PhD project on non-financial conflicts of interests in research
Department of Food and Resource Economics
Faculty of Science
University of Copenhagen
The Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO) invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in research integrity.
The starting date is 1 December 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
The project concerns non-financial conflicts of interest in research and whether these should be declared (and if so how). Strongly held theoretical, ethical, political, or religious views can bias researchers in ways similar to financial ties to external organizations. Since the latter must be declared in research publications as potential financial conflicts of interest, it is common to apply the same logic to the former and expect researchers to also declare potential non-financial conflicts of interest in research publications. The Danish Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, for instance, states that:

“Responsible conduct of research includes disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. This allows financial or other interests to be assessed on an informed basis to evaluate potential bias of the researcher’s professional judgement” (p. 21)

However, there are still many open questions regarding declarations of potential non-financial conflicts of interest. This call invites a PhD fellow to dive into some of these questions using social science methods. Relevant questions include, but are not limited to, how such declarations are used by readers of scientific papers and popular communication of scientific results, how use depends on the status of the sender (e.g., the scientist, the scientific discipline, the university, and the journal), and whether there are specific formats for disclosing nonfinancial conflicts of interest that are particularly useful.

Applicants are encouraged to submit a brief (maximum 3 pages) non-binding research proposal to illustrate their general interest in the topic and ability to formulate a research idea. The final research topic and methods will be determined in dialogue with the supervisors.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within master’s degree in sociology, anthropology, philosophy or similar. The candidate should have documented training and experience using social science methods (qualitative and/or quantitative). Knowledge of theory of research integrity and philosophy of science is preferable.

What do we offer?
IFRO offers creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, and international research environment. The candidate will be part of the Section for Consumption, Bioethics and Governance. The section includes research groups within both research integrity and applied ethics, as well as aspects of sociology and economics. The group on research integrity is small, but the section, and the wider department hosts a large and vibrant community of young researchers, some of whom work on related topics and/or use similar methods. We are located on Frederiksberg in Copenhagen.

Principal supervisor is associate professor of research integrity Mads P. Goddiksen, [email protected].

Qualifications needed for the programme
To be eligible for the 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. sociology, anthropology, or philosophy.
For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment
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.

Physical presence at IFRO is considered as a natural part of being an employee to contribute to a welcoming, socially pleasant, creative and innovative work environment. IFRO offers possibility for flexibility and working from home, but an employee is expected to regularly be present physically at IFRO.

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, 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:

• Good competences in social science methods, e.g. interviews, focus groups and/or surveys
• Knowledge of research integrity and/or philosophy of science
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in research integrity
• Good language and communication skills

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)
• Project proposal (max. three pages)
• 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 relevant)
• Reference letters (if available)

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/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 42/43.

Applicants must be prepared for further security screening related to international research collaborations as part of the recruitment process when UCPH considers it appropriate from a holistic consideration.

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.

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 16-08-2026

Ansættelsesdato: 01-12-2026

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Food and Resource Economics