Postdoctoral Position in Behavioral and Environmental Economics

The Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for a postdoctoral position in Behavioral and Environmental Economics. The position is available from 1 August 2026, it is however possible to start employment at an earlier or later date, this is after agreement with the hiring committee. The postdoc position is for a duration of 2 years. A 3-year postdoc position can be discussed during the interview stage.

Introduction
This position is part of the project Behavioral foundations of Technology Adoption: Bridging the Energy-Efficiency gap (BeTA-BEE), funded by a Carlsberg Semper Ardens research grant. The research project is led by Associate Professor Christina Gravert and includes two PhD students and research assistants.

BeTA-BEE investigates why households fail to adopt energy-efficient technologies despite clear financial and environmental benefits. Focusing on buildings, which account for around 31% of global CO₂ emissions, the project explores the behavioral barriers behind the persistent “energy-efficiency gap” and slow renovation rates. With global energy demand expected to grow by 47% by 2050, improving efficiency is essential for a low-carbon future. Yet, despite massive policy efforts, household adoption of energy-efficient technology remains disappointingly low. By uncovering hidden behavioral and non-monetary factors shaping household investment decisions, the project will provide crucial insights for policymakers to accelerate energy savings and combat climate change. The project combines machine learning on comprehensive Danish administrative data with nation-wide surveys and field experiments. These methods will identify predictors of adoption behavior, estimate the importance of behavioral barriers and non-monetary costs, and test interventions to encourage energy-efficient investments in collaboration with government agencies and stakeholders.

The research group is part of CEBI, Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality. A successful candidate will therefore also be part of the center. Read more here: https://www.econ.ku.dk/cebi/

Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Conduct independent and collaborative research within the scope of behavioral and environmental economics, focusing on household decision-making and energy efficiency.
• Contribute to building and analyzing unique datasets, including administrative and survey data.
• Present findings at international conferences and publish in leading journals.
• Take part in the vibrant academic environment at the Department of Economics, including seminars, workshops, and collaboration with visiting scholars.
• Given the nature of the data, it is a requirement that the post-doc is physically present in Copenhagen for the majority of the time.
• There is an opportunity to teach or supervise students, if interested.

Your Competencies and Opportunities

We are looking for candidates who meet the following criteria:

• A completed PhD in Economics by the time the position starts (required).
• A research background in at least one of the following areas: behavioral economics, urban economics, energy economics, or environmental economics.
• Strong quantitative and empirical research skills; experience with large datasets, machine learning or experimental methods is an advantage.
• An interest in pursuing independent research ideas within the broad scope of the project.

What we offer:

• The opportunity to work with unique administrative datasets on Danish electricity consumption, personal and building characteristics.
• Funding for large-scale survey and field experiments with representative populations.
• Generous funding for conference participation and other academic activities.
• Collaboration with an active research group and freedom to develop independent projects.
• A stimulating, international research environment at one of Europe’s leading economics departments.
• A competitive salary with pension payments. Denmark provides free health insurance to all legal residents.
• A beautiful and active campus environment in the center of Copenhagen.

Strategy of the Faculty of the Social Sciences
The Department of Economics is part of the Faculty of the Social Sciences. The Faculty is a successful academic community that strives to put knowledge into action by:

• Engaging partners in the co-creation of knowledge, learning and social change.
• Empowering our students to become reflective and responsible citizens who have the vision, the knowledge and the competences to change society for the better.
• Energizing global, European and Danish communities of knowledge by innovating research methodologies and by research findings with impact

Terms of Employment

• Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2025 here: https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/375
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at approximately DKK 39,000 per month + a 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Research, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: www.ism.ku.dk 

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-2334/25-2I #2

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Christina Gravert e-mail: cag@econ.ku.dk, phone +45 35 33 47 82

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Cover Letter (maximum 1 page)
• Curriculum vitae
• Copy of the PhD degree certificate and the Master’s degree certificate. In case the PhD has not yet been completed, a written statement from the supervisor is acceptable, confirming it will be obtained before the desired starting date.
• Transcript of Grades for PhD studies (if applicable)
• Research Statement (maximum 2 pages)
• Job market paper (or writing sample)

The closing date for applications is 23:59 CET 28. November 2025.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.