PLEN invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Scenarios for Agri-Food System Transition, with a focus on development of a scenario tool to be used in workshops with Danish municipalities and local stakeholders. The tool will assist the co-creation process of developing visions for a localized transition to a more plant-based agri-food system. The PhD fellowship is part of the research project COTRANSITION (COllectively TRANSITIONing the agriculture and food system), which is financed by the Plant-Based Food Grant (Fonden for Plantebaserede Fødevarer).
Start date is (expected to be) 1 January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
By supporting Danish municipalities in reducing their GHG emissions and developing ambitious solutions for the future agriculture and food system and exploiting synergies with the Green Tripartite Agreement, the overarching aim of the COTRANSITION project is to accelerate the transformation of the agri-food system in Denmark by overcoming barriers and lock-ins, and mobilizing all agri-food stakeholders to collaborate on transitioning to more plant-based food production and consumption.
The subproject “Develop and operationalize a scenario tool for illustrating the links between diet, land use and environmental impacts in the transition to a more plant-based agri-food system” on which the PhD Fellow will work contributes to this aim by providing a science-based foundation for the visioning process that will take place over a series of workshops in a number of municipalities. The tool will include various parameters which the workshop participants can adjust to improve collective understanding of the link between diet, land use and environmental impacts. Adjustments to the tool will happen as part of the co-creation process where stakeholders’ input can be incorporated into future updates. In addition to the development of the tool, the successful PhD candidate will also be responsible for assessing the resulting scenarios developed in the process relative to the changes required to fulfill both various existing policy targets at a national and EU level as well as in relation to the planetary boundaries.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates with a master’s degree in the field(s) of climate change, environmental sciences, agronomy or other relevant programmes. It is preferable that the candidate has experience with interdisciplinary work integrating a systems perspective with a focus on assessing the climate and environmental impacts of food production and consumption.
Because the PhD Fellow must participate in a collaborative workshop process with stakeholders from across the Danish agri-food system, candidates who can speak Danish (or other Scandinavian languages easily understood in Denmark) are preferred.
Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The COTRANSITION project is a collaboration between the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences (PLEN) and the Department of Food and Resources Economics (IFRO) at the University of Copenhagen.
The PhD Fellow will be working in the research group Climate and Food Security in the Section for Crop Sciences at PLEN. The research group is led by Assoc. Prof. Christian Bugge Henriksen, who is the PI for COTRANSITION and is also leading the subproject on which the PhD Fellow will work.
At IFRO, the project is lead by Prof. Anders Blok and Prof. Jørgen Dejgård Jensen, who are both in the Section for Consumption, Bioethics, and Governance.
Alongside joining and working closely with the interdisciplinary COTRANSITION project team that includes two other PhDs within transition management and agricultural economics, the PhD Fellow will also benefit from being embedded in the research group Climate and Food Security, which specializes in sustainable transformation of the agriculture and food system.
The PLEN Department is part of the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen (UCPH). The research group is part of the Section for Crop Science, located at the UCPH campus in Taastrup, outside Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.
Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Christian Bugge Henriksen
The PhD programme
The PhD fellowship is a three-year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme).
Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. sustainability transition studies, sociology of food and agriculture, integrated food studies, or similar. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Responsibilities and tasks in the PhD programme
- Carry through an independent research project under supervision
- Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
- Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
- Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
- Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
- Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project
We are looking for the following qualifications:
- Knowledge of climate and environmental impacts of food production and consumption
- Good competences in quantification and scenario development in relation to agri-food systems
- Relevant work experience
- Other relevant professional activities
- Curious mind-set with a strong interest in agri-food sustainability transition
- Comfortable in working independently
- Good cooperation skills
- Good language skills in Danish (/equivalent Scandinavian) and English
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
- Motivated letter of application (max. one page) for this specific position
- Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
- Publication list (if possible)
- Reference letters (if available)
Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is 11 August 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.
The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.
Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.
