Postdoc Position for Project on Digital Inclusion in Care

Applications are invited for a 2-year postdoc position for the project RuDiCare financed by the Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) with Principal Investigator (PI) Associate Professor Barbara Fersch.

The point of departure for the project “Rural Digital Care: Strengthening the inclusion of older people in digital care services in rural municipalities (RuDiCare)” is the ongoing digitalization of care services in Denmark, including in municipal home care. While this development can be expected to have significant potential benefits in rural areas, a large part of the population at risk of digital exclusion resides here. RuDiCare aims to identify how digital care services can become more inclusive through focusing on its implementation and relational aspects between care providers, older citizens, and technology. 

The planned starting date for this position is 1 April 2025, or as early as possible thereafter.

The project

The postdoc will be responsible for the independent execution of research tasks related to subproject 2 focusing on changing demands towards care recipients to become more active, which can lead to digital exclusion. The postdoc will, thus, explore emerging forms of active user engagement and address the role of technology, structural issues, and organizational implementation to identify pathways that enable inclusive user involvement. The postdoc will apply a range of qualitative methods (mainly observations of digital care interactions and in-depth interviews with older care recipients). Here, the postdoc will work closely together with PI Barbara Fersch, who is responsible for subproject 1 (emerging trust relations in digitalized care). To ensure that the perspective of older citizens is adequately considered in all phases of RuDiCare, a user panel will be established in the start of the project. Designing and starting this user panel (consisting of older citizens) will also be part of the postdoc’s responsibilities. 

Selection criteria

To qualify for the position, you need to have a completed (or close to completion) PhD in Social Sciences (for example within Sociology, Anthropology or Public Health and related disciplines).

An ideal candidate will have the following profile:

• Strong qualitative research skills
• Experience with qualitative interviews and participant observation
• Experience with participative methods such as user panels is not a requirement, but will be a strong advantage
• Interest in questions of digital exclusion and inclusion in relation to care in rural areas, including conceptual development in this field
• Documented potential to publish in peer-reviewed journals at an internationally recognized level
• A clear interest and drive to work together with the PI to further strengthen this new research focus at the Danish Center for Rural Research at SDU
• Proficiency in Danish and English

As a postdoc, you will become a member of the Danish Center for Rural Research, which is part of the Department of Political Science and Public Management and is based at SDU Esbjerg. As the research will take place in a municipality on Funen, a considerable part of work activities can be expected to take place here. The Center is characterized by a social science perspective on rural issues and has  adopted inequality in health and access to public services as a strategic focus area for the coming years. This includes the field of digital inclusion. As a postdoc you will have the opportunity to shape and develop this research agenda together with the PI. 

The Department of Political Science and Public Management believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both faculty members and students. The department's ambition is therefore to recruit, develop, and retain talented scholars committed to both academic excellence and departmental development. Furthermore, the department wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

For more information about the Danish Center for Rural Research please visit the website.

Enquiries about the project and the position can be addressed to the PI, Barbara Fersch, [email protected]

Application and assessment process

Appointment to the position requires a PhD or equivalent and  will be in accordance with the collective agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations for academics in the Danish state with the associated circular on the protocol on job structure for academic staff at Danish universities and the provisions for the position of postdocs as described herein.

An application must include:

• A cover letter mentioning how your profile would fit the project (max. 3 pages)
• A CV (max 5 pages)
• Certificates/Diplomas (MA and PhD degree)
• Teaching portfolio
• A complete list of publications
• Up to 3 of the most relevant publications or unpublished chapters of the PhD thesis. NOTE: If publications have been co-authored, co-author statements must be a part of this pdf and must include information like in this example. The statement is just for your inspiration.

Documents should not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.

Applications that are incomplete may be rejected without any substantive evaluation.

Assessment of applications will be done under the existing Appointment Order for universities. Applications will be assessed by an academic assessment committee that determines whether applicants are qualified to be a postdoctoral fellow according to the Scholarly Qualification Matrix. The committee may request additional information, and if so, it is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the necessary material. The committee reserves the right to arrive at a decision solely based on the material submitted.

 Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

When the assessment committee has submitted its report, the applicants will receive the part of the evaluation that concerns them. The assessment report will subsequently be forwarded to the Head of Department who will assemble an appointment committee. The appointment committee will manage and complete a series of job interviews with especially promising applicants. On the basis of the applications, the written assessments, the job interviews, and a deliberation within the appointment committee, the Head of Department determines which candidate(s) will be offered the position.

Application deadline: 23 February 2025, 23:59 CET

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply now" on our website. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF format. The application and CV must not exceed 10 MB.