PhD Position in Marine Biodiversity Management and Governance

Join a vibrant research environment and investigate opportunities and challenges of marine biodiversity conservation and management! The position is placed at AAU’s Faculty of IT and Design in the Department of Sustainability and Planning (PLAN) within the Development and Planning PhD program. The stipend is open for appointment from 1 February 2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years. The position is based in Aalborg, Denmark.

Your work tasks
 The position will support research in two ongoing Horizon Europe projects, OBAMA-NEXT and Marine SABRES. The work of the PhD will support the governance and social science work packages in both projects. Specifically, the tasks involve assessing the effectiveness of new generation tools in the designation and management of Marine Protected Areas and Blue Carbon (OBAMA-NEXT) and restoring marine biodiversity and support a sustainable blue economy by increasing the uptake of ecosystem-based management in Europe with focus on Arctic Pelagic fisheries (MarineSABRES). 

In addition to developing and writing project reports (i.e., deliverables), the PhD student is expected to disseminate results of the project through journal articles and other peer-reviewed outputs. These manuscripts and articles will form the corpus of the PhD thesis. The PhD student is expected to develop these with supervisors and to synthesize the central findings as part of a submitted PhD thesis. 
As part of their development as an academic, the PhD student will participate in teaching at Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in educations associated with PLAN. Teaching opportunities will consist of group project supervision and classroom lecturing in programs such as Cities, Energy and Environment (By, Energi og Miljø); Cities and Sustainability; and Environmental Management and Sustainability Science. 

Your competencies
Candidates with interdisciplinary educations, fluency in studying marine socio-ecological systems, and knowledge of European marine policies and governance will be especially equipped for the position. We welcome candidates that have EU project experience and/or have collaborated on projects spanning more than one institution. In addition, candidates should be familiar with qualitative research methods and analyses.  
We seek candidates that demonstrate independence, curiosity, and cooperation. 

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time.

Who we are   
The PhD student will work closely with PLAN research group, Centre for Blue Governance (CBG), as well as international partners in the two projects. CBG is an interdisciplinary research group focused on the myriad interactions between people and the sea. CBG recognizes the context and importance of its work to the growing global attention on the oceans and the associated opportunities, challenges, and pressures that this represents. Members of CBG have diverse disciplinary backgrounds drawing predominantly from social sciences in their methods and epistemologies, some of whom have training in legal and international affairs, whereas others are from interdisciplinary programs in marine or climate science. We study society’s (changing) uses, orientations, and relationships to oceans and coasts in line with our faculty’s broader ambition to build knowledge for sustainability and solutions that consider human behavior and needs in twin transitions.    

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor and master's degree diploma)
• Project description  of 1-2 A4 pages describing your research interests and proposed research approach regarding the position’s 
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website. 

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?     
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact Jesper Raakjær, jr@plan.aau.dk, +45 9940 3673. 
Interviews will be held online or in Aalborg and consist of a series of questions based on the application materials. 

Further information  
We recommend that you save a copy of the job posting, as it will be removed once the application deadline has passed.  

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Technical Doctoral School of IT and Design

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish). 

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (in Danish).