Course detail

Welcome to Health research with vulnerable groups 

Program: HCHPO, Health Care, Health Promotion and Organizations (also relevant for PHC)

Description: Individuals and groups in vulnerable position are often depicted in uniform ways, stressing among others their social deprivation, functional impairment, and/or psychological vulnerability. Also, numerous programs run to improve the state of health of groups and individuals in vulnerable positions.  

Yet, much more research is needed to better grasp the dimensions involved in healthy living with vulnerability. At the same time, research with groups and individuals in vulnerable positions opens for methodological and ethical considerations that are crucial to anyone interested in conducting sensitive research. 

This course aims to provide PhD students with a space for reflecting on the numerous conceptual, methodological, and ethical dilemmas that follow when conducting research with groups in vulnerable positions. 

The course will be designed so that lectures are mixed with group work and discussions of questions such as: 

• How to conceptualise vulnerability? 
• How to include vulnerable groups and individuals in the research process? 
• How to work with the researchers’ own positionality and reflexivity? 
• How to deal with ethical principles of research such as ‘informed consent’? 

Prerequisites: Enrolment as PhD Student

Form of evaluation: PhD students are to write a short presentation prior to the course that will be evaluated accordingly. 

Key literature: Course literature will be uploaded on the platform Moodle 1-2 weeks before the course starts.  

Organizer: Professor Sine Agergaard (sine@hst.aau.dk) 

Lecturers: Professor Charlotte Overgaard, associate professor Verena Lenneis and associate professor Camilla Hoffmann Merrild 

ECTS: 1.6

Date: 3. & 4. december 2026 (8.30-16.00)

Place: Aalborg University

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 30

Open for enrolment: 3. August 2026

Deadline: 12. November 2026

Important information concerning PhD courses: There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

To attend courses at the Doctoral School in Medicine, Biomedical Science and Technology you must be enrolled as a PhD student.

You may find more information in our FAQ: https://phd.moodle.aau.dk/local/page/faq 

For inquiries not described in the FAQ, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk. When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.