The Soil Fertility and Nutrient Recycling Group, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen offers a 2-year postdoc position starting September 15, 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. Place of employment will be at Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark.
Description of the scientific environment
The Soil Fertility and Nutrient Recycling research group studies soil and waste organic matter decomposition, along with soil nutrient turnover and availability in agroecosystems. Our research aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of soil nutrient and organic matter dynamics, ranging from micro-scale biogeochemical processes to ecosystem-level interactions, to enhance nutrient use efficiency and improve crop productivity.
Project description
The postdoc will join a collaborative research project, Decoding the Rhizobiota Interactome for Improved Crop Resilience (INTERACT), which is part of the Collaborative Crop Resiliency Program (https://ccrp.vcl.ncsu.edu/) funded by the Novo Nordic Foundation. INTERACT brings together an international multidisciplinary team to enhance our temporal and spatial understanding of microbe-plant interactions and their role in plant stress resistance within complex soil environments. This will be key to the unlocking of the enormous microbial potential to develop innovative solutions that improve plant resilience and productivity in the sustainable, low-input cropping systems of the future.
Job description
The postdoc will conduct plant-based assays and collect spatial and temporal soil biogeochemical data to identify key environmental drivers of beneficial plant-microbe interactions under low nutrient availability in bulk vs. rhizosphere and rhizoplane soil across different wheat genotypes. Most work will be carried out in plant root/soil mesocosms under controlled conditions in growth chambers or greenhouses, but field experiments will also be conducted. The postdoc will be working with own methods and data while collaborating closely with microbiologists characterizing microbiomes in the soil-rhizosphere-root continuum. The position may also include teaching as well as administrative duties within the section.
Required qualifications
The applicants should hold professional as well as personal skills and qualifications as stated below:
- PhD in soil science, environmental science or related discipline.
- Documented knowledge within soil biogeochemistry and the mechanisms that determine key soil chemical equilibria, microbial activity and nutrient (especially phosphorus) turnover processes.
- Documented technical skills and experience in plant-soil experimental systems and chemical and microbiological soil analyses.
- Experience with soil spatial imaging techniques such as fluorescent optode technology, zymography, DGT or others will be an advantage
- Experience in data management and statistical data analysis
- Good interpersonal skills, experience of working in large multinational teams.
- Excellent written and spoken English.
- Professional qualifications relevant to the position
- Scientific publications
- Relevant work experience
- Other professional activities
- Language skills
The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
Terms of employment
The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff.
Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.
Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.
The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include
- Cover letter, detailing your motivation for applying and how your background contributes to the project
- Curriculum vitae
- Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
- Research plan – description of current and future research plans
- Complete publication list
- Separate reprints of 3 particularly relevant papers
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee.
You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.
Interviews will be held in June 2025.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Høje-Taastrup Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
dagarbejde
-Arbejdsgiver:
KU - SCIENCE - Taastrup, Højbakkegård Alle, 2630 Taastrup
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 12-05-2025;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/CV/FindWork/Details/be684f93-6db7-46e8-86e4-cd1d43cebdc1
