Europe as a defence actor, PhD scholarship at the Danish Institute for International Studies DIIS

Job Position(s): Europe as a defence actor, PhD scholarship at the Danish Institute for International Studies DIIS

DIIS, the Danish Institute for International Studies, is hiring a PhD candidate for the role of Europe as a Defence Actor PhD Scholarship, based in Copenhagen, Denmark. This position sits within the Defence and Security Studies research unit, producing original policy-relevant scholarship on European security architecture, defence-industrial policy, and the shifting transatlantic relationship. It suits a researcher with a strong grounding in European security and defence policy who wants to publish work that informs real institutional decision-making.

About the Role

The Europe as a Defence Actor PhD Scholarship is a fully funded, three-year position embedded in a multi-year research initiative backed by the Danish Ministry of Defence. Day to day, the candidate develops an original research project within the broader frame of Europe’s transformation as a defence actor, working alongside senior researchers across disciplines. The position begins September 1, 2026, with joint supervision from a senior DIIS staff member and a supervisor affiliated with a Danish university PhD school.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute an original research project addressing one or more of the following areas: European strategic autonomy, the institutional architecture of European defence, Nordic minilateral cooperation, the Baltic frontier, or the political economy of European defence.
• Contribute to the thematic and theoretical development of the Defence and Security Studies research initiative at DIIS.
• Produce peer-reviewed outputs and policy-relevant publications aligned with the institute’s mandate to inform Danish and European security debates.
• Engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration with colleagues working across international relations, political science, and security studies.
• Participate actively in the intellectual life of the institute, including seminars, workshops, and knowledge-sharing activities.
• Enrol and fulfil the requirements of a PhD programme at a relevant Danish university while remaining employed at DIIS.

What You Bring

• A completed master’s degree in a relevant field, with a thesis grade of at least 10 on the Danish 7-point grading scale or an equivalent international result.
• A high weighted grade point average across the master’s programme.
• Demonstrated research experience or qualifications in European security, defence policy, or a closely related area.
• Strong written and spoken English communication skills suitable for academic and policy audiences.
• The ability to meet enrolment requirements for a PhD programme at a Danish university.

Why This Role

DIIS is one of Scandinavia’s leading policy research institutes, and this PhD scholarship places the candidate at the centre of one of the most consequential research questions in European security today. The position is fully financed by DIIS, with flexible working hours, some remote work provision, and offices close to central Copenhagen with strong public transport access. For a researcher who wants their work to reach both academic and government audiences, the Europe as a Defence Actor PhD Scholarship is a rare funded opportunity to do exactly that.

Apply now for the Europe as a Defence Actor PhD Scholarship at DIIS and bring your research to one of the defining security debates of this decade.