We are looking for a highly motivated candidate for a three-year PhD project commencing September 1st, 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter. The PhD position is available via a Carlsberg Semper Ardens Accelerate-funded project called “Consumer Medicine: Philosophical and Ethical Implications (COPE),” conducting philosophical and ethnographic studies of consumer medicine in practice (PI: Associate Professor Sara Green), at the Section for History and Philosophy of Science, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen.
The project COPE is an empirically informed philosophical analysis of how Consumer Medicine (CM) technologies impact how health is experienced and strived for in a data-intensive society. CM is gaining momentum through the promotion of devices, tests, and wearables that are marketed directly to consumers. Examples include technologies for self-monitoring and health optimization, such as smart watches, health apps, home ultrasound, pulse oximeters for infants, and self-tests for disease risk, aging, or metabolic issues. Combining qualitative methods with conceptual frameworks from philosophy of science and medical anthropology, COPE critically analyzes assumptions underlying political and commercial visions of CM, as well as lived experiences of CM in healthcare practice and the everyday lives of users. The choice of specific methodology for the PhD project will depend on the research topic, but the project should involve a qualitative approach to be carried out primarily or entirely within Denmark.
The research questions, methodology, and project plan for the PhD project will be developed through supervision by PI Associate Professor Sara Green and Postdoc Olivia Spalletta in the project's initial phase. Candidates are encouraged to suggest a focus area and research questions of specific interest at the application stage, and to include in the application a brief project proposal (see below). The purpose is to demonstrate the candidate's ability to pose relevant, original, and theoretically engaged questions within a specific focus area, and to conduct this research through a feasible qualitative approach. Focus areas for projects could include an interest in a specific type of technology, such as FemTech, consumer genetic tests, microbiome testing, precision nutrition, or the use of wearables for self- monitoring of sleep, cardiovascular issues, mental health, etc. Project ideas could also be focused on specific epistemic and ethical questions of interest, e.g., clinical validity and utility, overdiagnosis, science and health communication, sustainability, intersectionality, inequity, or phenomenological experiences of health through health technologies.
Place of employment The PhD candidate will be based at the Department of Science Education, as part of the HPS-group at the Section for History and Philosophy of Science. As part of the PhD education, the candidate will receive teaching training and is expected to contribute to teaching of courses offered by the Department of Science Education.
Supervision The principal supervisor will be Associate Professor Sara Green and the project will be co-supervised by Postdoc. Olivia Spalletta. It is possible to suggest additional co-supervisors. The PhD student will also be able to benefit from feedback from the international research network of the COPE project, which includes scholars from multiple disciplines, including philosophy of science, medical anthropology, science communication, and general practice.
Who are we looking for? We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate with the following competencies and experience:
About the Section for History and Philosophy of Science We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic, international research environment. The Section for History and Philosophy of Science currently has 10 permanent faculty members, as well as postdocs and PhD students working on a variety of interdisciplinary projects. Our research is primarily dedicated to history and philosophy of science, with a focus on practice-oriented and empirically informed history and philosophy of science, addressing epistemological and ethical aspects of science and its use. The HPS Section offers mandatory courses in philosophy of science to approximately 1000 science students per year and also works on the development of teaching strategies and teaching materials in connection to these courses. Our website https: // www. ind.ku.dk/english/research/hps/ provides more information on the members of the Section and the research we conduct. The Section for History and Philosophy of Science is part of the Department of Science Education, in the Faculty of SCIENCE at University of Copenhagen. We are located centrally in Copenhagen, in the Niels Bohr Building near the central park, Fælledparken.
The PhD programme
Qualifications needed To be eligible for the PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g., in history and philosophy of science, philosophy, or science and technology studies. For information on eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Terms of employment Employment as a PhD fellow is full time and for a maximum 3 years.
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 terms of employment and salary are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
Responsibilities and tasks
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is Sunday March 31, 2024, 23:59 (GMT +1).
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the above-mentioned requirements.
The further process After the deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified whether your application will be selected for assessment.
The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https: // employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
Questions For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact Sara Green ([email protected]).
General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School's website: https: // www. science.ku.dk/phd/.
The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.