PhD fellowship in Cosmochemistry at the Globe Institute Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen
The Centre for Star and Planet Formation at the Globe Institute is offering a PhD fellowship in cosmochemistry commencing on 1 March 2024 or soon thereafter.
Our group and research
The Centre for Star and Planet Formation (Starplan) is a research centre focused on understanding the formation of planetary systems, including the Solar System, using a multidisciplinary approach that combines astronomy, astrophysics and cosmochemistry. The focus of the cosmochemistry section is centered on elucidating the timescales and processes leading to the formation of the Solar System, including the accretion and differentiation of rocky planets, by measurement of isotopic variations in extraterrestrial materials. StarPlan consists of a dynamic research group and houses state-of-the-art isotope facilities, including thermal-ionization and multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (Thermo Scientific Triton and Neptune Plus/Neoma, respectively) as well as ultra-clean laboratories. The Centre also extends to many international collaborators with complementary facilities to StarPlan. Further information on the Institute is linked at https://globe.ku.dk and about Starplan at https://globe.ku.dk/research/starplan/.
Project description
The position is funded by the Villum Young Investigator grant “EXPRICE: Extraterrestrial proxies for icy pebble delivery towards a habitable Earth” awarded to Elishevah van Kooten. This project aims to understand the origin and evolution of pebble-sized astromaterials that contain a rich prebiotic inventory and bombarded the Hadean Earth during the era that was essential to set the stages for the origin of life. As a PhD, you will learn a wide spectrum of analytical techniques, including scanning and transmission electron microscopy, laser ablation mass spectrometry, clean lab techniques and secondary ion and multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. You will join and collaborate with a highly interdisciplinary team of researchers that is not limited to StarPlan but extends to other researchers at the Globe Institute who work on understanding the origin of life.
Principal supervisor is tenure-track assistant professor Elishevah van Kooten, Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Elishevah.vankooten@sund.ku.dk.
Start: 1 March 2024
Duration: 3 years as a PhD student
Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD student at Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences are:
- Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
- Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
- Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
- Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project
- Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
- Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project
Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. geochemistry, chemistry. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).
Other important criteria are:
- The grade point average achieved
- Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
- Previous publications
- Relevant work experience
- Other professional activities
- Language skills
Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Centre for Star and Planet Formation, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen (Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K). We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure.
About Globe Institute
The Globe Institute is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The Institute’s main purpose is to address basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches. The institute operates at the intersection of natural and medical sciences and the humanities. Information on the institute can be found at: https://www.globe.ku.dk/.
The Globe Institute is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where employees and students can belong and thrive. See website for more information. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. Candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, contribute to diversity and competencies of our Institute are encouraged to apply. The University of Copenhagen strives to offer a family friendly and flexible working environment with a sustainable balance between work- and private life, including parental leave schemes (up to 47 weeks for both parents) and up to six weeks of paid holidays per year. Researchers that have not been tax liable in Denmark for the last 10 years can apply for a special (reduced) tax scheme. The university offers a variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families.
Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week. The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is on 1 March 2024 or immediately thereafter.
The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s successful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.
The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.
Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 28,900 DKK/Roughly 3,870 EUR (October 2023 level) plus pension.
Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.
General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/.
Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include all the following documents in PDF format:
1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other 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. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
4. Publication list (if possible)
Application deadline: 3 December 2023, 23.59pm CET.
We reserve the right not to consider material received after the deadline, and not to consider applications that do not live up to the abovementioned requirements.
The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.
The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.
Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant has the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.
You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/
The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.
The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.
Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.