Ph.D position at CENTER FOR PERMAFROST (CENPERM) at the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen

Subsurface carbon and nitrogen pools and potential mobilization in permafrost-affected soil environments

Center for Permafrost (CENPERM) at the University of Copenhagen is recruiting a Ph.D student to work in the field of soil science/biogeochemistry related to the turnover of carbon and nitrogen in permafrozen soil environments. The position is fully financed and part of the EU FP7 project: “Changing Permafrost in the Arctic and its Global Effects in the 21st Century – PAGE21” with an overall goal to quantify the vulnerability of permafrost environments to a changing global climate.

The Ph.D position is part of work package 3 (WP3) aiming to provide improved knowledge on belowground organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and biogeochemical turnover in permafrozen soil and their partitioning in the landscape at field sites in Siberia, Svalbard and Greenland. The soil organic matter (SOM) lability and N-availability across landscape units and soil genetic horizons will be assessed using a suite of biogeochemical methods and techniques. Thaw induced C and N mobilization and conversion to CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O will be quantified through a number of field investigations and laboratory experiments. Focus will be on the potential changes in soil specific greenhouse gas (GHG) production and consumption dynamics in response to thawing of currently permafrozen soil layers.

In addition to the biogeochemical focus on element transformations and potential GHG production, consumption and emissions, the Ph.D. position will work on methods for ensuring representative sampling of heterogeneous soil units and permafrozen landscapes as well as on the scaling issues involved in generalizing knowledge from individual sample units to landscape and region levels.

The successful candidate must hold a Master degree (M.Sc) or equivalent in physical geography or biology, preferably within the fields of soil science and biogeochemistry. Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement.

An evaluation committee will be appointed to evaluate the applications. Applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee. The final selection of a successful candidate will be made based on the recommendations of the evaluation committee. The successful candidate will then be requested to formally apply for enrolment as a Ph.D student at the Ph.D school of Science, University of Copenhagen and be offered a working contract for the 3 year Ph.D study period.

Terms of appointment and payment are in accordance with the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Federation of Professional Associations (AC). The starting salary for candidates with an M.Sc degree will be a minimum of DKK 300.174 per year (April 2011 level) plus pension contribution DKK 41.013 and the possibility to negotiate wage. The main working place will be in CENPERM located at the Department of Geography and Geology, University of Copenhagen. Research will be carried out in cooperation with the University of Stockholm, department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology.

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

For further information, please contact CENPERM director and Professor Bo Elberling e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How to apply
The application must contain the following files when applying online via this address: http://www.ku.dk/english/available_positions/vip/

• Curriculum vitae
• Project description including technical approaches (max 3 pages)
• List of publications
• Transcript of University examinations
• Contact details for 2 persons for references

The deadline for applications is Monday 21 January 2013.

Applications received after the deadline, or with insufficient documentation or otherwise not complying with the above requirements, will not be considered. It is expected that the successful candidate will be enrolled at the Ph.D School of the Faculty of Science no later than 1 month after the start of the Ph.D scholarship preferably by February 1, 2013.

Copenhagen University is the oldest university in Denmark founded in 1479. The university is with its approximately 37000 students and 7500 staff, the largest university in the Nordic area and the only Nordic university on the world top 100 (www.ku.dk).