Op til 18 fuldt finansierede Marie S. Curie PhD-stillinger i København

**Up to 18 fully funded Marie S. Curie PhD positions at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI).

CALL FOR PHD APPLICANTS**

Application deadline January 26, 2026, 23.59 p.m. CET.

Are you:

• Scientifically curious and determined to pursue a PhD degree?
• Eager to work with an interdisciplinary research project related to cancer or neurological diseases?
• Driven to strengthen your scientific creativity and independent thinking?

Up to 18 PhD positions are open in the international Marie S. Curie Doctoral Programme ‘Interdisciplinary Marie S. Curie Action for Health’ (INTERACT). The positions are open for researchers with a master’s degree, and maximum 4 years of experience. All PhD-project will be interdisciplinary, working across biology/biomedicine to physics, chemistry and engineering. The candidates’ main workplace will be either at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) or the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI), dependent of the selected project.

The programme is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 101179234.

Why apply to the INTERACT programme?
INTERACT offers a unique opportunity to join an international and interdisciplinary PhD program within biology/biomedicine, physics, chemistry or engineering. The aim is to cultivate agile and responsible researchers capable of working seamlessly across at least two disciplines, with implications for transforming health solutions, and to provide the groundwork for a career track in academia, industry and beyond. Further, training and career activities will seek to empower all PhD-students to fully exploit the potential of their talent.

About the programme
INTERACT will in total recruit 66 PhD-students over three calls during 2025-2027. The programme offers 36-months fully funded positions, attractive employment and salary conditions with enrolment as a PhD-student at one of the two host universities.

Each PhD-student will work with an original ’convergence science’ project at one of the six host institutes:

Departments at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH): Biotech Research and Innovation Centre and Niels Bohr Institute.
Departments at the Technological University of Denmark (DTU): Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Department of Chemistry and Department of Health Technology.
The Danish Cancer Institute (DCI): Danish Cancer Institute.

Each PhD-student will have a main supervisor in the main field of the research project (employing institute) and an interdisciplinary co-supervisor from another host institute. Candidates can when applying express interest in up to 4 of the available research projects, specifying the employing host institute. An individual career development plan containing research and transferable courses, international research visits, mentoring and career activities, is also a central element.

Please visit https://www.interact-msca.ku.dk for more information on the programme and the available research projects.

Candidate eligibility

• The programme is open for highly motivated researchers with a master’s degree and maximum four years of experience since issuing of the degree at the time of application. Prolonged career breaks are only considered upon documentation of parental leave, illness, military- or civil service.
• Transnational mobility is required, and applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the application deadline - unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention.
• The recruited DC must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree on the first day of employment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis, but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

Key selection criteria
The selection process includes these steps of evaluation: eligibility check, evaluation of application material, online interviews with selection committee and with Interdisciplinary Supervisor Teams. The selection will be merit-based, using predefined scoring scales and weighed criteria in three defined areas: Education and track record, Scientific potential and Motivation.

PhD Programme Description
The PhD programme is a three-year full-time research education within the framework of the 5+3 scheme, intended for candidates holding a relevant academic degree within the project’s subject area (e.g. biology/biomedicine to physics, chemistry and engineering).

Qualifications:
If you have completed your academic education in Denmark, the admission to the PhD programme requires a relevant master’s degree (equivalent to 180 ECTS BSc + 120 ECTS MSc).

If you have an academic education from abroad, you must have either a degree equivalent to a Danish master's degree (120 ECTS MSc).

As part of the assessment of whether you meet the educational requirements, you must also achieve a positive academic evaluation and be assessed as the best qualified for the position.

Application procedure
Please carefully read the detailed description of the eligibility criteria and requirements for the application in the Guide for Applicantsfound at www.interact-msca.ku.dk/apply/.
All applications must be received by the application deadline on January 26, 2026, 23.59 p.m. CET.

