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.
The research group
The project is based at the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University, in collaboration with the Research Centre for Social Marginalization (FSU), VIA University College, Aarhus. The project team includes researchers with expertise in addiction, qualitative methods, and practice development. The PhD student will be supervised by Associate Professor Esben Houborg (PI), in collaboration with the project team. The project also includes both an international and a national advisory board consisting of leading experts and stakeholders in addiction research and treatment.
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.
While the PhD project is to be carried out as part of the overall research project, the PhD student´s exact role in the project will depend on the chosen candidate and his / her own PhD project description. Hence, you must write a project description on how you would carry out the research within the frames of the overall project.
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)
Who we are
At the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research we carry out social-science research in the alcohol and drug field. Our research projects concern treatment, prevention, policy and recreational consumption. We conduct research in both legal and illegal drugs. The Centre is interdisciplinary and the employees are based on, among other things, anthropology, psychology, sociology, law and public health. Our task is to establish and conduct research projects, teach, communicate knowledge about alcohol and drug use, and collaboration with national players in the area as well as international research institutions. You can read more about the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research here.
The Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences is part of Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University – a top 100 university. Aarhus BSS has achieved the triple-crown AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditations.
At the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, we teach and conduct research into the most significant subject areas of psychology. The department employs around 55-60 academic staff members and 40 PhD students. Our researchers have a strong tradition for collaborating with Danish as well as international researchers from many different academic fields such as health and psychiatry, education, pedagogic, linguistics, philosophy, religious studies, organizational development and management, economics and neuroscience.
For more information about the Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, please visit: http://psy.au.dk/en/
Further information
For further information about the position, please contact Associate professor Esben Houborg, e-mail: eh.crf@psy.au.dk
If you need help uploading your application or have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR coordinator Charlotte Thomsen, Tel.: +45 87 16 53 62, e-mail: charlotte@au.dk
Place of work
Bartholins Alle 10, 8000 Aarhus C
What do we offer?
Aarhus BSS is part of Aarhus University, an internationally recognised research university with well-established academic environments and close engagement with society and industry. As a PhD student, you will gain:
- 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.
How to apply
You can read more about the application requirements in the application guide and find answers to frequently asked questions concerning the application process in our FAQ.
Terms of Employment
- If admitted to the 3-year PhD programme, you will also be offered employment in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and the collective agreement for academics employed by the Danish state (in Danish). The job description and qualification requirements are described in further detail in the Ministerial Order on the Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
- Salary and employment terms are governed by the collective agreement for academics employed by the Danish state. You will be appointed as a PhD fellow at base pay level 4–8, depending on your educational background and qualifications.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Aarhus University
Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 37,000 students (FTEs) and 8,700 employees and has an annual revenue of EUR 1.106 billion. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Aarhus Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
BSS PSY Psykologisk Institut, Bartholins Allé, 8000 Aarhus C
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 07-09-2026;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/find-job/41a440b9-ee03-469d-8c6c-a55644025eaa
