PhD position focusing on quantitative analyses of early childhood mental health (0-5 years)
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PhD position focusing on quantitative analyses of early childhood mental health (0-5 years)
Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies (CIF) at the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), and National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, invites candidates for a fully funded PhD-position starting 1 March 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is for 3 years.
The position and the project
The chosen candidate will join the statistics program at CIF, contributing to the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) in Denmark project. Interested candidates can read more about the project here: https://psy.ku.dk/cif/english/research/adbb-in-denmark/. The project investigates the observation-based instrument, ADBB, within the Danish ADBB Infancy Cohort which includes data from health visitors’ assessments during the first year of life for infants born across 62 Danish municipalities. The candidate will work with this existing dataset and data from the registries to address specific research questions on early infant social withdrawal. As part of CIF’s statistics program, the candidate will focus on applying statistical methods to investigate these research questions.
Your Competencies and Opportunities
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to master’s level related to the subject area of the project, e.g. epidemiology, psychology, public health, statistics, sociology, or a related field.
If you have completed your education in Denmark, you must have a master’s degree covered by the collective agreement for academics in the state sector. If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, you must either have a master’s degree equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years) or as minimum a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor’s degree (three years) and be assessed as having professional qualifications at master's level.
If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, we will obtain an assessment of your education from the Danish Research Agency.
Experience in research, quantitative methodology, or working with Danish registry data is an advantage but not a requirement. The candidate must be motivated to work within the field of early childhood mental health and developmental psychology with a focus on 0-5-year-old children.
About CIF
CIF is a research center located at the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, and led by Professor Mette S. Væver. The staff at CIF consists of approximately 30 full-time employees (scientific assistants, PhD students, postdocs, one assistant professor, and two associate professors) mostly with a background in psychology, as well as a corresponding number of student assistants.
The research at CIF focuses on the mental health of 0-5-year-old children and their parents. The center's research is conducted in close collaboration with municipalities and professionals working with children and families. As an employee at CIF, you get to work within a very relevant field and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with a focus on promoting mental health in children and parents. As a workplace, CIF is a tolerant and inspiring environment where we collaborate across projects and share knowledge and ideas with each other.
You can read more about CIF here: Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies – Institut for Psykologi - Københavns Universitet
Terms of Employment
In order to be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enroll as a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.
The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment.
Contact information
For information about the project and the position, please contact Head of the Statistics Program Anne Christine Stuart, ach@psy.ku.dk. Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number: 211-2259/25-2H #2.
How to apply
Submit a complete application through the online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.
Your application must be written in Danish or English and include the following documents:
Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.
International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding society, and invites all qualified applicants, regardless of personal background, to apply for the positions.
The position and the project
The chosen candidate will join the statistics program at CIF, contributing to the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB) in Denmark project. Interested candidates can read more about the project here: https://psy.ku.dk/cif/english/research/adbb-in-denmark/. The project investigates the observation-based instrument, ADBB, within the Danish ADBB Infancy Cohort which includes data from health visitors’ assessments during the first year of life for infants born across 62 Danish municipalities. The candidate will work with this existing dataset and data from the registries to address specific research questions on early infant social withdrawal. As part of CIF’s statistics program, the candidate will focus on applying statistical methods to investigate these research questions.
Your Competencies and Opportunities
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to master’s level related to the subject area of the project, e.g. epidemiology, psychology, public health, statistics, sociology, or a related field.
If you have completed your education in Denmark, you must have a master’s degree covered by the collective agreement for academics in the state sector. If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, you must either have a master’s degree equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years) or as minimum a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor’s degree (three years) and be assessed as having professional qualifications at master's level.
If you have completed your education outside of Denmark, we will obtain an assessment of your education from the Danish Research Agency.
Experience in research, quantitative methodology, or working with Danish registry data is an advantage but not a requirement. The candidate must be motivated to work within the field of early childhood mental health and developmental psychology with a focus on 0-5-year-old children.
About CIF
CIF is a research center located at the Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, and the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, and led by Professor Mette S. Væver. The staff at CIF consists of approximately 30 full-time employees (scientific assistants, PhD students, postdocs, one assistant professor, and two associate professors) mostly with a background in psychology, as well as a corresponding number of student assistants.
The research at CIF focuses on the mental health of 0-5-year-old children and their parents. The center's research is conducted in close collaboration with municipalities and professionals working with children and families. As an employee at CIF, you get to work within a very relevant field and engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with a focus on promoting mental health in children and parents. As a workplace, CIF is a tolerant and inspiring environment where we collaborate across projects and share knowledge and ideas with each other.
You can read more about CIF here: Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies – Institut for Psykologi - Københavns Universitet
Terms of Employment
- You will be employed at Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen.
- Further information on the qualification requirements for PhD students can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2025 here: https://www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2025/375
- Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).
In order to be awarded a PhD scholarship the applicant has to enroll as a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, cf. the rules of the Danish Ministerial order No 1039 of 27 August 2013.
The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
As an applicant to the University of Copenhagen, you should be prepared to undergo a security screening related to international research collaboration as part of the recruitment process. The security screening will be conducted in cases where the University deems it appropriate based on an overall assessment.
Contact information
For information about the project and the position, please contact Head of the Statistics Program Anne Christine Stuart, ach@psy.ku.dk. Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk. Please refer to ID number: 211-2259/25-2H #2.
How to apply
Submit a complete application through the online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.
Your application must be written in Danish or English and include the following documents:
- Motivated application
- Curriculum vitae
- Diploma and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc)
- Other relevant material
Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.
International applicant?
The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding society, and invites all qualified applicants, regardless of personal background, to apply for the positions.