Research assistant for a project focusing on movement in schools

We are seeking a dedicated scientific assistant for a 3-year position at the Institute of Sports Science in the Movement & Learning Research Group within the Institute of Sports Science and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen. The position is a 75% appointment in relation to a new research project on movement in schools. There is potential for increasing to 100% depending on qualifications that can support other tasks at the institute (e.g., teaching or other research projects).

As a scientific assistant you will be part of the project “Partnership for Sports and Movement in School” supported by the Center for Healthy Living and Well-being, where the institute's research group is one of several partners. The other partners include Danish School Sports, Danish School Students, the School Principal Association, among others, but also the research partner Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen. The partnership works to implement movement in the school day at participating schools.

Not only some grades, but everyone at the school, i.e., a whole-school approach. This change process and development will be studied scientifically at several levels, but as a scientific assistant in the project you will focus on the students' development.

You will help investigate at the student level how a whole-school approach with movement in the school (WSA-PA) contributes to students' wellbeing, learning, and health. A Difference-in-Differences design is used to examine whether students at schools implementing WSA-PA have a more positive development in wellbeing, learning and health than students at comparable schools.

Individual student measurements are collected before and after two years of implementing WSA-PA among students in 4th, 6th and 8th grade. Effects on wellbeing, motivation, academic performance, cognition and physical activity are assessed by comparing changes over time between WSA-PA schools and comparable schools.

See possibly more http://www.nexs.ku.dk/mopac

We offer you

• An exciting and innovative research project in a strong academic environment
• An open and inclusive workplace with engaged colleagues
• Exciting professional and personal development

Our research group

As a scientific assistant you will join the Movement & Learning Research Group led by Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke. In the research group you will become part of a small research team that focuses primarily on learning motor skills and learning in school subjects (academic performance e.g., in mathematics or Danish) as well as cognitive skills. The group meets regularly to discuss new evidence-based knowledge within the field of movement and learning.

As a result, we continuously develop exciting new ideas for research projects. We strive to ensure that our projects have the highest possible scientific value to promote development and understanding in the surrounding community, in schools, and in the broader public.

Work tasks will include

• Planning of experimental days
• Conducting experiment days at schools
• Preparation, setup and guidance of equipment including activity trackers and related apps
• Ensure correct conduct of the study procedures, including proper data handling
• Contribute to literature search, data processing and seeking external funding for the continuation of the research
• Preparation of scientific articles, posters and presentations
• Participation in scientific seminars

Profile

We are looking for a motivated and engaged upcoming researcher with a master's degree in sport science or another relevant background. You may very well have experience with similar research projects involving children. It would be an advantage to have:

• Research experience from similar projects
• Good communicative skills in both spoken and written Danish and English
• Motivated, responsible and structured approach to work
• Good collaboration skills and independence
• Experience with contact with children, families and school staff
• Good at interpersonal contact
• Experience with work with quantitative study designs
• Knowledge of secure data storage, e.g., on the RedCap platform.
• Experience with software for data analysis in R
• Experience with reporting, analysis and interpretation of data
• Preferably experience with research dissemination both in writing as scientific articles and orally

You do not need to have experience with everything. The most important is your interest, desire and willingness to join a good collegial research environment. If you have experience with teaching in the bachelor program in Sports Science or similar competencies, and would like to take on tasks of that type for the institute, we would like to hear more about it.

Primary supervisor is Associate Professor Jacob Wienecke, [email protected]

Start: January 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter

Duration: 3 years

Place of employment

The place of employment is the Institute of Sports Science and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, in the Movement & Learning research group

Terms of employment

The average weekly working time is 28 hours per week.

The position is limited to a period of 3 years.

Salary, pension and other terms of employment are determined in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Association of University Professors (AC) or another relevant organization. The current monthly salary starts at 34,211.01 DKK, 4,576.89 EUR (August 2026 level). Depending on qualifications, allowances can be negotiated. The employer also pays 18.07% into your pension scheme.

The position is covered by the Scientific Staff Positions Structure at the Universities (2026).

Questions

For further questions please contact Jacob Wienecke via email at [email protected].

Application procedure

Your online application must be submitted by clicking on “Apply for the position” below.

In addition, your application must include the following documents/attachments – all in PDF format:

• Motivated application (maximum two pages), outlining how you can contribute to the research group and the research project.
• CV with information on education, work and research experience, teaching experience, language skills, any publications and abstracts, and other relevant qualifications for the position (maximum four pages).
• Copy of the original master's certificate and transcript in the original language.
• List of publications.

Application deadline: 30 October 2026

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline and not to process applications that do not meet the above requirements.