Research assistant for a research project focusing on movement in schools

We are seeking an engaged scientific assistant for a 3-year position at the Institute of Sport and Nutrition in the Movement & Learning Research Group at the Institute of Sport and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen. The position is a 75% appointment in relation to a new research project on movement in schools. There is the possibility of 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 become part of the project “Partnership for Sport and Movement in Schools” funded by the Center for Healthy Living and Well-being, where the institute's research group is one of several partners. Other partners include Danish School Sports, Danish School Students, the School Leadership 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 all students 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 development of the students.

You will help investigate at the student level how a whole-school approach to movement in schools (WSA-PA) contributes to students' well-being, learning and health. A Difference-in-Differences design is used to examine whether students at schools implementing WSA-PA show a more positive development in well-being, 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. The effects on well-being, motivation, academic performance, cognition and physical activity are assessed by comparing changes over time between WSA-PA schools and comparable schools.

See more at https://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 committed 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 focusing on learning motor skills and learning in school subjects (academic achievement e.g., in mathematics or Danish) as well as cognitive skills. The group meets regularly to discuss new evidence-based knowledge in the field of movement and learning. As a result, we constantly 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 society, in schools and in the broader public.

Tasks will include

• Planning of experiment days
• Conducting experiment days in schools
• Preparation, setup and guidance of equipment including activity meters and related apps
• Ensure correct execution of study procedures, including proper data handling
• Contribute to literature search, data processing and seeking external funding to continue 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 sports science or another relevant background. You may well have experience with similar research projects on children. It would be an advantage to have:

• Research experience from similar projects
• Good communication 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 with interpersonal contact
• Experience with work with quantitative study designs
• Knowledge of secure data storage, for example on the RedCap platform
• Experience with software for data analysis in R
• Experience with reporting, analysis and interpretation of data
• Experience with research communication both in writing (scientific articles) and orally is welcome

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

Main 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 Sport and Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, in the Movement & Learning Research Group

Employment terms

The average weekly working time is 28 hours per week.

The position is time-limited to a period of 3 years.

Salary, pension and other terms of employment are determined according to the agreement between the Ministry of Taxation and the Central Organisation of Academics (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 contributes 18.07% to your pension scheme.

The position is covered by the Job Structure for Scientific Personnel 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 “Søg stillingen” below.

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

• Motivated application (max. two pages), describing 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, possibly publications and abstracts, and other relevant qualifications for the position (max. four pages).
• Copy of original master's degree certificate and transcript in the original language.
• Publication list.

Application deadline: 30 October 2026 We reserve the right not to consider materials received after the deadline and not to process applications that do not meet the above requirements.

University of Copenhagen offers its nearly 10,000 employees opportunities to fully utilize their talents in an ambitious, informal environment. We ensure traditional and modern frameworks for education and free research at a high international level. We seek answers and solutions to common problems and make new knowledge accessible and useful for others.

Info

Application deadline: 30-10-2026

Start date: 01-01-2027

Working hours: Part-time

Department/Location: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports