The Department of Society and Politics at Aalborg University (Faculty of Social Sciences) is recruiting two full-time postdoctoral researchers to work on the newly funded POLSAFE project (Can Police Presence Decrease Perceived Safety).
Link: POLSAFE: Can Police Presence Decrease Perceived Safety? | Carlsbergfondet.dk
The positions are three-year appointments (37 hours per week), with an expected start date of 1 June 2026. They are well suited for early-career researchers interested in policing and politics, and who want hands-on experience working with large-scale quasi-experimental data. The project is funded by the Carlsberg Foundation and draws on evidence from some of the most far-reaching police centralization and decentralization reforms to date. We are already underway in obtaining access to data from a nationwide annual safety survey administered by the Swedish Crime Prevention Council, with responses from approximately 65,000 citizens. This dataset enables a rigorous evaluation of the public-safety consequences of one of the largest police centralization reforms to this date. In addition, the project has funding to implement original longitudinal panel surveys examining police reforms across four countries during 2027–2028, allowing for cross-national and temporal analysis of reforms.
POLSAFE examines whether increased police presence can, in some contexts, undermine rather than strengthen feelings of safety—particularly among minority residents. The project places strong emphasis on careful causal analysis and speaks directly to current policy debates, offering good opportunities for publication and for developing an independent research agenda.
Postdocs on the project will be part of an active and supportive research environment at Aalborg University, with close collaboration within the project team, opportunities for international engagement, and encouragement to pursue their own scholarly development.
Your work tasks
If you become a part of the project team, you will be involved throughout the research process, including conceptualization and theorizing, data construction and analysis, and preparation of academic articles for international journals. You will collaborate closely with the project team on interpretation of results and dissemination of findings to both academic and policy-oriented audiences.
The work will be especially focused on working with administrative and survey-experimental data from five countries. Methodologically, the project designs and implements survey experiments and other causal inference methods (e.g. difference-in-differences and synthetic control).
Your competencies
We are looking for applicants with a strong interest in causal research in social science, and with experience working with quasi-experimental or survey-experimental designs. Familiarity with approaches such as experiments, difference-in-differences, or synthetic control methods will be an advantage. The ability to think carefully about research design, data, and interpretation of results is also important.
Qualification requirements
Applicants are expected to have completed a PhD, or to have received a positive assessment of their PhD thesis, in a relevant social science field such as political science, economics, sociology, public administration, or related discipline.
Who we are
The project is led by Jesper Asring Hansen, Associate Professor at Aalborg University and principal investigator of POLSAFE (see profile: https://vbn.aau.dk/da/persons/jajh/). The research team will consist of two postdoctoral researchers working closely together with the principal investigator and a research assistant. Collaboration and regular exchange of ideas are central to the project’s daily work, and postdocs will have substantial opportunities to shape analyses and publications.
The successful candidates will also become part of the Comparative Politics research group at the Department of Society and Politics, which provides an active and collegial research environment with seminars, workshops, and informal feedback on ongoing work. This offers a broader academic community beyond the project itself and strong opportunities for intellectual exchange within political science at Aalborg University.
How to apply
Your application must include the following:
- Application, stating reasons for applying, qualifications in relation to the position, and intentions and visions for the position
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Diplomas (master's degree diploma and PhD diploma)
- List of publications, with an indication of the attached publications that you wish to be taken into account in the assessment. You may attach a maximum of five publications. If you are applying for a position at The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), you must submit a co-author statement, see template for co-author statement
- Documentation of teaching qualifications. Depending on which faculty you are applying for employment, please see guidelines for teaching portfolio at The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. If this is not enclosed, the applicant must enclose the reasons for this .
- Dissemination qualifications, including participation on committees or boards, participation in organisations etc.
- Additional qualifications in relation to the position
- References/recommendations
You can read more about the requirements for your application here.
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 us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.
Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here
The appointment process at Aalborg University involves a shortlisting process. You can read more about the shortlisting and appointment process here.
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.
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) (only in Danish) and protocol on certain terms of employment of academic staff at universities (only in Danish).
Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Aalborg Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Aalborg Universitet, Kroghstræde, 9220 Aalborg Øst
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 01-03-2026;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/find-job/ead84437-dda3-43ee-82a4-092345347957
