The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University in Foulum, Denmark, is offering a postdoctoral position in fertilizer value of digestates and wastes, starting 01.01.2022 or as soon as possible thereafter. The successful candidate will be based at the Soil Fertility Section, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Foulum. The position is available for a 2-year period.
The successful candidate will work on the project “Nutrient recycling for soil fertility and improved organic livelihood (FertiHood)” funded by the Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark through the Green Development and Demonstration Program and coordinated by International Centre for Research in Organic Food Systems. The FertiHood project goal is to create waste-based organic fertilizers and evaluate the effect on soil fertility. This includes experimentation with substrate in biogas plants for optimizing nitrogen and sulphur fertilizer value of digestates. The work also includes stabilization of soil carbon in scenarios with different processing compared to undigested material. In addition, the successful candidate will contribute to research-based public sector consultancy on waste as fertilizer.
In FertiHood, you will run field and lab experiments in collaboration with other partners in the project. We expect you to communicate your findings in high-impact scientific journals.
Qualifications
We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has:
- A PhD in agronomy, biology or similar (or is expected to obtain a PhD degree in the near future)
- A genuine interest in sustainable management of agricultural soil
- Collaborative skills
- Fondness in taking initiative and the ambition to pursue a scientific career
- Documented ability to write scientific articles
Further, we will prefer candidates with a majority of the following professional skills:
- Experience with assessment of nitrogen in agricultural systems
- Experience with field experiments and soil sampling
- Experience with statistical analysis
- Experience with research-based public sector consultancy within the agricultural sector
The Department of Agroecology
At the Department of Agroecology, we study interactions between soil, plants, animals, humans, and the environment in different agroecosystems for the production of food, feed, biomaterials, and energy. Thus, we contribute to both fundamental knowledge generation and the attainment of sustainable production systems via state-of-the-art research, contracted policy advice, and education. We offer state-of-the-art laboratory, greenhouse, semi-field, and field-scale research facilities, advanced computing capacities as well as an extensive national and international researcher network. The department has a staff of approximately 275 people, including 56 senior academics, 37 junior researchers and postdocs, and 60 PhD students. More information can be found here.
The Department of Agroecology offers
- An informal and multicultural research environment with high professionalism, where accountability, commitment, helpfulness, flexibility, and close collaboration is a prerequisite solving the core tasks
- A good social environment with activities and routines that make it possible to talk across and strengthen the collegial relationship, and where mutual trust, respect, kindness, and professional sparring are emphasized
- A flexible workplace with a good work-life balance
- Possibility of membership of staff association, access to a gym and free fruit scheme
- An exciting and varied working environment, where two days rarely resemble each other. We are often busy, and we work creatively for solutions to societal challenges
Place of work
You will be integrated in a group of leading soil scientists involved in interdisciplinary research collaborations both nationally and internationally.
Mentors will be Peter Sørensen (ps@agro.au.dk) and Jørgen Eriksen (jorgen.eriksen@agro.au.dk), Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University.
Application procedure
Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.
Letter of reference
If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.
Formalities and salary range
Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.
Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.
Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Associations.
Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.
Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.
Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.
Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.
The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University’s website.
Questions about the position?
Peter SørensenSenior Researcher, Department of Agroecology – Soil Fertility+4587157738ps@agro.au.dk
Questions about application and proces?
Nat-Tech Administrative Centre – HR Department+4587151306Nat-Tech.HR.Emply@au.dk
Deadline: Monday 1 Nov 2021 at 23:59 CET