Descripción de la oferta
The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Design (NNF-CPD) at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) invites applications from highly motivated and talented students wishing to pursue a PhD in de novo protein design.
We welcome applicants with bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in biological, chemical, computational or physical sciences who are keen to join a new, vibrant and multidisciplinary center dedicated to protein design. Students will develop expertise in integrated experimental and computational approaches and apply this training to cutting-edge fundamental and translational research.
We are seeking outstanding candidates with a strong interest in advancing the field of de novo protein design. Successful applicants will form CPD’s first cohort of PhD students, starting in September 2026. This is a unique opportunity to join a newly established international center and help shape its scientific direction from the outset.
Two entry routes are available:
• Option A: Direct entry to a 3-year PhD programme (requires a Danish master’s degree or equivalent).
• Option B: Integrated MSc and PhD programme of up to 5 years (requires a Danish bachelor’s degree or equivalent).
Project areas include, but are not limited to:
1. Design and characterisation of de novo protein folds and conformational dynamics
2. Installation of catalytic activities into de novo protein scaffolds
3. Targeting subcellular complexes and functions through de novo peptide and protein design
4. De novo design of molecular machines
5. Improving phage therapy through de novo protein design
Perfil buscado
PhD entry:
Depending on their level of education, students can undertake the PhD programme as either:
Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.
Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. within the biological, chemical, computational or physical sciences. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.
Or
Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.
Terms of the integrated programme (Option B):
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you will be enrolled in one of the UCPH master’s programmes. Students on the integrated programme will enrol as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrolment in this MSc degree programme. The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years and depends on the number of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: www.science.ku.dk/phd , “Study Structures” and https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/admission-requirements/different-routes-to-a-phd/.
Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year.
A PhD grant portion is currently (2026) DKK 7,426 before tax.
Presentación de solicitudes
Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Applications should include only:
A 2-page (maximum) curriculum vitae, including lists of any relevant research experience and publications.
A cover letter (maximum 1 page) describing your motivation and background for wanting to do a PhD in protein design, and detailing one of the areas outlined above that you are most interested in for your research (1/2 of the page)
Original diplomas for Bachelor or Master and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another 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.
No other documents are required and will not be accepted at this stage.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation for qualifications at a later stage.
Contacts: For general enquiries, please contact Center PA, Michala Yun-Joo Schlichtkrull, cpd@ku.dk
The deadline for applications is: 4 March 2026 at 23:59 GMT+1.
