PhD scholarship for project Reconciling ownership and democracy within land-use transformations

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 projectfunded by SDU Climate Clusterexamineshow 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 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 toconceptualize 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 these issues should be addressed through a combination of political theory historical analysis and ethnographic fieldwork.

Motivated applications are invited from candidates holding a masters 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 theScholarly Qualification Matrix):

• Be curious and have a strong desire to generate new research ideas.
• Be able to work independently and in consultation with the PhD supervisor prioritize the different aspects of the PhD plan including participation in PhD courses teaching and supervision of undergraduate students.
• Have good interpersonal skills.
• Be interested in engaging with the national and international research community (your supervisor and the department will support you in this) i.e. participate in conferences and present own work.
• Be interested in engaging with relevant societal actors including news media and the public.
• Prioritize being present and taking part in the daily academic and social environments at the department.

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.e-mail .

For further information about the PhD program please contact PhD coordinator Associate Professor Romana Careja tel.e-mail.

Application
An application must include:

• Application form.
• A motivated application.
• A maximum three-page research proposal (see above).
• A detailed CV (max 2 pages).
• A copy of your masters degree certificate including all examination results.
• Information on experience with teaching dissemination or scientific publication if applicable.

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 informationHow to applybefore applying. If you experience technical problems when uploading the application please contact.

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 isMay 27 2026at 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 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) amasters 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 departmentsScholarly 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 visitWork in Denmarkwhere there is information and facts about moving to working and living in Denmark as well asthe 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 2500 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 Denmarks campuses in Odense Sønderborg and Esbjerg respectively.

The department is organized around three research sections in Public Administration Welfare and Politics International and Regional Politicsand 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 departments 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 Managements profile and activities please visit the departmentswebsite.