PhD Scholarships in Supply Chain Management

PhD scholarships in Supply Chain Management

Copenhagen Business School invites applications for vacant PhD scholarships within Supply Chain Management (SCM), with a focus on the role artificial intelligence plays in SCM OR with a focus on resilient supply chain. 

The scholarships will be based at the Department of Operations Management.

The expected starting date is September 2025.

The Department of Operations Management is a broad business studies department that researches and teaches managerial, operational challenges of decision-making and economics.

The department has a strong commitment to detailed empirical analysis and strives to hit the right mix of classical research projects and collaborations with corporative and institutional partners.

The Department of Operations Management covers and integrates five academic research areas:

Supply Chain Management (design and management of flows of goods, services, knowledge and information between firms)

Performance Management (design, use, and effects of financial and non-financial measures in strategy development and implementation)

Innovation Management (deployment of management tools and mechanisms to connect technology, organization and markets)

Operations Management (relation between production, organization, and strategy in manufacturing and service industries)

Managerial Economics (decision modelling around pricing, costing, production planning and forecasting).  

Our vision is to be bold in ideas and strong in practice. It is the ambition of the Department to nurture a fruitful debate among research areas. This allows cross-disciplinary exchange of research ideas and helps fostering a strong intellectual environment. The Department understands management in relation to managerial tools and instruments that help to frame and make business issues visible and amenable to intervention, development, and control. The Department wishes to develop research and teaching in close connection with practice. Candidates who can add to the academic research areas of Management Accounting, Managerial Economics, Operations Management and Supply Chain Management and work among two or more of these areas will have an advantage. Competency and skill in empirical research (any method) is an advantage as is the ability to bridge the Department´s research areas.  

The Department of Operations Management supplies teaching and supervision to undergraduate, graduate, masters, executive and PhD courses within the areas of the department. The department develops research initiatives within different areas and examples of research initiatives supported by the department are: 

• Accounting, Organizations and Decision-Making
• Generative AI in Supply Chain and Operations Management
• Performance Evaluation and Reward Systems
• Supply Chain Responsiveness and Resilience
• Sustainable Supply Chain

This specific call has a focus on AI in Supply Chains or Resilience in Supply Chains. We encourage candidates to apply by submitting interdisciplinary PhD proposals that are within the overall areas of the Department.

To fulfill teaching obligations, the selected candidate will be expected to teach within the areas of Managerial Economics, Organizational Economics and Supply Chain Management. Therefore, applicants with interest or previous experience in these fields have an advantage.

For more information about the Department, its research areas and projects please visit: https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/departments-and-centres/department-of-operations-management.

The three-year PhD programme at CBS gives you the opportunity to conduct research under the supervision of CBS’ associate professors and professors, supported by research related PhD courses. The programme is highly international, and you are expected to participate in international research conferences and to spend time at another research institution as a visiting PhD student. See the CBS homepage for more information about the PhD programme, https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme.  

CBS PhD graduates are held in high esteem not only in academia and research institutions but also in government and business where their research qualifications are in high demand.

CBS is committed to ensuring excellence, transformative and relevant teaching and research. Candidates who wish to join us must be interested in working in an organisation of this type and it is expected that the applicant shows an interest in joining the department's research environment. You can read more about the department's research here: https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/departments-and-centres/department-of-operations-management

Application and admission requirements

The department will give priority to applicants with high grades from their universities.
To be considered the applicant must

• have a basic education at master's level (corresponding to the 3 + 2 Bologna process)

• have received a grade of 10 (or equivalent) for the master's thesis according to the Danish 7-point grading scale (https://ufm.dk/en/education/the-danish-education-system/grading-system)

• have a weighted grade point average of at least 8.2 on the Danish 7-point grading scale for the bachelor's and master's degree combined or alternatively a weighted grade point average must be at least 9.5 for the master's degree alone. If the grade point average is not met, documentation for being in the top 40% of the class is also accepted. In rare cases, the grade requirement can be waived.

• have completed the master's programme before starting the PhD programme at CBS

• master academic English at a high level in writing and speaking

The application (see link below) must include a five-page project description. The project description must include:

a presentation of an original research question with focus on the role artificial intelligence plays in SCM OR with a focus on resilient supply chain. 

• a description of the initial theoretical framework and method
• a presentation of the proposed empirical material
• a work plan for the three years

More information can be found here: https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programmes/admission

In addition to the project description, copies of the following must be included:

• cover letter
• diploma for bachelor's and master's degree or other certificates at an equivalent level as well as the grade transcripts
• documentation for being in the top 40% of the class (if grade requirements are not met)
• a concise curriculum vitae (CV)
• a list of articles and publications (if applicable)
• one example of a selected written work (e.g. master's thesis)

The PhD student is enrolled in the CBS PhD School. Further information about PhD scholarships and the PhD programme can be found at https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/phd-programme.

For further information please contact: Head of Department Carsten Ørts Hansen, tel.: +45 3815 2483, e-mail [email protected]. Information about the department may be found at https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/departments-and-centres/department-of-operations-management

Employment and salary
A PhD scholarship runs for a period of three years and includes teaching obligations corresponding to 416 work hours. The scholarships are fully salaried positions, according to the national Danish collective agreement. The monthly salary is currently approximately DKK 28,993 up to DKK 35,015 depending on seniority and a pension contribution totaling 17.1%. The scholarship includes tuition fees, office space, course and travel costs (according to the current CBS agreement). 

Salary level and employment take place in accordance with the Ministry of Finance's agreement with the Academics' Central Organization.

Recruitment procedure 

The Recruitment Committee shortlists at least two-five applicants to be assessed by the Assessment Committee. Applicants are informed whether their application has proceeded for assessment.

Applicants selected for assessment will be notified about the composition of the Assessment Committee and will receive their personal assessment later. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that a positive assessment does not automatically result in an interview. Once the recruitment process is completed each applicant will be notified of the outcome of their application. 

The application must be sent via the online link below. 

Copenhagen Business School must receive all application material, including all appendices (see above), by the application deadline.

Details about Copenhagen Business School are available at www.cbs.dk/en.