Assistant Professor position in Global Mental Health at the Section of Global Health, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic researcher for a 4-year position to commence 1 July 2022 or after agreement.

The position
The position will focus on mental health research with populations in low-resource settings. In particular, the focus of the position will be on contributing knowledge with regard to how best to address the social determinants of mental health in populations affected by adversity in low-resource settings.

The Assistant Professor is expected to have research experience in the area of global mental health, including clinical experience and expertise in developing psychological interventions for common mental disorders in people with comorbid chronic illness, such as HIV, mainly in low resource settings.

A particular emphasis on applied, mixed methods research is expected as well as complex integrated interventions that address the social determinants of mental health.

We aim to further expand our research portfolio in the area of global mental health, and the development of new projects within these areas of work is expected.

Tasks would include:

• together with humanitarian and academic partners, to engage in formative research to develop novel interventions that address social determinants of mental health and psychological distress among displaced populations.
• design and conduct studies to pilot and rigorously evaluate multi-sectoral, integrated interventions.
• build capacity and support in-country teams of researchers in data collection and data analysis.
• write research articles and disseminate findings with stakeholders.
• develop new projects in your specific area of interest in this field.

Educational responsibilities will include teaching in areas such as global mental health and comorbid chronic illnesses as well as research methodology and methods with associated examination and thesis supervision at bachelor, master’s, and PhD level. Course leadership may also be expected within the educational programmes offered at the section.

The Global Health Section
The Global Health Section, at the Department of Public Health, consists of a highly committed interdisciplinary group of scholars with a diverse research focus, including health in humanitarian settings, non-communicable diseases, infectious and neglected tropical diseases, sexual and reproductive health, health care delivery in different resource settings as well as environmental and planetary health.

The Global Health Section has a strong focus on education and outreach and is active in many capacity development projects with partners in low-and middle-income countries. The Global Health section is responsible for two educational programmes, Master of Science in Global Health, and Master of Disaster Management, and actively contributes to other programmes at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, including the Master of Public Health and Master of Medical Sciences.

The Global Health Section hosts the secretariats of both the School of Global Health, University of Copenhagen, and the Copenhagen Center for Disaster Research (COPE). The section has a Professor in Global Mental Health specialized in applied, rigorous research on mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian settings, with a strong network to research and practice partners in this field. Several members of the Global Health Section and the Department more broadly have a background of multi-disciplinary research in the field of global mental health. The Section is actively looking to further expand its global mental health portfolio.

Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic scientist with the following competencies and experiences:

• PhD in Public Mental Health, Clinical/ Health/ Community Psychology, Humanitarian Mental Health, Psychiatry, Mental Health Nursing, Psychiatric Social Work, or another field related to social determinants of mental health.
• Co-authorship of articles in international peer-reviewed journals within one or several of the abovementioned areas.
• Documented experience in rigorous, mixed-methods, intervention research in the field of mental health in low-resource settings.
• Commitment to conducting research that makes a sustainable difference in the lives of marginalized populations and are willing to work across the boundaries of academic disciplines and practice/policy sectors.
• Commitment to conducting research in close, equitable partnerships with academic and humanitarian partners in low-resource settings.
• Interest in working in a culturally diverse working environment.
• Ability to creatively adapt research projects to fit the changing circumstances in dynamic, low-resource, humanitarian settings.
• Strong communication skills and good interpersonal skills.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).

The following competencies and experiences are considered an advantage:

• Fluency in Danish (written and spoken).
• Teaching experience, including online and blended learning approaches, at university level.

Place of employment

The place of employment is at the Section of Global Health at the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. We value a supportive, inclusive team environment, with diversity in terms of gender, age, and background, and attention to work-life balance.

Terms of employment
The employment as an Assistant Professor is a full time (37 working hours per week in average) and fixed-term position for 4 years. Starting date is 1 July 2022 or after agreement.

Salary, pension, and terms of employment will be in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and AC (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).
Currently, the monthly salary starts at DKK 35,624 / approx. EUR 4,781 (April 2022-level). Depending on qualifications, a supplement may be negotiated. The employer will pay an additional 17.1 % to your pension fund.

Non-Danish and Danish applicants may be eligible for tax reductions if they hold a PhD degree and have not lived in Denmark the last 10 years.

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

The position is covered by the “Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at the Universities” of June 28, 2013.

Questions
For further information please contact Jane Brandt Sørensen by e-mail: [email protected] ,or refer to the following websites: https://sund.ku.dk/ and https://globalhealth.ku.dk/ . 

Foreign applicants may find this link useful: https://ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility).

Application procedure
Your online application must be submitted in English by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. Furthermore, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

Application deadline: Monday 11 April 2022, 23.59 p.m. CET.

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 the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor. Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences comprises approximately 8,000 students, 1,790 PhD students and 5,100 employees. The Faculty advances the field of health sciences through its core activities: research, teaching, knowledge sharing and communication. With basic research fields ranging from molecular studies to studies of society, the Faculty contributes to a healthy future through its graduates, research findings and inventions benefitting patients and the community.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.