Aarhus University is currently expanding its strategic efforts within innovation and entrepreneurship, with the aim of bringing more research into play as concrete societal solutions, spin-outs, and collaborations with established companies. This initiative is closely aligned with Aarhus University’s Strategy 2030, where research-based innovation and entrepreneurship constitute a central strategic focus area.  

With the aim of expanding AU’s capacity to bridge research and innovation, the university leadership has decided to establish a number of new research and innovation positions across the university. These positions are intended to contribute to integrating innovation thinking into the university’s culture while at the same time ensuring tangible impact and societal value.

As part of this, the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Aarhus University now invites applications for four permanent positions as Professor or Associate Professor with focus on research-based innovation within the natural sciences. The positions are open across all the scientific disciplines represented at the faculty.

With these positions, we wish to make research-based innovation an integral pillar of our academic activities. Each successful candidate will be affiliated with the department at the faculty that best match their scientific profile, and they will be expected to play a central role in developing research-based innovation activities both locally and faculty-wide. We additional encourage applications from skilled scientists and experienced innovation professionals currently employed in research and innovation heavy industry or start-ups.

Expected date of accession: April 1st 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Your profile

You are a recognised researcher from an academic institution, industry, start ups or similar. You have a clear vision for how research-based innovation generates impact from natural science research, and experience with translating research into innovative solutions – whether through external collaboration, entrepreneurship, methodological development, technology transfer, co-creation with private or public-sector partners, or other forms of societal use of research-based knowledge. You are motivated by contributing to the strategic development of your department and the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and you are interested in serving as a role model who shows the way for and supports colleagues and students in integrating innovation into their research.

The ideal candidate preferable:

• Demonstrate a strong record of research.
• Document experience with research-based innovation, for example in the form of commercialisation, establishment of research alliances, entrepreneurship, development of new research collaborations with external partners, or similar.
• Present a clear vision for how you will contribute to a cultural change where research-based innovation becomes a natural part of our research culture.
• Take an active role in developing the teaching programme, including supervision of students at all levels (BSc, MSc, PhD) and, where relevant, entrepreneurship teaching.
• Demonstrate leadership capacity with the ability to lead research teams, drive cultural change, and contribute strategically to the development of the department and the faculty.
• Possess excellent collaborative skills and an ability to develop networks that enable you to build bridges between academia and external stakeholders.
• Experience with research management, interdisciplinary collaboration, and attraction of external funding for innovation-oriented activities will be considered an advantage.

What we offer

The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Aarhus University offer:

• A permanent position with a clear focus on research and research-based innovation.
• Institutional support for developing scientific networks and securing interdisciplinary research and innovation collaborations at the highest level.
• Capability development, including pedagogical training and support for innovation and entrepreneurship activities (see more below).
• A collaborative and international working environment with a flat organisational structure and a strong collegial culture.
• A broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners.

We offer a range of services to support relocation to Denmark. You can read more about these services here and about living in Denmark here.

Key innovation and collaboration partners

To support innovation activities, the Faculty of Natural Sciences works closely with several strategic units across Aarhus University. As a holder of one of these positions, you will be expected to engage actively with:

• Science Bridge – a strategic initiative at the Faculty of Natural Sciences that improves systematic, early-stage knowledge exchange between basic research and society. Science Bridge facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers and external partners through thematic, time-limited “Actions”, creating trust-based arenas for co-creation and joint project development prior to formal funding or IP agreements. Successful candidates are expected to take an active role in the development and use of Science Bridge as a platform for driving research-based innovation and external collaboration at the faculty.
• Kitchen – Aarhus University’s central unit for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration across the entire university. Kitchen provides researchers and students with entry points, guidance and support to develop ideas, build start-ups and establish partnerships with industry and other external actors.
• Interdisciplinary Research Clusters – the faculty hosts a range of interdisciplinary clusters that bring together research groups across departments and faculties to support interdisciplinarity and external collaboration on major societal challenges. These clusters offer a framework for large-scale, collaborative research with national and international partners.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of employment is Aarhus University. The place of work will be at one of the departments under the Faculty of Natural Sciences, determined in negotiation with the candidate. The successful applicant is expected to contribute positively to scientific discussions and to the general working environment at the department.

Qualified candidates have a high level of proficiency in English. Non-Danish speaking candidates are willing to learn Danish within two years. Danish language training will be provided. 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Dean Birgit Schiøtt, email: [email protected], phone: +45 2982 6882 or Vice dean for innovation Ole Bækgaard Nielsen, email: [email protected], phone: +45 6020 2674.

For practical questions regarding the application procedure, please contact [email protected].

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 30 September 2026. 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman– the relevant head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. The selection is made on the basis of an assessment of which of the candidates are most relevant considering the requirements of the advertisement. All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee and will receive their assessment. The assessment will be based on our ABC criteria, with particular emphasis on the criteria related to innovation. Once the recruitment process is completed, a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

When applying, applicants will be asked to indicate which department they would like to handle their application. We reserve the right to assign the application to another department if we consider it more relevant.

Preliminary interviews may be conducted.

All interviews will take place on campus in Aarhus and are expected to be held in February 2027.

Five-year innovation and research plan

The research plan, submitted as part of the standard application, should describe your future research vision and demonstrate how your research creates a foundation for research-based innovation and societal impact. In addition, applicants must submit an innovation plan that consist of two parts: an innovation portfolio documenting your past innovation activities (retrospective), and an innovation statement outlining your future (at least five years) vision and planned activities (prospective). There is methodological freedom in how you choose to present these, but together they should describe how you intend to work with research-based innovation in the years to come, including how you will contribute to developing the innovation culture at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and within your host department. Applicants with an already strong innovation profile should explicitly describe how they intend to use this position to elevate their innovation activities to an even higher level.

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, an innovation plan outlining your vision for working with innovation and contributing to the innovation culture at the faculty, as well as a teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if applicable). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations. 

You will be appointed as Professor or Associate Professor.

Appointment as Associate Professor follows the basic salary steps 4-8 according to the collective agreement for academics employed by the state. The employment includes a pensionable pay supplement of DKK 91,282.00 per year, at 31.03.2012 level, in connection with full-time employment.

Professors are paid a salary corresponding to salary step 37 according to Circular on the Protocol on Certain Terms and Conditions of Employment for Academic Staff at Universities. The employment includes a pensionable pay supplement of DKK 51,400.00 per year, at 31.03.2012 level, in connection with full-time employment.

Your salary consists of a basic salary, a pensionable pay supplement, and possibly an individually negotiated qualifications supplement. 

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

About the Faculty of Natural Sciences

Aarhus University is recognized as one of the world’s high-ranking universities (top-100), and the Faculty of Natural Sciences has strong and international basic research environments that address major societal challenges and hosts several internationally leading research environments. The ambition is to enhance the faculty’s position of strength as well as to develop new ones – in interaction with the outside world and across disciplines. The faculty’s primary activities cover research, education and external collaboration, and consists of 7 departments (biology, physics & astronomy, chemistry, geology, mathematics, computer science, and molecular biology & genetics), a graduate school, and several research centres. In addition, we host interdisciplinary networks and clusters to stimulate interactions across departments and Faculties. Furthermore, we participate in interdisciplinary centres and initiatives across Aarhus University. The faculty has a proud tradition of communicating scientific contexts and insights to policymakers and the public.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences is one of five faculties at Aarhus University and has approx. 3,200 students and 1,500 employees. Learn more at www.nat.au.dk.