University of Southern Denmark
PhD scholarship for project Reconciling ownership and democracy within land-use transformations
🇩🇰Odense, South Denmark, Denmark15 hours ago
EntryFull TimeEN
The Department of Political Science and Public Management, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, invites applications for a three-year full-time PhD scholarship for the project Reconciling ownership and democracy within land-use transformations (ROOT), with employment starting from 15 August 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of employment will be in Odense.
The project—funded by SDU Climate Cluster—examines how the green tripartite agreement shapes land use and ownership, showing how property rights influence democratic decision-making and landscape outcomes. The project combines historical analysis, fieldwork, and political theory to trace its roots in past land reforms and future impacts while studying interactions between municipalities, landowners, and civil society. The goal is to offer insights and institutional solutions for more democratic, climate-conscious land governance. The project is led by Professor Klaus Petersen and Professor Lars Tønder.
The PhD Student will work closely together with the two senior researchers and colleagues from the Department of Political Science and Public Management as well as the SDU Climate Cluster. The PhD project will particularly focus on (1) how to conceptualize property rights as dynamic and historically situated, and (2) how existing property regimes enable or constrain the Green Tripartite Agreement, identifying key historical, economic, and cultural conditions. Ideally, these issues should be addressed through a combination of political theory, historical analysis, and ethnographic fieldwork.
Motivated applications are invited from candidates holding a master’s degree in relevant fields – for instance, history, political science, or anthropology. Applications must include a research proposal of no more than three pages addressing the issues outlined in the above. The proposal is expected to describe the theoretical, methodological and analytical approach.
Expectations and key responsibilities
The ideal candidate has displayed a high academic level, and has a good grasp of research designs and academic methods.
The PhD Student is expected to: (please also consult the Scholarly Qualification Matrix):
Requirements and program structure
The PhD Student will follow an individual PhD plan including course work, conference participation, and teaching. PhD Students typically spend one semester at another research institution, often abroad, but alternative arrangements can be made in special cases. The scholarship carries a monthly salary including pension plus office facilities and financial support for conference travels and research visits abroad.
For further information about this project, please contact PI Lars Tønder tel. 6550 1710, e-mail ltoe@sam.sdu.dk.
For further information about the PhD program, please contact PhD coordinator, Associate Professor Romana Careja, tel. +45 6550 2216, e-mail rca@sam.sdu.dk.
Application
An application must include:
All non-Danish documents must be translated into English, and all documents must be in pdf format, no more than 5 MB per file.
Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.
Applicants are encouraged to read the information "How to apply" before applying. If you experience technical problems when uploading the application, please contact hcm-support@sdu.dk.
UPLOAD GUIDE: Motivated application should be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae should be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents should be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’.
The application deadline is May 27, 2026, at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST).
Assessment and selection process
Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied, and only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. Incomplete applications may be rejected without any substantial evaluation.
When the assessment committee has submitted its report, applicants will receive the part of the assessment that concerns themselves. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of the Department of Political Science and Public Management, who will form an appointment committee. Interviews and tests may be part of the overall evaluation by the appointment committee.
Based on information from the entire recruitment process, the Head of Department determines which applicants will be offered a position.
Conditions of employment
Appointment as a PhD fellow is a 3-year salaried position. Applicants must hold (or document that they will complete) a master’s degree of 120 ECTS or equivalent documented qualifications corresponding to, by the start of enrollment in the PhD program. Employment of a PhD fellow can only take place after the PhD School under the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences has approved the candidate for admission.
Employment will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the state with the associated circular on the job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for PhD fellows as described herein as well as the Protocol on PhD fellows signed by the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). Employment as a paid PhD fellow entails a work commitment of 840 hours spread throughout the entire duration of the PhD. Further information about salary and conditions of employment.
For a detailed description of the entry criteria and a job description for a PhD fellowship, as well as a descriptions of the assessment and hiring processes at the Department of Political Science and Public Management, please consult the department’s Scholarly Qualification Matrix – REEAD.
The person employed in the position may, based on a specific individual managerial assessment, be exempted from time registration, also known as a “self-organiser”.
SDU recommends that international applicants take the time to visit Work in Denmark, where there is information and facts about moving to, working and living in Denmark, as well as the International Staff Office at SDU.
About the Department of Political Science and Public Management
The Department of Political Science and Public Management is part of the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences and currently has approximately 90 permanent employees as well as several part-time employees. Currently, the department attracts around 2,500 students in its various full-time bachelor and master programs as well as part-time professional master programs. The department is located on three of the University of Southern Denmark’s campuses in Odense, Sønderborg and Esbjerg, respectively.
The department is organized around three research sections in Public Administration, Welfare and Politics, International and Regional Politics, and Journalism as well as several cross-disciplinary research centres and research groups.
The department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both staff members and students. Therefore, the department’s ambition is to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic and educational excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes the staff to reflect the diversity of society and, thus, welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
For a detailed description of the Department of Political Science and Public Management’s profile and activities, please visit the department's website.
