211-2051/25-2H, PhD fellowships on impact quantification of the use of microorganisms in the environment

PhD fellowships on impact quantification of the use of microorganisms in the environment
Department of Biology
Faculty of SCIENCE
University of Copenhagen
A PhD position on microbial ecology is offered at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as part of the EMBARQ project (www.embarq.dk), a Center of Excellence funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

Start date is 1 May 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
EMBARQ's primary purpose is to provide a knowledge base and develop innovative tools for quantifying the impact of biopesticides for agriculture, facilitating rapid assessment methods for industry and regulators. EMBARQ will expand traditional risk assessment steps to cover various risk factors, e.g., how horizontal gene transfer may affect pathogenicity, and assess environmental impacts of application of biopesticides.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for enthusiastic and ambitious candidates with an MSc degree in microbiology, ecology and evolution, or similar fields obtained before the initiation of the PhD position. Experience with studies of microbial interactions, soil microbial ecology, and analyses of microbial communities using DNA- or RNA-based tools, are an asset. Good English language skills are required. The main criterion for selection will be the research potential of the applicant; thus, scientific publication(s) will be a strong asset.

Our group and research - and what we offer
The successful candidates become an integrated part of EMBARQ. We offer creative, stimulating and collaborative working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment with a strong group of PhD students and postdocs to take on challenges in a rapidly expanding research field. The position will be based at Section of Microbiology, Universitetsparken, Copenhagen, where we have laboratory facilities and state-of-the-art instrumentation for molecular analyses of microbial community structure and activity, and access to HPC facilities.

Principal supervisors will be Center Leader Professor Søren J. Sørensen (E-mail [email protected])

The PhD positions
Depending on your level of education, you 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.

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.

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Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme
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. MSc degree in microbiology, ecology and evolution, or similar fields. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme
If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in Biology

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount 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”.

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 (2025) DKK 7.086 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and PhD programme)
• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Complete PhD courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in microbial ecology
• Good language skills

Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

• A letter describing your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project.
• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position (max. 2 pages).
• Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science 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.
• Publication list (if possible).

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 deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by unbiased expert assessors. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment. The assessors will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessors will conclude whether each applicant is qualified. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. Based on the assessments, the recruiting managers will select candidates for interviews and ultimately select which candidates are hired for the positions.

You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

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

Copenhagen is a safe and lively city, e.g., offering subsidized high quality childcare. Foreign applicants may find these resources useful: http://www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility) and https://www.visitdenmark.com/denmark/things-do/danish-culture/fun-facts (informal info on Denmark).

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 30-01-2025

Ansættelsesdato: 01-05-2025

Afdeling/Sted: Department of Biology