PhD Fellowship in Organic Waste Impacts on Soil Filter Functions and Water Quality, University of Copenhagen

Department of Agriculture and Ecology wishes to appoint a Ph.D. fellow in organic waste impacts on soil filter functions and water quality from 1st November 2010 to 30th October 2013

Job description

With reference to the project manager, the work of the Ph.D. fellow will consist mainly of duties in connection with research and development within studies of mobility, availability and impacts of nutrients, heavy metals and bacteria in soils receiving organic waste.

The appointee should have qualifications within at least one of the following areas:

• A background in environmental science, soil science, plant nutrition and/or agronomy
• Previous experience with research, analytical work and data analyses within environmental microbiology or soil and environmental chemistry will be an advantage.

A brief description of the topical area:

Organic waste, including animal manure, may contain a range of contaminants (heavy metals, pathogens, hormone-analogues and pharmaceuticals) that may adversely affect soil and water quality. This may cause suboptimal recycling and utilisation of the valuable resources within the organic waste. Furthermore the organic matter in the waste may affect the mobility of other waste components and hence affect soil filtering functions. The work will take advantage of the long-term CRUCIAL field trial, where application of composite urban wastes as well as agriculturally based fertilizers have resulted in widely different fertility, organic matter content and heavy metal profiles. The PhD project will be carried out as a collaborative venture involving partners from several groups: Jakob Magid and Lars Stoumann Jensen (soil fertility), Ole Nybro and Kristian K. Brandt (microbial genetics), Peter E. Holm (soil and environmental chemistry) and Charlotte Kjærgaard (agroecology and environment, Aarhus University).
The overall objective of the fellowship is to elucidate the mobility, availability and retention of nutrients, heavy metals and bacteria, as well as the effect of metals on microorganisms and microbial communities in selected treatments

Qualification requirements

In connection with the appointment to the post special importance will be attached to the applicant having the professional and personal qualifications stated below:

• Passed Master´s degree in relation to the above subject area(s)

The Ph.D. fellow is also required to have research potential, to be enterprising and to possess good interpersonal skills.

Terms of employment

The post will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The post is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.
The position as Ph.D. fellow requires the applicant to be approved for admission to the Ph.D. programme at LIFE when accepted for the post.

Questions

For further information about the post, please contact Associate Professor Jakob Magid on tel. (+45) 35 33 34 91, (+45) 35 33 34 91, jma@life.ku.dk

General questions regarding Ph.D. programmes should be directed to Course Administration c/o special advisor Michael Cleve Hansen, tel. + 45 3533 2056,+ 45 3533 2056 or head clerk Lillian Zeuthen Bjørnseth on tel. +45 3533 2172, +45 3533 2172. Further information on Ph.D. programmes is available at www.life.ku.dk/English >Education > PhD Education > Regulations.

Application

The application should be submitted in 2 (sorted) copies; therefore it´s not possible to receive the application by e-mail. The application must include a reply e-mail address. Each application must include the following appendices marked with the stated appendix numbers:

Appendix 1: curriculum vitae with documentation of education.
Appendix 2: material required for expert assessment, including manuscripts submitted, in press or published


In addition to the material the applicant wishes to be included in the assessment, the Assessment Committee may include further material in their assessment of the applicant. In such circumstances, it is the responsibility of the applicant, on request, to send the material to the Committee.

Following processing of the application, any application material sent will be destroyed.

Receipt of the application will not be acknowledged, but the applicant will be kept continuously informed of the progress of the application.

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation Executive Order no 284 of 25. April 2008.

The application, marked 625-272 should be sent to The Faculty of Life Sciences, Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Thorvaldsensvej 40, staircase 2, 3rd floor, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark, where it must be received no later than 15th September 2010 at 12.00 noon. Applications received after the closing date for applications will not be considered.

Deadline: 15-09-2010

Publisher: Det Biovidenskabelige Fakultet

Source: http://www.offentlige-stillinger.dk/sites/cfml/kbhuni/kbhuniVis.cfm?plugin=1&englishJobs=Yes&nJobNo=189363&nLangNo=2