PhD position at Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research focusing on alcohol addiction and recovery Full-time NEW

PhD Position at Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research

Aarhus BSS Graduate School, Aarhus University invites applicants for a PhD Scholarship in connection with the research project “The lived realities and embodied experiences of alcohol addiction and recovery” at the PhD Programme Psychology and Behavioural Science at Department of Psychology and Behavioural Science. The position is available from 1 February 2027.

The research project

The Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research invites applications for a PhD position focusing on alcohol addiction and recovery.

The position offers the opportunity to take part in an engaging research environment as the position forms part of a larger research project called “The lived realities and embodied experiences of alcohol addiction and recovery” headed by Associate professor Esben Houborg and financed by Independent Research Fund Denmark.

Addiction and recovery are significant individual and societal challenges with consequences for health, family life, employment, and social participation. Despite extensive research, there remains a lack of knowledge about the embodied (lived, bodily) experiences of addiction and recovery.

The overall aim of the project is to generate new knowledge about how individuals experience alcohol addiction and recovery, with particular attention to craving, loss of control, and the processes through which people move into and out of addiction. The project combines narrative and phenomenological approaches to better understand addiction as a bodily, emotional, and social phenomenon.

The project consists of four work packages: 1) A scoping literature review, 2) narrative life-course interviews, 3) micro-phenomenological interviews, 4) practice development through change lab sessions.

Job description

The proposed PhD project should contribute to advancing knowledge about alcohol addiction and recovery from the perspective of individuals with lived experience and be aligned with the overall research framework of the project. Relevant topics may include personal and social processes of change, everyday life in relation to addiction and recovery, identity, relationships, meaning-making, and the broader implications of lived experiences for understanding and supporting recovery processes. Applicants are encouraged to develop their own theoretical, methodological, and empirical focus within this framework.

Under the supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI), who will serve as the main PhD supervisor, the successful candidate will actively contribute to the empirical, analytical, and theoretical development of the overall project. The PhD project will primarily contribute to the qualitative empirical components of the research programme, including the exploration of lived and embodied experiences of addiction and recovery, thereby supporting the achievement of the project's overall objectives.

Core tasks could include:

• Conducting qualitative interviews, both narrative and micro-phenomenological interviews focusing on embodied experiences such as craving, loss of control, withdrawal, and recovery processes.
• Contributing to recruitment of participants in alcohol treatment.
• Participating in data analysis (coding and thematic analysis using NVivo).
• Contributing to the integration of findings across narrative and phenomenological data.
• Participating in project meetings, advisory board interactions, and collaborative research activities.
• Disseminating research findings in international journals and conferences.

Your qualifications

We are looking for a candidate with:

• A relevant Master's degree in sociology, anthropology, psychology, public health, or related social science disciplines.
• Strong interest in addiction research and qualitative methodologies.
• Experience with qualitative methods (required).
• Analytical skills and interest in narrative and/or phenomenological approaches (an advantage).
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a research team.
• Fluency in Danish (required, as data collection will be done in Danish)

What do we offer?

• Access to renowned researchers and international networks
• An engaging and supportive research environment
• A pathway to a research career or a career in the private or public sector
• We are committed to creating an inclusive environment and recognize diversity as a key asset. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.

Assessment criteria

Applications are assessed based on an overall evaluation of the applicant's qualifications. Particular emphasis is placed on:

• The quality, originality, and relevance of the research proposal
• Academic performance in both bachelor's and master's degree studies
• Evidence of a demonstrated ability to produce substantial written work, such as a master's thesis, during studies or in other contexts
• The final decision regarding admission is made by the management based on an assessment of both the quality of the proposed project and the applicant's ability to complete it within the prescribed timeframe.
• Applicants are encouraged to include documentation of their class ranking (e.g. ranking or percentile), as this provides additional context for the assessment. However, this is not a requirement.

Framework for the PhD programme

• The PhD programme is conducted in accordance with the current Danish Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme and the rules and guidelines for PhD students at Aarhus BSS, both of which can be found here.
• It is not essential that your educational background matches the PhD programme exactly. The most important consideration is that your project is academically relevant and can be anchored within the research area of the PhD programme.