Postdoctoral position in civic participation in design of AI systems as part of the National Center for AI in Society (CAISA) and based in Copenhagen

The National Center for AI in Society (CAISA) at the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Copenhagen, invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position within civic participation in design of AI systems. The position is part of a larger research initiative on responsible artificial intelligence in collaboration with Statistics Denmark.

The position is full-time and begins on 1 September 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter. The selected candidate will be employed at CAISA and based in Copenhagen.

Introduction
CAISA, which is established as part of the Danish government’s strategic initiative for artificial intelligence (AI), is an interdisciplinary national research consortium led by the University of Copenhagen in close collaboration with the Pioneer Centre of AI. The ambition is to create excellent, interdisciplinary research in a dynamic, open, and international environment with active exchange and engagement with society.

As part of CAISA’s broader research agenda, including the moonshot “Responsible algorithms for all of Denmark”, the center has recently received funding from the Danish Research Reserve for a new collaborative initiative with Statistics Denmark. This initiative aims to strengthen both research in responsible artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure that enables such research, including secure access to and analysis of large-scale register data.

The research activities within the project are organised around five interrelated work packages (WPs), with the postdoc joining an interdisciplinary team of 4–5 postdocs and researchers working across key dimensions of responsible AI. The present postdoctoral position is linked to a Work Package led by Naja Holten Møller, Associate Professor from the Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, and senior researcher at CAISA.

Research context
We are looking for a candidate who will lead research in a “moonshot” project addressing the broader societal transformations driven by statistical and data-driven technologies through a people-first perspective. The overall purpose of this postdoc position is to probe and develop approaches to civic participation in the design of responsible artificial intelligence, including participation of stakeholders in cases relevant for use of government data. Possible topics include participatory design of AI, democratic and inclusive approaches to data use, the use of probes to explore citizen perspectives on responsible and accountable AI systems, and the role of civic participation in the cultural adaptation and societal integration of AI technologies. It is critical that this research addresses the technical aspects of the collaboration with Statistics Denmark.

Qualifications
Applicants must have a PhD degree or document equivalent qualifications in one or more of the following areas: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Critical Data Studies, Design Research or equivalents. Applicants are required to document:

• an internationally oriented relevant research profile as documented by a PhD dissertation and/or research publications
• experience in independently managing research projects and organizing participatory design workshops
• excellent communication and interpersonal skills in order to engage productively with both the CAISA research team and external organisations and institutions
• basic to advanced proficiency in Danish sufficient to facilitate Participatory Design workshops with citizens

Finally, applicants are asked to provide a proposal for research to be undertaken within the stated framework of the research project (max. 1-2 pages). Please note that although the application process can be completed on the University of Copenhagen system without uploading publications, applications that do not include uploaded research publications (max. five) will not be considered.

Terms of Employment

• Further information on qualification requirements as postdoc can be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities 2019 here: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf
• Terms of appointment and salary is in accordance with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (Akademikerne).

The salary range starts at DKK 39,200 per month + a 18.07 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The recruitment process
Further information on the recruitment process at University of Copenhagen can be found here:  https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

An Equal Opportunity Workplace
The University of Copenhagen is committed in its pursuit of academic excellence to equality of opportunity and to creating an inclusive working environment and therefore encourages all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of personal background, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, ethnicity etc. For more on the diverse working place environment at the University and the University’s participation in the HRS4R HR Excellence in Researrch, see https://employment.ku.dk/working-at-ucph/eu-charter-for-researchers/

Contact information
For further information please contact Associate Professor, Naja Holten Møller, naja@di.ku.dk or +45 27595792, Department of Computer Science, University of Copenhagen, senior researcher in CAISA

Information about the recruitment process is available from HR, e-mail: HR-soendre@adm.ku.dk please refer to ID number: 211-2577/26-2I

How to apply
Submit a complete application at our online portal. Click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page to apply. The documents must be in Adobe PDF or Word. 

Your application must be written in English and include the following documents:

• Motivated application
• Research proposal for the postdoc (design brief) attach examples of your own prototypes or design projects.
• Curriculum vitae
• Diploma (master and PhD)
• Examples of international peer reviewed research paper (max 5)
• Other relevant material [e.g. research prototypes]

The closing date for applications is 23:59 CEST 04/06/2026.

Applications or enclosures received thereafter will not be considered.