sunday 11 January 2026. 23.59pm CET
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Kontakt
Tina Møller Sørensen
E-mail: [email protected]

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 11-01-2026

Ansættelsesdato: 01-05-2026

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences