PhD scholarship for research project on lifespan inequalities across social determinants of health

The Interdisciplinary Centre on population Dynamics (CPop) at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for a fully funded three‑year PhD position within a Danish Research Council (Sapere Aude) project. The project, Lifespan Inequalities and the Role of Social Determinants of Health: Going Beyond Life Expectancy, is supervised by Associate Professor Marie‑Pier Bergeron Boucher. The position is based at SDU’s campus in Odense.

The starting date is flexible, with a preferred start on August 15, 2026. The PhD position has a duration of three years and includes a research stay abroad, typically lasting six months. The position offers a competitive full‑time salary.

The Center

CPop conducts cutting‑edge research on survival, longevity, and population aging, with a focus on policy, economic, and cultural implications. The center is recognized for its strong profile in analytical demography, demographic modeling, and forecasting.

Its research meets the highest international standards, demonstrated by publications in leading journals, presentations at global conferences, competitive external funding, and significant societal impact.

CPop is also committed to research‑based teaching, employing innovative methods to enhance student learning. It oversees a graduate program in Population Studies.

The center fosters an inspiring academic environment and strives to attract and retain talented scholars dedicated to excellence and CPop’s continued development.

Job description

The project Lifespan Inequalities and the Role of Social Determinants of Health: Going Beyond Life Expectancy aims to analyse how multiple social determinants of health intersect in shaping lifespan. This project aims to solve the methodological challenges in estimating and forecasting lifespan across intersecting social determinants of health and to analyze how lifespan inequalities across these dimensions influence broader mortality patterns.

The successful candidate is expected to develop a PhD project that aligns with the overall objectives of the project, with particular attention to approaches for estimating lifespan across several social determinants of health. The candidate will also contribute to graduate‑level teaching and supervision in demography.

We are an international department, and the working language is English. 

Applicants’ profile

Applicants should have completed a relevant MSc in Demography, Social Science, Economics, Mathematics and Economics, Public Health, Statistics or similar. Furthermore, we expect applicants to: 

• Have strong English skills, both spoken and written. 
• Be dedicated, capable of working independently and in cooperation with a PhD supervisor
• Have good interpersonal skills, be interested in engaging with national and international researchers.
• Have solid knowledge of demographic methods and experience with software such as R, or similar tools; be eager to learn new demographic methods.

Further information about the position can be obtained from Head of Administration Astrid Holm Nielsen, e-mail: astni@sam.sdu.dk. Information about the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, is available here. For general questions regarding relocation, housing, taxes etc., contact the SDU’s International Staff Office. 

How to apply for this position

Employment as a paid PhD fellow takes place in accordance with the circular of 20 December 2021 on the collective agreement for academics in the state – appendix 5, protocol on PhD fellowships.

For more information on the guidelines for qualification and recruitment please visit our webpage. 

An application must include (all attachments must be in Adobe PDF format): 

• A motivational letter describing why the applicant is a good match for the project.
• Detailed CV - the education and work history must be month and year specific.
• A certified copy of your master’s degree certificate including all examination results. Alternatively, the expected date to finish the master’s degree.
• A translation of grades according to the European ECTS system obtained in BA and MSc programs. 
• A project description (max 5 pages of 2400 characters each, including spaces, notes, appendices, bibliography etc.)
• The application form available on our web page.

On the webpage of the PhD –school, you can find the guidelines for preparing your project proposal.

All non-Danish documents must be translated into English.

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.

Once the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicant will receive the portion of the evaluation that pertains to them.

Applications that are incomplete regarding the above requirements will not be assessed by the committee.

Shortlisting and tests may be used in the assessment process.

As part of the overall assessment of the applicant’s qualifications, an interview may be applied.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

The application and CV must not exceed 10 MB.

The application deadline is March 16, 2026, 23.59 CET/CEST.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply online". Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF (unlocked) or Word format.

We recommend that you read the guideline for applicants. If you experience technical problems, you must contact hcm-support@sdu.dk before the application deadline.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.