Marie Curie PhD fellowship in Micronutrient intake and status in healthy young adults fed either a plant-based or a meat-based diet Full-time

MSCA Project PhD Position

MICROSUNSET is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) funded by the European Union, in which we have 12 open positions for Doctoral Candidates (DCs). We aim to create a network of early-stage researchers equipped with knowledge and skills – including entrepreneurship –to develop and support implementation strategies that address micronutrient deficiencies in Europe as diets shift toward more plant-based foods. For MICROSUNSET we will recruit 12 highly talented DCs, whose collective research will focus on bio-accessibility and bioavailability of micronutrients, and strategies to produce and process plant-based foods with enhanced concentration of micronutrients as an integrative part of sustainable and healthy diets. Development of analytical methods, digestion models, dietary modelling, and conducting consumer surveys will form part of the Doctoral Network's tasks.

The 12 PhD candidates will be based across seven different universities in Europe: four in Denmark (three at the Technical University of Denmark and one at the University of Copenhagen), two in Germany (Technical University of Munich), one in the Netherlands (Wageningen University), one in Ireland (University College Cork), two in the United Kingdom (University of Newcastle upon Tyne), and two in Finland (University of Helsinki).

To train the DCs as the next generation of micronutrient researchers in our international and interdisciplinary program, MICROSUNSET brings together experts from several disciplines as supervisors, forming a consortium of seven beneficiaries and fourteen associated partners including six from industry and two start-ups.

To be eligible for a MICROSUNSET PhD-position, you must not have lived, studied, or worked in the host country for more than 12 months in the last 36 months, and must not already hold a doctoral degree.

Description of the research:

Throughout the project, you will collaborate with other Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in the MICROSUNSET consortium to contribute to generating evidence-based knowledge about micronutrient content, intake, digestibility and bioavailability from plant-based diets.

Part of the PhD-study will take place as external stay at Aarhus University and The Danish Agricultural and Food Council.

Responsibilities:

As part of your research, you will:

• Enrol in The PhD school of Science at University of Copenhagen and comply with its doctoral training requirements
• Participate actively in the MICROSUNSET training (12 ECTS), dissemination, communication and exploitation activities.
• Conduct high-quality research under supervision of a diverse scientific team
• Publish and present research results in international conference proceedings and peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Prepare and defend a doctoral thesis in the field of micronutrients and sustainable food products.
• Support student supervision and contribute to teaching at BSc and MSc levels.

About the PhD position at U-CPH (DC11):

The open PhD-position is placed at University of Copenhagen in the Sustainability and Health research Group In the Nutrition and Health section.

Micronutrient intake and status in healthy young adults fed either a plant-based or a meat-based diet

One of the focus areas of the group is investigation of the micronutrient intake and status in healthy adults and bioavailability of micronutrients from foods. The group has a dynamic staff with high international visibility, many research collaborations with leading international universities and organisations and a successful track record of national and international research projects.

Research on iron and zinc from plant-based diets

The primary objective of the PhD project is I) to investigate the impact of substituting animal-based meat for plant-based analogues on iron and zinc digestibility, intake and status? II) to predict changes in iron and zinc intake and status with a dietary transition from the habitual Danish Diet to a more plant rich Danish diet. iii) Consumer intakes, and acceptability of plant-based alternatives to meat as well as drivers and barriers to consuming more sustainable alternatives to meat products. Are there cultural and social differences in attitudes towards these products across Europe? More specifically you will be involved in assessing the dietary intake of iron and zinc in human volunteers eating either a habitual Danish diet or an optimized meat- or plant-based diet. Furthermore, you will be responsible for developing a survey and collection of survey data from the countries involved in the project. Throughout the project, you will collaborate with other Doctoral Candidates (DCs) in the MICROSUNSET consortium to contribute to generation of evidence-based knowledge about micronutrient intake, digestibility and bioavailability from plant-based diets.

Part of the PhD-study will take place as external stays at Aarhus University and At the Danish Agricultural and Food council, Copenhagen

Project description

The successful applicant will join a multidisciplinary EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie International PhD training network. This doctoral position is based at Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at University of Copenhagen (UCPH).

The Doctoral Candidate will be supervised by Professor Susanne Bügel. The group works with sustainable diets and health, and the focus areas are optimal nutrient intake and bioavailability from diets in healthy adults.

Main supervisor Professor Susanne Bügel Email: shb@nexs.ku.dk direct phone: +45 35332490

About the department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports

The Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (NEXS) engages in research, education, innovation and knowledge dissemination within the areas of nutrition, human physiology and sports at the highest international level, covering disciplines related to the health sciences, humanities and social sciences.

Required qualifications

As an applicant you must have:

a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) in Nutrition or a similar degree at equivalent academic level.

Furthermore, the ideal candidate has:

• Knowledge about Human Nutrition
• Good communication skills in English, both written and oral
• Experience with international collaboration and the ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams.
• A structured and analytical approach to work and problem-solving
• Experience with research dissemination – publications or conference presentation is an advantage, as well as professional qualifications relevant for the PhD-project will be taken into consideration.

Applicants will also be required to meet the European Commission's MSCA Doctoral Network eligibility criteria, notably:

• Mobility Rule – Applicants can be of any nationality and must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the start of their employment at UCPH. Compulsory national service, short stays such as holidays, and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.
• Doctoral Candidate requirement – the applicant must not be in possession of a doctoral degree at the first day of the employment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet been awarded the doctoral degree are not eligible.

Please note that you will only be considered for the position if you fulfil both above eligibility criteria.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant work experience
• Publications
• The grade point average achieved
• Other professional activities
• Language skills
• The successful applicant is also required to be enterprising and to possess good interpersonal skills

Place of employment

The place of employment is at Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Terms of employment

The employment as PhD fellow is full time and limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 1 September 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

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. The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the faculty's rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 31,242 DKK/approx. 4,193 EUR (November 2025 level) plus pension.

Questions