Ole Helby Petersen

PhD Fellowship in Social Policy and Quantitative Analysis of User Outcomes in Specialised Social Services at Roskilde University (in collaboration with VIVE – The Danish Center for Social Science Research ). This is a fully funded PhD position in social policy focused on understanding how costs, provider characteristics, staffing qualifications, inspection outcomes, and ownership relate to service quality and user outcomes in Denmark’s specialised social services. The project is part of the research programme Costs and care quality in Denmark’s specialised social services , funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. The PhD candidate will work with individual-level registry data from Statistics Denmark and other national administrative sources, with a strong emphasis on quantitative analysis , longitudinal data, and policy-relevant research. The project is especially interested in user trajectories and outcomes in residential care for adults, including adults with physical disabilities or complex mental health needs. Possible research directions include mapping placement trajectories, examining selection effects, measuring adverse outcomes, and analysing how provider characteristics and ownership shape stability and outcomes over time. The successful applicant will join a cross-institutional research team led by Associate Professor Anders Bach-Mortensen (Roskilde University), with Britt Østergaard Larsen (VIVE) and Professor Ole Helby Petersen (Roskilde University). The role offers access to a dynamic research environment, international PhD training, 30 ECTS coursework, teaching/supervision experience, and a required research environment change during the PhD. Eligibility highlights: a master’s degree or equivalent in the social sciences; strong analytical ability; excellent English; Danish proficiency ; and preferably experience with administrative/register data and knowledge of the Danish welfare state and specialised social services. Application deadline: 2026-09-09. Apply via the Roskilde University job portal and submit the required documents in English, including a cover letter, CV, master’s documentation and grades, PhD project description, and time schedule.