项目介绍

2025年5月17日

Human Centred Computing Section invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) in the research project NeuroGen Computing Research Project, which is financed by Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Start date is (expected to be) September 1st 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

Women leave computer science at twice the turnover rate of men. Neurodivergent people have an increased risk of dropping out of education due to isolation and burnout. Neurodiversity manifests differently across genders, and until recently, neurodiverse women in computing have been ignored. Late-diagnosed women are the fastest-growing category of newly diagnosed university students. We need new DEI approaches that bridge gender and neurodiversity in computer science.

NeuroGen Computing Research Project builds upon the FemTech research program, and has the long-term vision to reduce the risk of isolation, stigma, and burnout for neurodivergent computer science students with intersecting diversity dimensions. We will create enabling organizational conditions for diverse students to thrive while at the university and prepare them for a successful career afterward.

To achieve this vision, NeuroGen Computing will 1) Design and create a robust infrastructure in which data, knowledge and information on disability and accessibility can be used; 2) Develop, implement, and scale novel computer science teaching in the first-year computer science bachelor’s program; 3) Create, implement, and anchor novel bachelor’s/Master thesis supervision tools supporting interaction between students and supervisors displaying diverse neurotype constellations.

This PhD project will design and create a robust infrastructure in which data, knowledge and information on disability and accessibility are better shared, used and organized within university organizations. Concretely, the PhD project will a) Map of disability and accessibility data work at the UCPH, answering questions such as: What data is available, missing, or siloed? Who is included and excluded? Where are the barriers and opportunities for increasing institutional knowledge on neurodiversity? b) develop best practices for GDPR-compliant sharing of disability- related information and potentials for University of Copenhagen, and c) create a proposal for reconfigurations of current systems supporting future data work practices that ensure sharing of data, knowledge and information on disability and accessibility for organizational usage within university organizations, piloted specifically for computer science teachers.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)/Human Centered Computing/Human Computer Interaction. Relevant backgrounds include but are not limited to CSCW, human-computer interaction, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), ethnography, accessibility, and information infrastructures, and participatory design. The candidate needs expertise and knowledge in studying complex work practices and technologies qualitatively, while being able to interact and support participatory design workshops with informants. We would particularly encourage applicants with knowledge and expertise in the design and exploration of information infrastructures in complex organizations.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?

The NeuroGen Computing research group will include 3 faculty, 2 PhD students, 1 post doc, a project manager, and a student support when all are hired and will be situated in the HCC section. The Human-Centred Computing section aims to fundamentally understand and improve the relationship between computational technology and people. Our research focuses on using computing to support people’s activities and well-being; inventing new ways for people to interact with technology, and understanding how human capabilities are influenced by technology. We are a diverse and highly collaborative group of researchers who strive to provide a welcoming, supportive, and caring environment for all. There are approximately 10 PhD students in the HCC section.

At DIKU, we have approximately 115 PhD students across 8 research sections, and as a PhD student at DIKU you are automatically part of the PhD communities across DIKU organized through regular PhD topic lunches with different themes. Creating an inclusive environment is critical for successful research, and creating enabling, supportive environment for our researchers is important to use.

The group is a part of the Department of Computer Science, SCIENCE Faculty, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

1. Principal supervisor (PI) is Professor Pernille Bjørn, Department of Computer Science, pernille.bjorn@di.ku.dk 

The PhD programme

A three-year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular 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. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the SCIENCE Faculty University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mindset with a strong interest in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in computing
• Good language skills

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Application and Assessment Procedure

 Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page), including reflections on diversity and expectations for collaboration with the research team, with fellow PhD students and post-docs, with the PI and Co-PIs, etc.
2. Your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project and reflections on how you would approach the project, and above mentioned deliverables.
3. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
4. Original diplomas for university degrees and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted.
5. Publication list (if possible)
6. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline:

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, June 10th, 2025, 23:59 GMT +2.

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed 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 assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held between in June, online using zoom.
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

[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. Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 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.