The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below. To be eligible, the applicant MUST use the provided mandatory templates which can be downloaded on the INTERACT webpage and submit all the following material:

• Motivation letter/Cover letter (mandatory template, max. 2 pages), including expression of interest in up to 4 of the available projects.
• CV (mandatory template, max 4 pages).
• Eligibility declaration and consent form (mandatory template).
• List of 2 referees (mandatory template).
• Certified copy of original bachelor diploma and transcripts records in the original language, including an Authorized English translation if issued in other language than English**.
• Certified copy of original master diploma and transcripts records in the original language, including an Authorized English translation if issued in other language than English**.
• Documentation of English test (if required **).
• Documentation for career breaks (if any).

** Please see further details in the Guide for Applicants.

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, e.g. not using the provided templates.

Timeline of call

• Opening of call: December 15, 2025.
• Application deadline: January 26, 2026, 23.59 p.m. CET.
• Evaluation and selection of candidates: February-April 2026.
• Online interviews with selection committee: Mid-April 2026.
• Online host interviews: Mid-May 2026.
• Answers to applicants: End-May 2026.
• Start of employment: September 1, 2026.

Contact
For more information about the process, guidelines or the application system, please contact INTERACT Project manager: Camilla Ebert, interact-msca@bric.ku.dk.

For more information on working and living in Denmark, please visit https://ism.ku.dk/ (International Staff Mobility, the University of Copenhagen) and https://www.workindenmark.dk.

Terms of employment and salary
The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions offer attractive salary and working conditions. Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State and according to the rules and regulations laid down by European Union’s Horizon Europe Marie S. Curie COFUND programme. Depending on seniority, the monthly gross salary begins around DKK 31,424 / approx. EUR 4,193 (1 November 2025-level) plus an employer paid pension contribution.

The employment as a PhD student is for 3 years. It is conditioned upon the candidates’ successful enrolment at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the candidate and supervisor.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the rules on achieving the degree.

About the University of Copenhagen (UCPH)
Driven by intellectual creativity and critical thinking since 1479, researchers and students at UCPH have expanded horizons and contributed to moving the world forward. With its 6,172 researchers and 36,760 students, the university boasts an international research and study environment and is highly ranked on the leading ranking lists of the world's best universities. UCPH offers researchers and students the opportunity to develop their talent and launches ambitious interdisciplinary initiatives to support its strong academic communities. The university is working towards becoming one of the world’s greenest campus areas, leaving as little environmental and climate footprint as possible. The university also focuses on gender equality and sees diversity as a strength.

Please visit About UCPH: www.about.ku.dkfor more information.

About the Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
DTU is recognized internationally as a leading university in the areas of the technical and the natural sciences, renowned for their business-oriented approach, their focus on sustainability, and their good study environment. Founded in 1829 with the mission of creating value for the benefit of society, DTU is an international elite technical university where education, scientific advice, and innovation rest on a solid foundation of world-class research. The University is at the academic and multidisciplinary forefront of the technical and the natural sciences with new initiatives in several demanding engineering disciplines, including sustainable energy technology and life science. 13,500 students are educating themselves for the future, and 6,000 employees focus each day on education, research, consulting and innovation, which contribute to creating value, welfare, and growth. Research underpins all DTUs work. Technology is created through the synergy of research, education, innovation, and scientific advice and by innovative researchers who work at the cutting edge in global partnerships.

Please visit https://www.dtu.dk/english/about for more information.

About the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI)
The Danish Cancer Institute (DCI) is an international research institute within Denmark´s largest non-governmental organization, the Danish Cancer Society. In DCI they are dedicated to pioneering cancer breakthroughs by innovative research of the highest excellence in an open environment that fosters interdisciplinarity and collaboration. It is in their DNA to focus their research on real-life problems by striving to reduce the risk of cancer, contribute to refined possibilities for early diagnostics and treatment and to improve the life of cancer patients.

DCI is an international and multidisciplinary research environment with more than 250 researchers, students and technical personnel coming from 26 different countries and an annual research production of more than 300 peer-reviewed publications. They aim to deliver cutting-edge research through synergy and strategic partnerships and have ambitious standards for career development and scientific outreach.

Please visit https://www.cancer.dk/danish-cancer-institute/ for more information.

We wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.