Three-year postdoc position on macroalgal blue carbon in the Arctic

The Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, invites applications for a three-year postdoc position offering applicants an exciting opportunity to study carbon cycling and storage in marine vegetated habitats and related management aspects.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 3–year position starting as soon possible.

Job description

Marine vegetated ecosystems support carbon storage, so-called blue carbon, as well as multiple other ecosystem functions. The role of macroalgae for carbon cycling and storage is challenging to quantify because macroalgal detritus is exported by ocean currents to sinks beyond the habitats and documentation of the storage therefore requires fingerprinting methods to document the macroalgal origin. The project involves studying these fluxes from the coastal habitat, tracing macroalgae in Arctic marine sediments by e.g. eDNA and stable isotopes and evaluating the contribution of macroalgae to carbon storage.

The Post Doc is expected to contribute to analyses of field- and experimental information on macroalgal eDNA and decomposition in marine sediments, bioinformatic- and statistical analyses, and writing of scientific papers. The position also involves project management as well as contribution to further establish eDNA methods and developing mapping, monitoring and management strategies for Nordic/Arctic blue carbon habitats.

Applicants should preferably hold a PhD in biology or environmental science. Documented experience on the ecology of coastal and marine vegetated ecosystems, experimental design, biostatistics, and writing of scientific papers in this field is required.

Experience in Arctic field work, eDNA analyses including metabarcoding and qPCR, bioinformatic analysis, and remote sensing are an advantage.

Fluency in spoken and written English is expected. In addition, the candidate should enjoy working as part of a large team on collaborative projects and be capable of working independently.

Who we are

The Department of Ecoscience is engaged in research programs, teaching curricula and consultancy covering all major biological sub-disciplines, and we conduct excellent research within the areas of aquatic biology and ecology, the Arctic environment and ecosystems, biodiversity and conservation biology. The department currently employs approximately 300 academic and technical staff. The department has a unique research environment at international top level.

What we offer

The department and research group offers:

• A well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment.
• An exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators.
• A research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research.
• A work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities.
• A workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

Place of work and area of employment

The Department of Ecoscience (https://ecos.au.dk/en/) is organized under the Faculty of Technical Sciences and studies life in all respects. We teach, provide consultancy and research in life; right from bacteria to whales over genes to ecosystems and from basic research to applied biology in nature management and biotechnology. The Department has approximately 300 staff members, just over 100 working in Roskilde, and 200 in Aarhus. The applicant will join the Department of Ecoscience in Aarhus Campus, C.F. Møllers Allé 3, 8000 Aarhus C.

Contact information

For further information, please contact project leader Professor Dorte Krause-Jensen, email: dkjecos.au.dk

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 1st. of April 2024.

Ensuring gender balance at the Department of Ecoscience is a high priority at Aarhus University, and therefore, we particularly encourage women to apply for this position. No candidate will be given preferential treatment, and all applicants will be assessed on the basis of their qualifications for the position in question.

Please submit your CV and publication list, accompanied by a cover letter detailing your relevant experience. Please also submit a statement of research interests detailing a research plan and/or research ideas related to the description of the project (in Please submit your CV and publication list, accompanied by a cover letter detailing your relevant experience. Please also submit a statement of research interests detailing a research plan and/or research ideas related to the description of the project (in English). Additionally, please submit a degree certificate and 1 letter of reference. Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications, the assessment committee Chairman, the appointment committee and the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated.

Information to applicants about having a referee upload a letter of reference on their behalf.

• Salary and terms of employment according to the relevant collective agreement
• Qualification requirements and job content cf. Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities
• Requirements for the application and necessary documents
• Evaluation of research activities in relation to actual research time
• Services for international researchers and accompanying families
• The Junior Researcher Development Programme
• All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
• All applications must be submitted via the Aarhus University recruitment system.

Aarhus University is a dynamic, modern and highly international university. Since its founding in 1928, it has grown to become a leading public university with international impact and reach across the entire research spectrum.

AU is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top universities. It was ranked number 69 in the latest Shanghai ranking and is among the world’s 100 best universities in 18 out of 48 subjects in the latest QS World University Rankings by Subject.

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 Taxation 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 Taxation 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.

Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/