DIAS Fellow in Applied Philosophy

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) and the Department for Design, Media and Educational Science at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) seek an outstanding candidate to fill a a position as tenure track assistant professor/DIAS-fellow in the field of philosophy with experience within applied philosophy. The candidate is expected to start on 1 October 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.  

We are looking for a researcher with clear potential for research excellence who thrives in and is inspired by interdisciplinary collaboration. The ideal candidate will be expected to contribute to high-quality research in their field, in close collaboration with fellow philosophy researchers at the department, while embracing DIAS’s mission of curiosity-driven inquiry and interdisciplinary dialogue. The successful candidate should have a strong and promising research profile within applied philosophy (e.g., health philosophy, political philosophy, climate ethics, AI ethics, applied epistemology, philosophy of science), and a demonstrated ability to work across disciplines. The candidate will hold a joint position at the Department and DIAS and should be prepared to engage in multiple and diverse research environments at SDU. 

Who are we looking for? 
We seek a researcher with expertise in the field of philosophy, who is eager to develop their research career within the DIAS framework. The candidate should demonstrate:  

• A well-defined and compelling, internationally oriented research profile in philosophy and applied philosophy.  

• A commitment to disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration  

• Active involvement and interest in driving internationally competitive research activities at the highest level of ambition.  

• Engagement in various forms of research dissemination 

• A commitment to teaching philosophy at both BA and MA level, alongside active engagement in study programme related activities and curriculum design.  

Qualifications 
The successful applicant must:  

• Hold a PhD or similar qualifications within relevant fields of philosophy or adjacent fields.  

• Exhibit curiosity-driven research excellence, thinking beyond traditional boundaries.  

• Be fluent in English. 

• Show potential for attracting external research funding. Experience in applying for external funding and a strong international network are considered comparative advantages. 

• Have a publication record that demonstrates their excellence and broad thinking.  

• Have relevant teaching and supervision experience at university level equivalent to that attained through a PhD degree, documented through a teaching portfolio. 

The Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS) 
DIAS at SDU is a hub for interdisciplinary excellence at and beyond the frontier of knowledge, bringing together outstanding researchers from various disciplines to foster groundbreaking interdisciplinary research and bold innovation. DIAS nurtures a collaborative and curiosity-driven environment, encouraging scholars to think outside the box and challenge conventional boundaries. The institute values open-minded exploration and an ambitious yet collegial atmosphere with a strong sense of community. Researchers affiliated with DIAS are expected to contribute actively to DIAS activities, and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations across faculties and departments, both nationally and internationally.   

 About the department and the Philosophy section   
The Department of Design, Media and Educational Sciences is one of two departments at the Faculty of Humanities at SDU. The department has approximately 150 employees and houses research and teaching in a wide range of different areas, including design studies, media studies, educational science, philosophy, information studies, library science, business communication and web communication. The department is located at Campus Odense, Campus Kolding and Campus Sønderborg.   

Researchers in the department are organized in research groups that foster collaboration across job categories. The preferred candidate will join Values and Welfare, a group of 12 junior and senior members researching philosophy and related areas. 

The Philosophy Section is internationally well-connected and has a strong profile in both basic research (epistemology, value theory, ethics, philosophy of mind, phenomenology) and applied philosophy (health, politics, climate change, education, technology). It has attracted substantial external funding and is deeply engaged in interdisciplinary collaboration. 

The Faculty of Humanities offers a BA and an MA programme in Philosophy, where researchers from the philosophy section are responsible for teaching and supervising students. In addition, several researchers from the section teach courses with philosophical components—such as ethics and philosophy of science—across a wide range of programmes offered by SDU’s five faculties. 

Additional information 
For further information about being tenure track assistant professor at DIAS, please contact DIAS director Sten Rynning at +45 6550 2193 or via email at director-dias@sdu.dk. 

For more questions about the position please contact Head of Department Alexandra Holsting at +45 6550 4544 or via email at aho@sdu.dk.  

Application, salary, and employment terms 
The candidate will be attached to The Department of Design, Media and Educational Science in Odense and is also expected to participate DIAS activities and interdisciplinary cooperation in Odense regularly. 
The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). For more details on salary and taxation, please refer to the provided links about salary and taxation. 
Teaching obligations will be reduced compared to a standard assistant professorship at SDU, allowing more time for research and leadership activities. 

