Call for applications for a fully financed PhD fellowship
Transitions into academic teaching positions within university colleges programmes such as Nursing, Nutrition and Health, Physiotherapy, and Radiography represent a critical and underexplored phase in higher education. In university colleges and professionally oriented higher education institutions, assistant professors (so-called early career academics) enter academia with diverse professional backgrounds, often rooted in practice-based professions. The transition from a professional to an academic position unfold within an educational landscape currently undergoing significant structural and political changes, which creates new and intensified tensions in how academic work is understood and enacted.
The purpose of the project is to generate novel, practice-oriented insights into the transition processes and professional identity formation among early career academics who teach at a Danish university college.
The PhD project aims to provide new theoretical and empirical knowledge on professional identity development among (health-)professionals transitioning into higher education and a research-based model for competence development programmes for this specific group of early career academics.
The PhD project is to be conducted in close collaboration between Centre for Educational Development (CED), Aarhus University and VIA University College. The applicant will be embedded in a strong research environment focusing on higher education pedagogy, professional identity, practice-based research and competence development.
A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) within educational sociology, educational science, pedagogy, health professions education or related subjects.
Basic training in literature research and handling qualitative data.
Analytical skills and ability to work independently with attention to details.
Documented experience with project management and collaboration in higher education or professional education contexts.
Practical experiences with assistant professor training programmes, pedagogical development, or academic staff development.
Prior experience with qualitative and practice-oriented research methodologies.
Experience with connecting research, organizational development, and educational practice.
Fluency in Danish and English (oral and written)
Please submit your application via this link. Application deadline is 11 May 2026 23:59 CET. Preferred starting date is 1 August 2026.
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.
Please contact Associate Professor Mette Krogh Christensen, mette.k.christensen@au.dk for more information.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
