The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN) invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in geochronology and mineralogy, with a focus on detrital zircons and heavy minerals. The project is part of the research project “Testing the veracity of detrital zircon”, which is financed by the Independent Research Fund of Denmark.

Start date is 4 January 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter, with fieldwork in New Zealand planned for Feb-March 2027.

The project
The main task of the Ph.D. is to characterise heavy mineral populations, including the U-Pb ages of zircons in both metasedimentary source rocks as well as in modern detrital sediments. The main supervisor is Professor Tod Waight.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a candidate with a two-year Master’s degree in geoscience and a background and/or interest in mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry. Experience with geochronology (especially U-Pb) and statistical methods would be advantageous.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The geology section is a part of the Geology Section at IGN, at the Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Our section focuses on teaching and research in geology, covering a wide range of core disciplines including sedimentology, hydrogeology, geophysics, paleoclimate, paleontology and geobiology. You will be part of the ‘Hard Rock’ group with a focus on geochemistry, mineralogy and petrology. Our research facilities include modern laboratories such as electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry. We also collaborate closely with colleagues at the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the University of Aarhus.

Principal supervisor is Professor Tod Waight, [email protected]

The 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. [relevant educations]. 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.

Responsibilities and tasks in the 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 mineralogy and geochemistry and geoscience in general
• 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:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• 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.
• Publication list (if possible)
• Reference letters (if available)

The further process
After deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above-mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in September 2026

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

[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: 16-08-2026

Ansættelsesdato: 04-01-2027

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Institut for Geovidenskab og Naturforvaltning