PhD Fellowship – Co-creating the Climate Plan of Copenhagen Municipality
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PhD Fellowship – Co-creating the Climate Plan of Copenhagen Municipality
The Department of Social Sciences and Business (ISE), Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as PhD fellow linked to the research project Samskabelse af Københavns Kommunes klimaplan from September 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as PhD is limited to a period of 3 years.
Description of the PhD project
The PhD project is part of a research-based follow-up study of the City of Copenhagen's new Climate Plan 2025-2035 that focuses on limiting consumption-related emissions. The purpose of the study is partly to strengthen the implementation through ongoing sparring with management and core employees in the Technical and Environmental Administration and partly to create new research-based knowledge about which management approaches, management forms and process tools can bring relevant and affected actors together in a constructive collaboration that creates innovative green solutions with measurable effects in the built environment.
The expectation is that PhD project follows, analyzes and evaluates 3 cases of emission-reducing green co-creation with a focus on participants, interaction dynamics, use of facilitative management and management, use of various co-creation tools and effect on the creation of measurable results including various 'co-benefits' such as empowerment, social capital, etc. The choice of theory and method is relatively open and is decided in consultation with the supervisor.
The follow-up study in which the PhD project is embedded will be carried out by Professor Jacob Torfing and Professor Eva Sørensen, with whom the PhD fellow will work closely.
The Doctoral School
You will be enrolled as a PhD fellow at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business with approximately 47 PhD fellows from all over the world.
The Doctoral School of Social Sciences & Business provides PhD training and research within an interdisciplinary, international, and professional environment. It is part of a dynamic community of researchers who share a commitment to understanding society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. Researchers come from all over the world and engage in topics that are geographically, theoretically and methodologically diverse. The Doctoral School has one PhD program. The program offers work-in-progress seminars, thematic professional development seminars, feedback and social activities for the enrolled PhD fellows. As a PhD fellow you will be associated the research group Roskilde School of Governance (RSG).
Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receiving constructive feedback in the PhD program to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of coursework, and gain experience in teaching and supervision. You are also required to have a research environmental change during your PhD enrollment. The environment change can take place at foreign or local universities or research institutions.
For more information, see chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. Read more on what it entails to be a PhD Fellow at Roskilde University.
Qualifications
You must have a master's degree or equivalent from relevant social science programmes (e.g. public administration, political science, urban governance, human geography or similar).
Qualifications in the following areas are required:
We also emphasize the following qualifications:
You must be enterprising and have good communication skills, as well as be a visible, involved participant in the department's daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in academic and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment consideration will be given to:
In the assessment regarding enrollment consideration will also be given to the following criteria:
Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Professor Jacob Torfing (jtor@ruc.dk). For technical or administrative questions, please contact the PhD Coordinator Hanne Vang Hansen (ise-phdadmin@ruc.dk).
Terms of employment
The employment is full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to the Dean of Social Sciences. The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
Please submit your application no later than 03-03-2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
Roskilde Universitets fornemmeste opgave er eksperimenterende, nyskabende former for læring, forskning og problemløsning, som flytter samfundet fremad. Vi uddanner kompetente tværfaglige kandidater og skaber videnskabelige resultater af højeste kvalitet gennem åbenhed, involvering og videndeling.
Roskilde Universitet har ca. 6.900 studerende, 900 ansatte og 888 mio. kr. i årlig omsætning.
Description of the PhD project
The PhD project is part of a research-based follow-up study of the City of Copenhagen's new Climate Plan 2025-2035 that focuses on limiting consumption-related emissions. The purpose of the study is partly to strengthen the implementation through ongoing sparring with management and core employees in the Technical and Environmental Administration and partly to create new research-based knowledge about which management approaches, management forms and process tools can bring relevant and affected actors together in a constructive collaboration that creates innovative green solutions with measurable effects in the built environment.
The expectation is that PhD project follows, analyzes and evaluates 3 cases of emission-reducing green co-creation with a focus on participants, interaction dynamics, use of facilitative management and management, use of various co-creation tools and effect on the creation of measurable results including various 'co-benefits' such as empowerment, social capital, etc. The choice of theory and method is relatively open and is decided in consultation with the supervisor.
The follow-up study in which the PhD project is embedded will be carried out by Professor Jacob Torfing and Professor Eva Sørensen, with whom the PhD fellow will work closely.
The Doctoral School
You will be enrolled as a PhD fellow at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Business with approximately 47 PhD fellows from all over the world.
The Doctoral School of Social Sciences & Business provides PhD training and research within an interdisciplinary, international, and professional environment. It is part of a dynamic community of researchers who share a commitment to understanding society in diverse contexts of change and global engagement. Researchers come from all over the world and engage in topics that are geographically, theoretically and methodologically diverse. The Doctoral School has one PhD program. The program offers work-in-progress seminars, thematic professional development seminars, feedback and social activities for the enrolled PhD fellows. As a PhD fellow you will be associated the research group Roskilde School of Governance (RSG).
Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receiving constructive feedback in the PhD program to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of coursework, and gain experience in teaching and supervision. You are also required to have a research environmental change during your PhD enrollment. The environment change can take place at foreign or local universities or research institutions.
For more information, see chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. Read more on what it entails to be a PhD Fellow at Roskilde University.
Qualifications
You must have a master's degree or equivalent from relevant social science programmes (e.g. public administration, political science, urban governance, human geography or similar).
Qualifications in the following areas are required:
- Strong analytical skills and research potential
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in Danish and English. Interviews must be conducted in Danish and these must be printed. At the same time, articles must be written in English.
We also emphasize the following qualifications:
- Theoretical insight, overview and competencies in relevant areas such as management, management, change theory, co-creation, etc.
- Scientific originality understood as the ability to create new and useful knowledge
- Good methodological skills (whether quantitative, qualitative, mixed and/or comparative)
You must be enterprising and have good communication skills, as well as be a visible, involved participant in the department's daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in academic and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment consideration will be given to:
- Relevant master’s degree or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education)
- Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.
In the assessment regarding enrollment consideration will also be given to the following criteria:
- Educational skills and any further professional qualifications within the social sciences.
- Grades at a social science master’s program or equivalent.
- Quality and relevance of the project description.
- Quality and relevance of the methodical and theoretical choices.
- Consistency and coherence between the problem and the choice of method and theory.
- If the PhD project seem realistic and feasible.
- Ability to complete the PhD project.
- Relevance of the project to the profile of the Doctoral School.
- Your project description shall be no more than 5 pages (excluding references).
Questions
For further information about the position, please contact Professor Jacob Torfing (jtor@ruc.dk). For technical or administrative questions, please contact the PhD Coordinator Hanne Vang Hansen (ise-phdadmin@ruc.dk).
Terms of employment
The employment is full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to the Dean of Social Sciences. The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
- Cover letter
- CV
- Documentation of education including grades from Master’s programme or equivalent. If you master degree is not awarded within the ECTS frame, please provide us with:
Your bachelor diploma and grades.
An official English translation of diplomas.
A description of the master programme including the official duration (in years). - Your description of the PhD project (no more than 5 pages)
- Your time schedule of the PhD project
- If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience or publications.
Please submit your application no later than 03-03-2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
Roskilde Universitets fornemmeste opgave er eksperimenterende, nyskabende former for læring, forskning og problemløsning, som flytter samfundet fremad. Vi uddanner kompetente tværfaglige kandidater og skaber videnskabelige resultater af højeste kvalitet gennem åbenhed, involvering og videndeling.
Roskilde Universitet har ca. 6.900 studerende, 900 ansatte og 888 mio. kr. i årlig omsætning.