To qualify for the position as Assistant Professor you must have obtained a PhD or similar degree prior to the start of the employment.  
 

Application requirements 
The application must include the following: 

• Letter of motivation that clearly explains the applicant's interest, qualifications, and motivation for the position. 

• An elaborate research plan (max 4 pages) covering the duration of the fellowship (up to six years), thus including the tenure-track process. The plan must present synergies between your research ambitions and department activities as well as DIAS’s interdisciplinary environment. The plan must include both research (publications, projects, and grants) and teaching (specific courses, outreach activities, relation to study programs) activities.   

• Detailed CV including documentation of experience, and contacts for possible references.  

• Copies of certificates/Diplomas (Master and PhD degree). 

• Complete list of publications, indicating which publications are most relevant for the position. 

• Up to four of the most relevant research articles – if you submit a monograph, it counts as 3 articles. Please upload a pdf for each publication. For co-authored publications, briefly describe the extent of the co-authorship or your contribution to the publications (please do this for each co-authored publication). You can do so by using this form or by describing the co-authorship in such a way that the committee can assess the extent of your contribution. 

• A teaching portfolio with the application as documentation for teaching experience as well as supervision qualifications. Formal application instructions and a guide for the teaching portfolio can be found here. 

The tenure-track program 
The Danish tenure-track employment is a focused assistant professorship with a guaranteed assessment for an open-ended position as an associate professor, within the tenure-track assistant professor’s field of study. Before the end of the sixth year of employment, the assistant professor transitions to permanent employment as an associate professor pending positive academic assessment from the assessment committee. 

During the tenure track program period, the assistant professor is expected to achieve qualifications equivalent to that of an associate professor.  

Transition and assessment from assistant professor to associate professor  
The assessment will follow the standard rules for an assessment of an associate professor at the department and be made by a normal assessment committee.  

The assessment is based on the tenure-track assistant professor’s fulfilment of the qualification requirements that apply to associate professorships and the criteria stated in the original advertisement. You can read more about the tenure-track program at SDU here.  

At the time of tenure review for the position of associate professor, the tenure-track assistant professor is expected to have fulfilled their goals, which will be outlined in the Tenure Track plan, an instrument that will be used as an evaluation and assessment tool during the process and in the final assessment to associate professor. More specifically, the applicant is expected to:  

• have contributed actively to collaborative research and research initiatives with other local, national and/or international researchers in the field.  

• have participated in attracting research funding from external funding bodies 

• have completed the teacher training program 

• have developed a strong teaching profile within their field, with the ability to teach and supervise at all levels  

• have participated in curriculum development  

• have contributed actively to the environment of the department, including the carrying out of various administrative tasks 

The tenure track plan will be updated continuously throughout the program, and progress should be ensured and discussed with the line manager in the annual performance and development review (MUS).   

Submission guidelines 
Files must be submitted in PDF format, with each file no larger than 10 MB. 

If multiple files are needed for a single section, combine them into one PDF file. 

Zip files, image files (jpg, png, etc.), and password-protected PDF files will not be accepted. All PDF files must be unlocked to allow binding. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. 

All application materials must be submitted in English, and only applications written in English will be considered. 

We recommend that international applicants take the time to visit websites of Work in Denmark and the International Staff Office at SDU. Here you can find information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark. 

Assessment 
Shortlisting may be used as part of the assessment process. Read about shortlisting at SDU. 

Assessment of applications will be done under the existing Appointment Order for universities. Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. The committee may request additional information, and, if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material.  

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicant will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them.  

Applications that are incomplete with regard to the above requirements will not be assessed by the committee. Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process and references may be obtained.  

About SDU 
SDU was founded in 1966 and now has over 27,000 students, nearly 20% of whom are international. SDU employs more than 3,800 staff and offers 115 study programmes across disciplines such as the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering. While SDU’s main campus is in Odense, it also has campuses in other locations. 
 
Equal opportunity employment 
The University of Southern Denmark is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, or any other protected status.