One or more PhD Positions in health system innovation

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 Ce