We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher for a two-year position to join our research project on the impact of social welfare reforms on child health. The starting date is 15 October 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Research project
Social welfare policies are important structural determinants of childhood health. These policies, for example, influence the likelihood of experiencing economic hardship during childhood, a well-established risk factor for adverse health and developmental outcomes. By rigorously evaluating the effects of specific social welfare reforms, we can identify which policy mechanisms most effectively promote health and development in early life, with implications for lifelong well-being and socioeconomic outcomes.

This research project will examine the child health implications of major Danish social welfare reforms that have introduced substantial changes to the benefit system and affected many families. Using population-wide register data, we will investigate the impact of these reforms on pregnancy outcomes as well as children’s somatic and mental health.

The postdoctoral researcher will be part of an inclusive and stimulating academic environment, with strong expertise in health inequalities and quantitative methods, within the Social Epidemiology Research Group at the Section of Social Medicine.

The project is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

Your job
As a postdoc on the project, you are expected to:

• Process and analyse register data
• Write and co-author scientific articles in collaboration with other project members
• Participate in workshops, seminars, and conferences
• Teach and disseminate your research

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated, independent, and enthusiastic scientist with the following qualifications:

• A PhD in a relevant field, such as epidemiology, public health, sociology, economics, or a related discipline
• Experience in applied statistics and causal inference
• Experience in social epidemiology and/or health inequalities
• Experience working with large datasets
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a research team
• Experience in writing and submitting academic research papers
• Proficiency in statistical software such as R, Stata, or SAS
• Excellent written and spoken English skills

Place of employment
The place of employment is at Section of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Information on the department can be found at: https://publichealth.ku.dk/

Terms of employment
The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 2 years.

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 18,07 % to your pension fund.

Foreign and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions, if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2025.

Questions
For further information please contact assistant professor Else Foverskov; [email protected]
Foreign applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Your application must include the following documents (all in PDF format):

• A motivated application (max one page)
• A project description (maximum three pages, excluding bibliography). In this description, we invite you to outline one research idea within the scope of the overall project. You should focus on a specific research question you would like to address, along with the approaches and methods you would apply. This exercise is designed to assess your research skills and interests—specifically, your ability to identify meaningful research questions, develop a feasible research framework, and reflect on appropriate analytical methods. Please note that you are not necessarily expected to pursue this particular idea during your postdoctoral project; rather, this outline helps us assess your potential as a researcher.
• A CV, including list of publications
• Certified copies of PhD certificate and Master’s degree certificate. If the PhD has not yet been completed, a written statement from the supervisor is acceptable.

Deadline for applications: 9 August 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. 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 can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

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

Interviews are expected to be held in week 36.

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
Else Foverskov
E-mail: [email protected]

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 09-08-2026

Ansættelsesdato: 15-10-2026

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Public Health