Call for a part-time, time-limited position as senior researcher within Mental Health Promotion

Introduction 
The Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for one or more positions as senior researcher within Mental Health Promotion. The position is available from 1 April 2026, but an later starting date is also possible. The position is part-time (30-32 hours per week) and is limited to 5 years.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Duties and responsibilities of the position include contributing to the scholarship and intellectual life of the University by conducting high quality research, delivering excellent teaching and support to students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and showing organizational citizenship.

We expect applicants to conduct and develop their own research in synergy with the ongoing work within the Department, and to contribute to implementing the current departmental strategy and helping to define our ongoing shared goals and aspirations.

Among the specific tasks expected to be performed by the candidate(s) are leadership and coordination, capacity building, and quality assurance within the ABC network (The ABCs of Mental Health – Department of Psychology - University of Copenhagen) as well as teaching both at the psychology education at the Department of Psychology and at continuing education courses.

Your Competencies and Opportunities:
To apply for the position, candidates must hold a PhD degree in Psychology or a neighboring field (e.g., Public Health). Candidates must have an established track record of successful research and research-based teaching within the field of Mental Health Promotion, as well as experience with supervision of junior researchers. We furthermore expect candidates to have documented experience within public dissemination of research-based knowledge.

The Department of Psychology views teaching as an integral part of employment at the department. Therefore, candidates should be able to demonstrate experience with teaching and teaching planning and coordination and are expected to have undergone a formal education in teaching and learning in higher education.

Successful candidates will have strong interpersonal skills as well as an aptitude for working collaboratively with colleagues in planning and delivering teaching, in research projects and in the discharge of administrative duties. It is essential that candidates are willing to take on academic and organizational citizenship or leadership roles within the Department of Psychology. Furthermore, candidates must demonstrate a commitment to student learning, supporting student welfare and enhancing the student experience.

The hired candidate(s) will join a group of faculty members researching and teaching in the area of Clinical/Applied Psychology.

Since the activities of the ABC network are carried out in Danish, the candidates must be fluent in both written and spoken English and Danish.

The Department
The Department for Psychology at the University of Copenhagen is organized around three main research sections: Personality, Educational, Work and Organizational Psychology, and Social Psychology; Clinical and Health Psychology and the Psychological Humanities; and Cognitive and Neuropsychology.

Education at the Department is directed towards the psychological profession and is characterized by a high level of critical engagement with theoretical, methodological, and applied contents. Our education also connects to other scientific disciplines and the department takes part in several interdisciplinary academic programmes.

Research at the Department is of high international and ethical standards and is characterized by a fundamental curiosity to shed light on various phenomena from a psychological perspective. Our research takes advantage of synergistic interactions across basic and applied psychological research and knowledge, as well as of interdisciplinary approaches.

For further information about the Department, please see: Department of Psychology – Department of Psychology - University of Copenhagen

For further information about the Clinical and Health Psychology and Psychological Humanities, see: Clinical, Health, and Humanistic Psychology – Department of Psychology - University of Copenhagen

For a more detailed presentation of our current departmental strategy, please see: Strategy – Department of Psychology - University of Copenhagen

For a summary of our Departmental Code of Conduct, please see: Code of Conduct

Merit criteria and career progression:
Six general criteria apply to the employment of senior researchers at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organizational contribution, external funding and management) are considered as a framework for an overall assessment of the applicant. In addition, each applicant must be assessed according to the specific requirements set out in the advertisement.

Information about the criteria for recognizing merit at Senior Researcher (equivalent to Associate Professor) levels can be found here: Criteria for recognising merit – University of Copenhagen

Employment as a senior researcher requires research and teaching qualifications at the level that can be achieved through the satisfactory completion of a period of employment as an assistant professor. A senior researcher must be able to participate in the department's general administration and examinations as well as in assessment committees.

Further information on qualification requirements as senior researcher can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2025 here: Bekendtgørelse om stillingsstruktur for videnskabeligt personale ved universiteter

Who to Contact:
Additional information about the position(s) can be obtained from:

• Professor Annemarie Olsen (Head of Department). Email: ano@psy.ku.dk; Phone: +45 35331018
• Professor Stig Poulsen (Head of the Section for Clinical and Health Psychology and the Psychological Humanities). Email: stig.poulsen@psy.ku.dk; Phone: +45 28593543

Terms of appointment
Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne). In addition to the salary a 18,07 % contribution to the pension scheme is paid. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis. 

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: For international researchers at the University of Copenhagen – University of Copenhagen

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 HR Excellence in Research – University of Copenhagen

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 application material must be in Adobe PDF or Word format. ZIP files and files that exceeds 20 MB cannot be uploaded.

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

• Motivated application (max. 3 pages)
• Curriculum vitae
• Certificates and Diplomas
• Publication list. A complete list of all publications with clearly marked publication dates. The uploaded publications must be marked with * on the list to be assessed.
• Publications. Applicants can submit a maximum of 6 publications, of which at least three must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for application. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and named from 1 to 6.
• Research plan that includes a brief description of previous research as well as a plan for the next few years.
• Teaching portfolio. Documentation of teaching qualifications in accordance with the University guidelines for teaching portfolios when appointing academic staff at the University of Copenhagen
• Documentation of ability to disseminate information. Documentation of the ability to disseminate information to and share knowledge with society.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavors, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly specified.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  Recruitment process – University of Copenhagen

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-0004/25-2C0 #1

When you will be affiliated with the University of Copenhagen or otherwise have access to their research, you may be required to undergo a background screening. The purpose is to protect the security and research integrity of the University of Copenhagen.

The closing date for applications is 30 January 2026 at 23:59 CET.