Are you curious about how FP10 will change the opportunities and requirements facing universities? Are you interested in the growing expectations for innovation and impact arising from research? And would you like to work both strategically and closely with researchers and projects, with one clear objective: to strengthen SUND’s international position and secure more external funding?

Then you could play a central role in SUND Research Support. We are looking for an experienced research adviser who from 1 December 2026 can serve as our key specialist for EU and international funding opportunities – and help prepare the unit for tomorrow’s requirements in relation to funding, project delivery, innovation and societal impact.

Responsibilities
You will take an overview of EU and international funding: from developments in Horizon Europe and FP10 to specific calls, partnerships and opportunities for SUND researchers. You will translate policy and programme developments into action and help us position ourselves early as new agendas emerge.

The role spans strategic intelligence and portfolio oversight through to hands-on advice and coordination of prioritised initiatives. Some days you will work on long-term EU positioning and pipeline development; on others, closely with a researcher, an international consortium or a specific call. We do not expect you to do everything yourself, but you will need to spot opportunities, bring together the right expertise and drive progress.

Innovation and impact are important parts of the role. You will strengthen our impact-upfront approach and ensure that requirements relating to involvement, uptake, implementation and knowledge valorisation are considered early. At the same time, you will contribute to a smooth transition from pre-award to post-award, so that project delivery is considered from the outset and lessons from funded projects and project implementation feed into new applications.

You will be both a key contributor to specific EU and international initiatives and a co-developer of our shared models, workflows and portfolio overview. The aim is a more coherent approach to international funding – not simply more individual applications.

Qualifications
We are looking for an experienced professional who thrives at the intersection of research, EU policy, funding, innovation and impact. You have solid experience of EU or international funding, research development or research support, and a good knowledge of Horizon Europe or other major international programmes.

You work strategically and analytically but are also keen to turn insight into tangible results. You are a strong coordinator and relationship-builder who can navigate complex processes, bring together expertise and build trust with researchers, colleagues and management. You communicate confidently in both Danish and English.
It is an advantage if you also have experience of areas such as EU policy, international consortia, Brussels networks, post-award, innovation, societal impact or knowledge valorisation. We do not expect you to be an expert in all of these areas. A PhD or other research experience may be an advantage but is not essential.

In addition, you have an understanding of and a desire to work with digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) in relation to optimizing processes and creating value within the organization. 

About SUND Research Support and the Faculty of Health Sciences
SUND Research Support assists researchers at the Faculty of Health Sciences at SDU from the early idea and funding opportunity through to application, project delivery, innovation and impact.

We aim to work more proactively with funding intelligence, positioning, partnerships and long-term pipelines – and to create stronger links between pre-award, post-award, innovation and impact. At the same time, we want to use data, organisational learning and AI more systematically.

You will have the opportunity both to work directly with researchers and projects and to help shape how a modern research support function should operate in the years ahead. You will play a central role in SUND’s international funding activities in the run-up to FP10 and help create stronger links between EU/international funding, post-award, innovation and impact.

You will work closely with strong health sciences research environments, management teams and colleagues with a range of specialist profiles. We are interested in new ways of working and in how data, digital tools and AI can add value to research support. This is an opportunity both to deliver results today and to help shape how we work tomorrow.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Southern Denmark is one of Denmark’s leading faculties of health sciences. With nine departments, internationally top‑class research, and a broad range of health‑related study programmes, we contribute to developing the knowledge, treatments, and healthcare system of the future.
As an employee at the faculty, you become part of an ambitious and interdisciplinary environment characterised by high academic standards, strong collaborations, and excellent opportunities for professional development. The faculty has activities in Odense, Esbjerg, and Copenhagen. In Esbjerg and Copenhagen, strong academic communities provide the framework for research and education, while our modern faculty building in Odense brings research, education, and administration together under one roof and is directly connected to Odense University Hospital.

Read more about the Faculty of Health Sciences here.

Contact
If you would like more information about the position, you are welcome to contact head of SUND Research Support Anne Kathrine Overgaard, tlf. 60111043, e-mail: aovergaard@health.sdu.dk or Head of Education and Secretariat Merete Munk på mmunk@health.sdu.dk.

Application Process
The application deadline is 29 September 2026 at 11:59 PM. We expect to conduct interviews 7 October 2026. 

Employment starts on 1 December 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Salary and Terms of Employment
Your place of employment will be the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense M.

There may be limited travel activity to other SDU campus cities.

Employment is in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and collective agreement for academics (AC).

The position is full time.

Salary is determined in accordance with the applicable collective agreement and based on objective and gender-neutral criteria, including the content of the position, responsibilities, and qualification requirements.

As an applicant, you are entitled to information about the starting salary and salary range of the position. This information will be provided during the recruitment process.
SDU does not collect information on applicants’ previous salary. 

If you are interested in the position, you must submit an application that includes a cover letter, CV indicating months and years (without photo), and diploma. All documents related to the application should not contain photos or CPR numbers – if so, the CPR number must be redacted.

All attached files must be in Adobe PDF format. The cover letter and CV must not exceed 5 MB.

Guidance on the application process can be found here.

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding society and therefore encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

About SDU
The University of Southern Denmark exists to create value for and with society. Whether our contribution comes in the form of excellent research, innovative solutions, education, or learning, we aim to make a positive difference for society and contribute to a sustainable future. We do this by nurturing talent and creating the best environments for research and learning. It is therefore crucial that SDU retains, develops, and recruits talent. At the same time, we must ensure consistently high quality in all our activities – and we can only do that with the right people. It is the university’s researchers, teachers, students, leaders, and technical-administrative staff who form the foundation of our success.