Postdoctoral position in promoting plant-rich eating in a family context Full-time

Postdoctoral Position In Promoting Plant-Rich Eating In A Family Context

Are you interested in contributing to the green transition? The Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites candidates for a postdoctoral position in promoting plant-rich eating in a family context from May 1st, 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The position is for 20 months if you work full-time. If you work part-time, the employment period will be extended accordingly to match the full-time equivalent.

Introduction The postdoc will contribute to an interdisciplinary project “GreenFamily – Towards sustainable, plant-rich and healthy diets for the new generation”. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports (SCIENCE), Department of Food Science (SCIENCE) and Department of Psychology (SAMF) funded by Plantefonden.

The goal of the project is to support Danish families with children in the transition towards a more plant-rich diet and healthier eating habits. The project will develop and investigate tools to promote sustainable behavior change and examine how a plant-rich diet affects nutritional status, health, and eating patterns among children and adults.

The behavioral psychology component of the project will focus on understanding barriers and drivers of plant-rich eating in family contexts, with particular attention to children's acceptance and family dynamics. This will involve conducting a systematic literature review on evidence-based interventions for promoting plant-rich eating in families, designing and pilot testing behavioral interventions, and contributing to the design, data collection and analysis of the GreenFamily randomized crossover trial. The research will combine quantitative and qualitative approaches to generate insights that are both scientifically rigorous and practically applicable. Findings will inform the development of tools and materials that help Danish families eat plant-rich and will feed into a public health campaign.

The postdoc will be part of the SCOPE section at the Department of Psychology (University of Copenhagen), working primarily with Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Adéla Plechatá, and Professor Annemarie Olsen.

Duties and Responsibilities The postdoc will contribute to the behavioral psychology component of the GreenFamily project, working closely with the supervisor and collaborating with researchers in nutrition science and food science. The position involves conducting research; reviewing scientific literature in the field, designing and executing pilot studies, collecting and analyzing data, writing scientific publications, and contributing to the development of evidence-based recommendations and tools for practitioners and policymakers.

A postdoctoral position is a fixed-term academic position. The position is primarily a research position, but other duties (e.g., teaching, research administration, project management, dissemination, and supervision) will also be performed.

Your Competencies Applicants must have obtained a PhD degree or equivalent in Psychology, Nutrition, Public Health, or a related discipline by the start of the employment. Candidates who have not yet graduated, but expect to complete their degree before the start date are also encouraged to apply.

We seek a candidate who covers most of the following:

• Knowledge of behavior change, especially in the field of sustainability, health behavior, or environmental psychology (essential)
• Experience with experimental or quasi-experimental research designs
• Solid methodological and quantitative skills
• Willingness to work with mixed methods approaches
• An eye for societal impact and ability to translate research findings into practical recommendations
• Strong scientific writing skills in English
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work in interdisciplinary teams
• Danish language skills (B2 level preferred) for working with Danish-speaking families and children

Experience or interest in the following areas will be perceived as advantageous:

• Randomized controlled trials or intervention studies
• Longitudinal data analysis
• Working with families or children in research contexts
• Consumer science, food choice behavior, or children's eating behavior
• Mixed-method research
• Interdisciplinary research projects

Terms of Employment Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2019 here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf

Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne). The salary range starts at DKK 29,600 per month + a 18,7 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University's participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Researrch, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

International applicant? The University of Copenhagen offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including support before and during your relocation and career counselling to expat partners. Please find more information about these services as well as information on entering and working in Denmark here: https://ism.ku.dk/

Contact information Information about the recruitment process is available from HR Søndre, e-mail: hr-soendre@adm.ku.dk, please refer to ID number: 211-2488/26-2I.

Additional information about the position can be obtained from Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Adéla Plechatá, e-mail: adela.plechata@psy.ku.dk, phone number: +45 35322233.

How to apply Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word.

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application
• Curriculum vitae incl. list of publications
• Diplomas (PhD, master and bachelor)

The closing date for applications is 23:59 [CET] 11 March 2026. Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.