Postdoctoral position: green transition, melting glaciers and climate adaptation in Kalaallit Nunaat

Greenlandic and Arctic Studies at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), invites applications for a 22-month postdoctoral position on the topic of Identification of climate change adaptation strategies with local stakeholders and policymakers in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) to be filled by 1 February 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Introduction

The postdoctoral position is opened in the framework of the international, collective Horizon Europe research project (nr LIQUIDICE - LinkIng and QUantifying the Impacts of climate change on inlanD ICE, snow cover, and permafrost on water resources and society in vulnerable regions (), which is funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the powers delegated by the European Commission (February 2025 – January The postdoc will join a large research consortium led from Instytut Geofizyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk (Poland) with partner universities in Norway, UK, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Sweden and India. The Postdoc will cooperate closely with the Work Package nr. four on Impact of Change in Water Resources from the Cryosphere to Society under the leadership of work paged leader, Associate Professor Lill Rastad Bjørst from University of Copenhagen (UCPH).

The postdoc will work in the interdisciplinary research environment at Greenlandic and Arctic Studies (GAS) at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies (ToRS), Faulty of Humanities (UCPH). As part of a team of researchers coming from Arctic anthropology, linguistic, Inuit studies and cultural studies, the postdoc must be willing and able to participate in regular research and outreach activities where we engage in cross-disciplinary and pan-arctic discussions.

Duties and responsibilities

We seek someone with expertise in Arctic Studies as well as social sciences and/or the humanities, who can design and undertake an interdisciplinary research project on topics such as climate change, green transition, electrification, hydropolitics, citizen engagement and democratic participation. Thus, the postdoctoral research will primarily speak to Task 4.2 (in LIQUIDICE) focusing on citizen engagement, public resistance and democratic participation in the context of climate adaptation, and green energy transition (e.g. hydropower) – Arctic communities under climate change stress. The research will contribute to the local turn in sustainable energy policy studies by exploring two intertwined phenomena: renewable energy and climate change. The candidate will also get the opportunity to work with natural scientists and data sets from dynamic models and knowledge about discharge (from WP1-3) to help to carve out solutions and pathways for climate change mitigation, adaptation, and related social transformation. Furthermore, part of the research is to pursue dialogues with local stakeholders and rightsholders in Greenland, as well as analyse local climate adaptation strategies and energy policies and practices to inform and activate policy recommendations focusing on impacts of change in cryosphere derived water resources with the other partners in the work package.

Centered in Arctic Studies the postdoc will be conducted primarily in Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland) and Denmark. Thus, it would be an advantage to have proficiency in Greenlandic (Kalaallitsut) and/or a Scandinavian language and be knowledgeable about Greenlandic and Arctic politics.

Melting glaciers and ice sheets contribute to rising sea levels, impacting communities worldwide. Understanding these changes is crucial for managing their effects. With this in mind, LIQUIDICE brings together experts to study the impact of climate change on snow and ice in exposed areas. By using satellite data and ground observations, the project improves models and helps predict future changes. It also aims to inform strategies for managing water resources, hydropower and adapting to climate challenges. The postdoc and the other team members will collectively and through their individual inquiries respond to these research foci.

The postdoc is expected to actively participate in weekly meetings and reading groups at Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies and in the framework of the overall project with our partners in Norway, UK, Italy Spain, France, Germany, Sweden and India. There will accordingly also be online activities in the larger project as well as possibilities to co-organise seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Qualification requirements

A successful applicant must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD within a relevant field.

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for Academic Staff at Universities 2013:

For further information about the position, please contact the Lill Rastad Bjørst, e-mail:

Application

Submit the application online in Adobe PDF or Word format.

Please click on the "Apply now" icon at the bottom of this page.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter (max 2 page).
• Curriculum vitae (with applicant's email and telephone number).
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• A plan for the proposed project that includes an account of how the applicant will contribute to the overall project LIQUIDICE (max 2 pages).
• Documentation of research dissemination and outreach, if any
• Complete and numbered list of publications. The list must be structured systematically and divided into the following categories:
• Peer-reviewed publications:
• Monographs and anthologies
• Articles in journals
• Book chapters/anthology contributions, etc.
• Non-peer-reviewed publications:
• Publications disseminating research findings, etc.

Only material in Danish, Kalaallitsut, Norwegian, Swedish and English can be expected to be assessed.

Appointment procedure

Once the deadline for applications has expired, the Head of Department will consider advice from the appointment committee and select applicants for assessment. All applicants will be notified whether they have been shortlisted. The Head of Department will then set up an expert assessment committee to consider the applications. The selected applicants will be informed who is serving on the committee. They will be offered the opportunity to comment on the committee's assessment of their application before the appointment is announced.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR South (HR), e-mail: hr- Please refer to ID number /25-2I.

Salary and conditions of employment

Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The salary range starts at DKK 39,200.00 per month, (EUR 5,249) + a 18,07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) have further agreed on a protocol that makes it possible for international researchers employed by the University to achieve a pension exemption, whereby the pension contribution will be paid out as salary. For more information about the different pension schemes, please read more here:

If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH here: , and

UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

Applicants must submit the application electronically no later than 1 December 2025 at 23:59 (11:59 pm) [CET]

Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Ansøgningsfrist:

Ansættelsesdato:

Afdeling/Sted: Institut for Tværkulturelle og Regionale Studier

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