PhD fellowship in children's nutrition and risk of overweight
The project
The PhD project is mainly based on data from the Generation Healthy Kids project, a large-scale 2-year school- and community-based multi-component, multi-setting intervention among more than 1300 Danish 6-11-year-old children. This included food and nutrition intervention components in the form of a school lunch programme, activities in the local supermarkets and SFO and practical tools and events for families to promote healthier diets aligned with the Danish food-based dietary guidelines.
The PhD project is focused on the effects of the dietary intervention components on children’s dietary intake, assessed by 3-day dietary records, fulfilment of dietary guidelines and nutritional status, and whether intake of key foods and nutrients in the diet (eg. added sugar, dietary fiber, protein etc) are associated with children’s body composition and risk of overweight. It is also possible to explore the impact of parents education and other sociodemographic factors on the effects, and to couple data with evaluations of children’s food literacy etc.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within human nutrition, clinical nutrition or related fields such as public health, health science, biology etc with excellent academic skills and a strong interest in children’s nutrition and health.
We are looking for the following qualifications:
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project ie. processing and analysis of dietary intake data, statistical analyses (eg. linear mixed models) as well as evaluation of child growth and body composition data.
- Relevant publications
- Relevant work experience and other relevant professional activities
- A curious mind-set with a strong interest in randomized trials in children’s nutrition
- An ambitious scientist-to-be who is able to work independently and in close collaboration with others, and be a benefit to our team
- Excellent language skills in English and preferably also in Danish, due to the nature of data
Our group and research - and what do we offer?
The research group Lifecourse Nutrition within the section Nutrition and Health is a part of Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg. We focus on the impact of nutrition on health and disease prevention in specific lifestages, including pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adults with obesity. We conduct randomized controlled trials with foods and nutrients, measure dietary intake and body composition by gold standard methods, collect and analyze blood samples and conduct various other assessments of children’s health and development. As PhD student you will be part of a dynamic and international research environment mainly focused on nutrition and health. Your nearest colleagues will be a small team of young investigators working with related child data providing the opportunity for mutual sparring and support. As part of the PhD you also have the opportunity to spend some months at the Department of Prevention, Health Promotion and Community Care, at Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen in Herlev.
Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Camilla T. Damsgaard, Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, ctd@nexs.ku.dk Co-supervisor is Professor Ulla Toft, Prevention, Health Promotion and Community Care, Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen, ulla.toft@regionh.dk
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. in Human Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Public Health or a related area. 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.
Salary, pension and other conditions of employment are set in accordance with the Agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations) or other relevant organisation. Currently, the monthly salary starts at 30,800 DKK/approx. 4,800 EUR (April 2025 level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated.
Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the 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
- 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
- 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
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)
- Your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project
- Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Original diplomas for Bachelor or Master 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 27 May 2025, 23:59 GMT +2.
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 http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 24 and 25.
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.
Please note in your application that you found the job at Jobindex
