3 Postdoctoral Positions in “Health Economics and Aging Lab” - HEAL

The Department of Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for 3 postdoctoral positions in our “Health Economics and Aging Lab” - HEAL. The positions are available from 1 April 2026 or as soon as possible hereafter, for a duration of two years with a focus on research and with the possibility of adding a third year including teaching responsibilities and career development focusing on teaching.

Introduction
As postdoctoral fellow in HEAL you will join and co-shape the HEAL research team at the Department of Economics, specifically you will be part of one of the following research projects:

“Incorporating Population Frailty in Macroeconomic Policy Models: Foundations for a New Generation of Targeted Interventions and Labor Market Policy”. With this project we will generate the scientific foundation for reforms targeting population health. The aim is to establish the microeconomic foundations and empirical measurements for incorporating health and labor capacity in macroeconomic modelling. We will study how health and individual participation in the labor market evolves around economic and health related interventions.

As a member of this research group, you will contribute to two steps of our agenda: 1) A major data construction exercise to enable the tracking of population health across cohorts over more than a century. 2) A replication of previous findings and investigation of health initiatives that have so far been overlooked due to a lack of data. This part of the project will involve Danish register-based analysis. These analyses will contribute to an analysis of the macroeconomic ramifications of health initiatives, including their impact on public finances and fiscal sustainability, conducted by our collaborator, the Danish Research Institute for Economic Analysis and Modelling (DREAM)

The project is funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

“Determinants of Demand and Supply of Elder Care: Pathways to Sustainable Care Systems” funded by NordForsk and a collaboration in a Nordic network of leading researchers in economics placed at Norwegian School of Economics and Stockholm University.

As a member of this research group, you will take part in research on pathways to sustainable long term care systems in the Nordic countries. We do this in a combination of survey data collection and administrative register data, as well as the application of causal analysis techniques to the study of the determinants of supply and demand in elder care systems within the Nordic context. A key objective is to develop actionable policy recommendations for creating sustainable, cost-effective, high-quality care systems.

HEAL is part of CEBI, Center for Economic Behavior and Inequality. The successful candidates 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 one of the two overarching projects.
• Contribute to building and analyzing unique datasets, including administrative and survey data.
• Take active part in building and lifting HEAL
• Be part of the vibrant academic environment at the Department of Economics, including seminars, workshops, and collaboration with visiting scholars
• Collaboration with national and international research partners
• Present findings at international conferences and publish in leading journals.
• Given the nature of the data, it is a requirement that you are physically present in Copenhagen for the majority of the time.
• There is an opportunity to teach or supervise students and complete the “Teaching and Learning in higher education” facilitated at the University of Copenhagen, if interested in a 3rd postdoctoral year.

Your Competencies and Opportunities
We are looking for you who meet the following criteria:

• A completed PhD in Economics, Public Health, or a related subject by the time the position starts (required).
• A research background in at least one of the following areas: Applied Microeconomics, Health Economics, Epidemiology.
• Strong quantitative and empirical research skills are a requirement; experience with large datasets, health surveys or survey experiments is an advantage.
• An interest in pursuing independent research ideas within the broad scope of HEAL.

What we offer:

• The opportunity to work with unique administrative datasets on health.
• Funding for large-scale surveys with representative populations.
• Collaboration with the members of an active research group where we balance the united pursuit of excellence and the 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.
• Funding for conference participation and other academic activities
• 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 2019 here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
• The salary range starts at DKK 39,200 per month + a 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment.

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 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: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information
Information about the recruitment process is available from HR Sarah Lund, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-2418/25-2I

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Professor Torben Heien Nielsen e-mail: thn@econ.ku.dk, phone +45 35323025

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] 22 February 2026.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.