The NERDS (NEtwoRks, Data, and Society) group at the IT University of Copenhagen welcomes applications from aspiring PhD students in the areas of Data Science, Mathematical Modeling, and Network Science with applications to modeling and understanding behaviors from human mobility data. Starting date 1 May 2026 or soon thereafter.
Project The project “ClimateAdapt: Human adaptability to climate change” is funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. Its goal is to use high-resolution human mobility data in combination with natural
experiments to uncover how changes in climate affect human behaviors across different demographics. ClimateAdapt will provide data-driven recommendations to policy makers on how to design effective responses to climate change. To reach this goal, the project seeks to hire a PhD student to pursue one or multiple of the following goals:
- Develop robust methods to extract behavioral baselines from different types of behaviors (daily routines, travel patterns, exploration, and social interactions) from various mobility datasets,
- Apply statistical methods to measure changes in behaviors from exposure to climate change using natural experiments,
- Develop statistical models to predict collective adaptation to climate change (to understand how people might react to future weather scenarios),
- Evaluate the impact of policies (e.g. closure of public spaces and schools, and stay-at-home advise) designed to alleviate the worst effects of climate change such as extreme heat and humidity using causal estimation frameworks
The PhD(s) will be supervised by PI Vedran Sekara, Associate Professor in Data Science at the IT University of Copenhagen.
Main responsibilities For all the mentioned goals, responsibilities include
- Contribute to the advancement of groundbreaking research with crucial societal implications, in a highly dynamic and interdisciplinary environment,
- Coauthor scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals, participate in international conferences, and participate in advanced university classes to learn new skills,
- Work as a teaching assistant at the IT University of Copenhagen
- Do a research stay in a world-class research environment abroad
- Collaborate with great collaborators with backgrounds in the computational sciences and/or behavioral psychology.
You should have the following required skills
- You have a master’s degree in Network Science, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Data Science, Physics, Statistics, or a related field.
- You are an experienced programmer, e.g. in Python,
- You have previous experience with data visualization,
Experience with the following concepts will be positively evaluated: large-scale data analysis, causal inference, applied statistics including deep knowledge of sampling and confidence intervals, and human mobility data.
About the team The Networks, Data and Society (NERDS) research group conducts quantitative research at the intersection of Data Science and Network Science and was recognized as the Research Environment of the Year in 2022 by the Danish Young Academy under the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. The group has PhD students, postdocs, and faculty of many nationalities, a large network of collaborators in Denmark and abroad, and research experience from major universities in Europe and in the US. The group is a down-to-earth and fun place to work, and the IT University of Copenhagen offers a rewarding and stimulating international environment. Both salary and working conditions are excellent. In Denmark, parental leave is generous, and child-care is exceptional. Find more at: https://nerds.itu.dk.
General information The IT University of Copenhagen (ITU) is a teaching and research-based university specializing in information technology (IT) and the opportunities it offers. The IT University has more than 160 full-time Faculty members. Research and teaching in information technology span all academic activities which involve computers including computer science, information and media sciences, humanities and social sciences, business impact and the commercialization of IT.
Research at the IT University of Copenhagen Our research is organized through dynamic research groups, centers, hubs, and labs that promote collaboration across disciplines. These units explore complex challenges at the intersection of people, technology, and society, contributing both to fundamental insights and practical solutions. At ITU, we see research as a shared endeavor – open, critically engaged, and rooted in dialogue with academic communities, industry, and the public sector. We actively pursue international partnerships and networks, and our interdisciplinary approach ensures that our research not only advances knowledge but also generates impact beyond academia.
Teaching at the IT University of Copenhagen ITU currently offers four BSc degrees, six MSc degrees and one professional master’s degree, spanning across these disciplines. ITU's educations are extremely sought after and produces qualified graduates who are in high demand from the job market.
Working at the IT University Located in modern architecture, a 6-minute metro ride from the center of Copenhagen, the IT University offers an informal working environment, a varied everyday life, and a highly motivated, innovative, skilled, and diverse international faculty, with PhD degrees from more than 20 different countries. The IT University is an equal opportunity employer and prides itself in actively pursuing an improved gender balance among students and among faculty.
Working in Copenhagen Copenhagen has a solid educational system, a rich cultural life, universal healthcare, good childcare, and well-functioning infrastructure. Copenhagen is consistently ranked among the world’s most livable cities according to the Economist Global Liveability Index. Living and working in Copenhagen will typically be a great experience for you and your family.
Salary and terms of employment Appointment and salary will be in accordance with the Ministry of Taxation’s agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and job structure for academic staff at universities.
Qualification Requirements The following qualifications are required:
- 3-year programme: candidates should have an MSc (or equivalent)
- 4-year programme: candidates should have a BSc and one year of university studies on Master level
The applicants will be employed and enrolled at the ITU University for a period of 3 or 4 years depending on the university degree level of the applicant.
Application The application and all other documents ought to be in English and must include:
- A motivated application (cover letter), including a detailed description of your qualifications
- A full CV, including name, address, phone number, e-mail, previous and present employment and academic background
- Documentation of academic degrees (copy of degree certificates etc.)
- A statement of purpose, which provides evidence of independent thinking, novelty and originality, of the targeted research field matching the project description
- Documentation of English proficiency (see link below to the PhD Admission Requirements)
- Relevant scientific publications or/and master thesis written by the applicant (Not required but optional)
Applications without the above-mentioned
required documents will not be assessed.
Please read the guidelines for applicants carefully before filling in the application form. You can see the guidelines through this
link.
The applicant will be accessed according to the Appointment Order from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of 13 March 2012.
The IT University may use shortlisting in connection to the recruitment process. In case of shortlisting, the Chair of the hiring committee selects applicants for assessment in consultation with the hiring committee after the application deadline. All applicants are notified whether their application has been passed for assessment. The shortlisting of candidates for assessment is based on the criteria in the job posting.
Further information Questions about the positions can be directed to Associate Professor, Vedran Sekara, IT University of Copenhagen, vsek@itu.dk. Early contact with our faculty staff is encouraged.
Questions related to the application procedure may be directed to HR,
hr@itu.dk.
Application procedure You can only apply for this position through our e-recruitment system. Apply by pressing the button "Apply for position" in the job announcement on our
website.
The IT University might upon request in the interview process contact 1-2 references.
Application deadline:
11 January 2026 at 23:59 CET. Applications/enclosures received at ITU after the application deadline will not be taken into consideration. If you submit an application, it is your responsibility to ensure that it arrives before the deadline so please allow sufficient time for the upload of publications and other documents.
At The IT University of Copenhagen, we have an international environment and view diversity as a valuable resource. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive working environment for all our employees and encourage all qualified applicants, regardless of age, gender, religious affiliation, or ethnic background to apply for the position.
As ITU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.
