The Early Career Researchers

The Early Career Researcher (ECR) initiative at the Department of Public Health supports emerging scholars by fostering a vibrant professional and social community across the institute.

The Early Career Researcher (ECR) initiative provides resources and opportunities to strengthen academic development, promote career advancement, and encourage meaningful networking and exchange among researchers from all units.

Feel free to contact any of the members listed below if you have any questions, suggestions to events, or want to engage in the ECR Committee at IST.

Members (per September 2026)

Name	Research unit	E-mail
Joachim Dahl Steenbjeerre	DaCHE	jsteensbjerre@health.sdu.dk
Line Julie Lindorf Christensen	KFFM	llindorf@health.sdu.dk
Line Maria Simonsen	FEA	lsimonsen@health.sdu.dk
Signe Bedsted Clemmensen	EBB	sbclemmensen@health.sdu.dk
Winnie Poulsen	EBB	wpoulsen@health.sdu.dk
Clara Graugaard Andersen	Sundhedsfremme	cgandersen@health.sdu.dk
Katrine Wind Nielsen	BBI	kwindnielsen@health.sdu.dk

Events

Invitations to upcoming events will be send out per e-mail. Summaries of past events will be posted here.

September 2026 – The Imposter Phenomenon

We have invited Ann C. Schødt, HD in Organization & Leadership and certified relational coach with many years of experience in counseling. She is an expert on the Imposter Phenomenon, and she will introduce us to the phenomenon, the mechanisms and patterns behind imposter experiences, and invite for reflection and group discussion.

April 2026 - A Healthy Working Environment

Birgitte Aagaard Zethsen will join us in this workshop on the key prerequisites for a sustainable and well-functioning work environment: managing stress, maintaining work–life balance, fostering psychological safety, and ensuring clear alignment of expectations. During the workshop, she will present concrete approaches and reflections that can support well-being and professional development, and she will also invite to shared discussions in which we can translate these perspectives into practice.

January 2026 - Navigation an Academic Career

Renata Mellupe and Simone Rørdam-Preil from Syddansk Forskerstøtte provided us with valuable insights into academic career paths including funding dos and don’ts based on the extensive experience and expertise of the group.

Terms of reference

Aim - the ECR initiative aims to:

Foster a professional and social community for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) at IST.
Support ECRs in their academic development and career paths.
Facilitate networking and exchange of experiences across research units.

Definition of ECR

Early Career Researchers (ECRs) at IST are individuals in the early stages of their academic careers, typically ranging from pre-PhD to assistant Professor level (research Assistant, Ph.D. student, Postdoc, assistant Professor). This includes research assistants who are pursuing or considering a research career. The group welcomes anyone who identifies as an ECR and is engaged in academic development.

Read the terms of reference