One or more PhD Positions in health system innovation

The Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Science and Technology, Active Health; Aalborg; On-site; DKK 299,000 - 336,000; Full time

Job summary

Aalborg University invites applications for one or more PhD stipends in health system innovation within the Department of Health Science and Technology, Active Health. The three-year positions begin January 1, 2027 or soon thereafter.

You will join an interdisciplinary research environment working with hospitals, general practice, municipalities, and industry to develop cross-sectoral care pathways for chronic disease and to evaluate innovative pathways with data collection and dissemination of

Qualifications

• Masters in health sciences or related field.
• Strong skills in research design, data analysis and dissemination of results.
• Interest in chronic disease management, healthcare organisation, cross-sector collaboration, innovation and health economic assessment.
• Structured, systematic approach with quality as a guiding principle.
• Interpersonal and collaborative competencies, with proficient language ability in Danish and English.

Responsibilities

• Develop cross-sectoral care pathways for chronic disease across hospitals, general practice and municipalities.
• Contribute to prototype development, feasibility testing and evaluation of cross-sectoral pathways.
• Collect and analyse data and disseminate research findings.
• Collaborate with researchers, healthcare professionals and stakeholders and work independently on multiple tasks.

Skills

Research skills

Data analysis

Dissemination

Interpersonal skills

Collaborative competency

Danish language

English language

Education

Master's in health sciences

Design and innovation studies

Sociology/anthropology or related

Job description

One or more PhD Positions in health system innovation

The Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Science and Technology, Active Health

At the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Science and Technology, one or more PhD stipends in health system innovation are available for appointment from January 1, 2027, or soon hereafter.
The duration of the position is three years.

The Department of Health Science and Technology (HST) at Aalborg University is an interdisciplinary research and teaching environment where engineering, medicine and health sciences come together to improve people's lives.

As a PhD fellow at HST, you will become part of an international research community with access to experienced supervisors, modern research facilities and strong interdisciplinary collaboration. You will work alongside researchers from a wide range of disciplines and engage with hospitals, industry and public-sector partners to address some of society's most important health challenges.

The department is home to approximately 180 academic staff members, around 100 PhD fellows and more than 1,700 students. We offer a stimulating research environment that encourages scientific curiosity, collaboration and professional development.

The Faculty of Medicine is committed to preparing PhD graduates for diverse career paths. Throughout your PhD, you will develop advanced research competencies alongside transferable skills that prepare you for careers in academia, industry and the public sector. Towards the end of your PhD, you will be offered dedicated career development support to help you plan your next career step.

At HST, our values – Share. Care. Dare. – shape the way we collaborate, support one another and create knowledge with societal impact.

Learn more about the department on our website and in our research portal .
Your work tasks This PhD stipend will be affiliated with a research and innovation project focusing on health system innovation and to be more specific cross-sectoral health care pathways for people with chronic disease.

The project aims to develop cross-sectoral care pathways that can contribute to more coherent, person-centred and sustainable support for people with chronic disease, along with lead to system-level change through collaboration between hospitals, general practice, municipalities, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders.

The PhD student will contribute to the prototype development, feasibility test and evaluation of innovative cross-sectoral pathways and will be involved in data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of research findings. The project combines perspectives from systemic innovation, integrated care, and health economics.

The PhD student will collaborate closely with researchers, healthcare professionals, municipalities, community organisations and patient representatives. The position therefore requires the ability to work independently with multiple tasks while also being confident, when collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders and collaborators.

The PhD will be affiliated to the Section of Public Health at the Department of Health Science and Technology. The list of supervisors includes professor Sine Agergaard and associate professor Ludvig J.T. Rasmussen, as well as Professor Jan Sørensen from Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University.

The PhD stipend is available for a period of 3 years starting January 1, 2027. The PhD student will be enrolled in the doctoral programme in Health Care, Health Promotion and Organizations at the Faculty of Medicine.

Applicants should have:

• a master's degree within the health sciences; design and innovation studies; sociology, anthropology or related programmes
• well-developed skills in conducting research, analysing data and disseminating results
• a sincere interest in chronic disease management, healthcare organisation, cross-sectoral collaboration, innovation and health economic assessment
• a structured and systematic approach to work with quality as the guiding principle
• interpersonal skills and collaborative competency
• advanced language skills in Danish and English (oral and written)

Knowledge of or experience with innovation processes, feasibility testing, and health economic evaluation will be considered an advantage.

Qualification requirements

PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time. As part of the PhD study, you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS, gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University, preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.

Do you have any questions?

If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Please reserve the late afternoon of November 19 for a possible job interview

Further information

Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Salary and terms of employment

The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities. Furthermore, your terms of employment and salary are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement).

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University

- Knowledge for the world

Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Type of employment

Type of employment Temporary position more than 6 months

Contract type

Contract type Full time

Number of positions

Number of positions 1

Full-time equivalent 37

City

City Aalborg

County *

Country

Reference number

Reference number 2026/1120

Contact