PhD fellowship in Vaccine Platforms and Mucosal Imuunity at Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity

We are offering a 1-year Research Assistant position with the possibility of a 3-year PhD fellowship in Vaccine Platforms and Mucosal Immunology commencing January 2027.

Background:

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Initiative for Vaccines and Immunity (NIVI), launched in December 2023, has a unique mission to harness airway immunity through innovative vaccine research and development to prevent airborne epidemics. NIVI has two parts:

• NIVI Research Center (NIVI-R): A state-of-the-art research center anchored to the University of Copenhagen, Department of Immunology and Microbiology (
• NIVI Development (NIVI-D): A company that focuses on translational sciences and advancing vaccine development.

NIVI-R conducts scientific research, while NIVI-D works to quickly turn that research into new vaccine candidates. NIVI-D accelerates clinical trials (phases 1 and 2) and ensures a smooth transition to partners for later stages of development.

By connecting science, innovation, clinical trials, regulatory processes, and product development, NIVI aims to streamline the journey from research to real-world vaccines.

Our group and research
Our group is part of the NIVI-R interdisciplinary research consortium. We study mucosal adaptive immune responses in the respiratory tract to infection and vaccination with a focus on developing mucosal vaccination strategies to combat airborne pathogens. Our work integrates immune engineering, vaccinology, molecular virology, vaccine design, and small-animal models of vaccination and infection. Specifically, we are focusing on developing novel RNA-based platforms and molecular adjuvants for respiratory delivery. 

We are a young, international, and collaborative team that values scientific curiosity, creativity, mentorship, scientific rigor, and open exchange of ideas. As part of NIVI, we work closely with leading groups in vaccine formulation and adjuvants, and structural and computational biology, and we benefit from close ties to Statens Serum Institut and NIVI-D’s translational pipeline. The successful candidate will receive interdisciplinary training at the interface of vaccinology, mucosal immunology, and virology. We are committed to an inclusive environment and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds; we believe diverse teams - across gender, nationality, career stage, and scientific training - do better science.

Project description

A central question we pursue is: what signals promote durable, potent immune memory within the respiratory tract, and how can we engineer those signals into next generation mucosal vaccines that better prevent disease and onward transmission?

Your PhD project will focus on developing novel Respiratory vaccine platforms and will be defined together with your supervisor and will involve methodology in immunology, vaccinology, molecular virology, and small-animal models of vaccination and infection. Depending on your background and interests, your project will focus on one or more of the following directions:

• Designing novel mRNA-based vaccine platforms for respiratory delivery.
• Investigation of signals which direct adaptive mucosal immune responses, including tissue resident memory T and B cells.
• Developing novel molecular adjuvants targeting the induction of mucosal immune responses.

You will be expected to actively participate in project development. A high level of motivation, ambition, and involvement will be required.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Benjamin Goldman-Israelow, NIVI Research Center, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Se e-mailadresse på jobportal.ku.dk, Direct Phone: Se telefonnummer på jobportal.ku.dk

Start:            11 January, 2027

Duration:     12 months Research Assistant position and provided a positive evaluation a 3-year PhD student position

Job description
Your key tasks as a Research Assistant and PhD student at NIVI Research Center are:

Research Assistant Phase

• Learning and performing scientific research protocols.
• Carrying out an independent research project under supervision.

• Participating in an active research environment, presenting your research during scheduled lab meetings and to the broader NIVI Research Center.

PhD Phase

• Carrying out an independent research project under supervision
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project

Qualifications:
If you have completed your academic education in Denmark, admission to the PhD program requires a relevant Master’s degree (equivalent to 180 ECTS BSc + 120 ECTS MSc).

If you have an academic education from abroad, you must have  either a degree equivalent to a Danish master's degree (180 ETCS + 120 ECTS MSc),  or at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Danish bachelor's degree (180 ECTS) and be academically qualified at master's level.

As part of the assessment of whether you meet the educational requirements, you must also achieve a positive academic evaluation and be assessed as the best qualified for the position.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, (e.g., Vaccinology, Immunology, Virology, or related fields). Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree noted above.

Other important criteria are:

• The grade point average achieved
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Hands-on experience in long-term scientific projects during and/or after your MSc studies.
• Research experience in immunology, virology, molecular biology, and animal models is an advantage.
• Previous publications is an advantage
• FELASA certificate is an advantage, but not required
• Other Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• A curious mindset with a strong interest in respiratory mucosal immunity and vaccines.

The applicant is also expected to have strong interpersonal and communication skills. The working language is English. Fluent English speaking, reading and writing skills are therefore required. You will be expected to drive your research with independence and initiative, while also interacting well with the group and the center in a dedicated but pleasant work atmosphere.

Place of employment

The place of employment is at NIVI-R, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and office space.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 12 months + potentially 3 years. Within the 12-month employment as Research Assistant, it will be determined based on an individual assessment if the candidate is qualified for the PhD position. The start date is January 11th, or anytime soon thereafter.

The employment as PhD student is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website:

Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)

2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position

3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

4. Publication list (if possible)

Application deadline: 12 October 2026 , 23.59pm CET

We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at:

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Interviews are expected to be held in week 46-47

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.