PhD position in Population Health Science research on historical pandemics and epidemics

The Department of People and Technology (IMT), Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as PhD of Population Health Science with a focus on historical pandemics and epidemics. The candidate will begin February 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as a PhD student is limited to a period of 3 years.

Description of the PhD project
The title of the PhD project is: ‘Infectious disease landscapes and pandemic interactions’

The project will explore how various epidemic infectious disease interacted with one another at the population level, and in particular how pandemics affected such interactions. The PhD project is part of a larger Sapere Aude research project funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) with the title: Post-pandemic infectious disease landscapes: interactions across time and space (PID-scapes). The project focuses on the late 19th and early 20th century where two major pandemics occurred: 1889-92 and 1918-20. The analyses of disease interactions will utilize already collected data and collect new data sources. You will work in close collaboration with the project team and the PandemiX Center at the Department of Science and Environment at RUC, which means an opportunity to engage with a highly interdisciplinary and supportive research environment. The project offers an exciting opportunity to conduct highly relevant research in terms of pandemic preparedness in the wake of the recent Covid-19 pandemic.

The Principal Investigator (PI) of PID-scapes and supervisor of the PhD project is associate professor Maarten van Wijhe, IMT at Roskilde University.

You are expected to attend national and international conferences and write scientific papers to be published in the international literature as well as write and defend a PhD thesis based on the research project. During the project there is at least one research stay abroad (up to two months) with our collaborative partners of historical epidemiology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Section of Health and Society and the Doctoral School of People and Technology
You will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of People and Technology and connected to the Section of Health and Society. The section covers highly dynamic and interdisciplinary health research across methods and disciplines. You will encounter a highly engaged team of researchers, that is open towards new theoretical and methodological approaches. The candidate will primarily be based at the Section of Health and Society at Roskilde University but is also expected to spend at least one day a week at the PandemiX Center at the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen. At the PandemiX Center, you will have access to a wide range of expertise in history/demography, bioinformatics, biology, medicine, and mathematics specifically focused on pandemic research.

You can read more about the doctoral school here. https://ruc.dk/en/doctoral-school-people-and-technology.

The Department of People and technology
The Department of People and Technology encompasses human, social, health and IT sciences as well as planning, intervention and design-oriented disciplines. In round figures, the institute employs 150 academic staff, 40 TAP, 60 PhD students (internal and external) and 80 external lecturers. In addition, a varying number of research assistants and student assistants are employed. The Department is orientated towards developing interdisciplinary and sustainable solutions to important societal challenges. Research and development work is carried out in close collaboration with public, private and civil organisations. The department utilises a wide range of innovative and experimental research approaches that support human agency and active engagement in everyday life.

Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receive constructive feedback in the PhD program in order to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of course work and gain experience of teaching activities. You are also required to have a research environmental change during your PhD enrollment. The environment change can take place at foreign or local universities or research institutions. The PhD position is an educational position and the main tasks are in accordance with chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/engelsk-ph-d-bekendtgorelse.pdf),

Qualifications
You must hold a master’s degree or equivalent within biomedical sciences, history/demography, public health, bioinformatics, or related field. You should have documented skills in quantitative methods. Qualifications within the following areas are required:

• Data science, epidemiology, demography, statistical modeling, or equivalent
• Programming skills (python, R)
• Fluency in Danish, since the project includes Danish-language data/sources

We also emphasize the following qualifications:

• Enthusiasm for historical epidemic disease and working with historical health data
• Excellent communication skills in both written and oral English
• Motivated, creative, and capable of independent research work
• Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and collaboration

You are required to be enterprising and to possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across the IMT department and at the PandemiX center.

Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment consideration will be given to;

• Relevant Master’s degree or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/transparency-tools/qualifications-frameworks/other-qualifications-frameworks/danish-qf-for-higher-education?set_language=en&cl=en).
• Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.

In the assessment regarding enrollment consideration will also be given to the following criteria:

• Educational skills and any further professional qualifications
• Grades at Master’s programme or equivalent
• Quality and relevance of the project description
  • The project description must include the study of epidemic and pandemic diseases in the late 19th and early 20th centuries
  • Considerations regarding theoretical of methodological approaches in relation to the project topic must be included
  • Your project description shall be no more than 5 pages
• Quality and relevance of the methodical and theoretical choices
• Consistency and coherence between the problem and the choice of method and theory
• If the PhD project seem realistic and feasible
• Ability to complete the PhD project
• Relevance of the project to the profile of the Doctoral School

Questions
For further information about the position or project, please contact Associate Professor Maarten van Wijhe [email protected] on tel. (+45) 4674 3934.

Terms of employment
We are planning to hold interviews during week 50. The employment is on is full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to Bjarke Oxlund, Dean.

The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.

Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.

Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.

The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.

Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.

Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/

Only applications in English are accepted.

Applications must include:

1. Cover letter

2. CV

3. Documentation of education including grades from Master’s programme or equivalent

4. Your description of the PhD project

5. Your time schedule of the PhD project

6. If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience or publications.

Please submit your application no later than October 21, 2024.

Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.

Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Department: Universitetsvej 1, Roskilde

Location: Roskilde Universitet

Application deadline: 21 Oct 2024