The Interdisciplinary Centre on population Dynamics (CPop) at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense invites applications for a PhD scholarship in demography.
The PhD position is for a duration of three years and includes a research stay abroad.
The starting date is flexible, but we hope to welcome our new colleague on January 1, 2026.
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 modelling, and forecasting.
Its research meets the highest international standards, demonstrated by publications in leading journals, presentations at global conferences, competitive external funding, and wide-reaching societal impact.
CPop is also committed to research-based teaching, employing innovative methods to enhance student learning. It oversees a graduate programme in Population Studies.
The centre fosters an inspiring academic environment and strives to attract and retain talented scholars dedicated to excellence and CPop’s continued development.
The position
The candidate will join an international team of researchers investigating sub-national demographic changes in the Nordic countries. Knowledge and/or research interests on population dynamics, causes and consequences of population changes and formal demography are an advantage.
The candidate is expected to apply innovative analytical and/or statistical methods to improve the estimation of population changes at a subnational level and to gain a better understanding of their underlying drivers.
The goal of the project is to provide detailed information on the causes of subnational population changes to help inform public policies and regionalization strategies in the Nordic countries. The PhD will be supervised by Associate Professor Marie-Pier Bergeron Boucher.
Required qualifications
- MSc in Demography, Social Science, Economics, Mathematics and Economics, Business Administration, Political Science, or similar.
- Knowledge of/or strong interest in the causes and consequences of populations changes and formal demographic methods.
- Experience in statistical analysis, and/or mathematical modeling and/or forecasting.
- Fluency in programming (e.g., R)
- Proficiency in spoken and written English.
Further information about the position can be obtained from Head of Administration Astrid Holm Nielsen, e-mail: [email protected]. Information about the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences and at the Department of Economics, University of Southern Denmark, is available here.
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 letter stating your specific interest in, motivation for, and qualifications for conducting research on aging, population changes, and related societal impacts.
- Detailed CV - the education and work history must be month and year specific.
- Copies of diplomas, Bachelor as well as Master’s degree, including transcript of notes/grades.
- A project description (max 5 pages of 2400 characters each, including spaces, notes, appendices, bibliography etc.)
- When applying for a PhD scholarship, please fill in 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.
The application deadline is September 8, 2025, 23.59 CET.
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.
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 [email protected] 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.
