Applicants are invited for two PhD fellowships/scholarships at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Agroecology programme. The positions are available from 01 September 2023 or later. Title: Two PhD positions on the benefits of multispecies grassland leys in crop rotations
Research area and project description:
Grassland leys have long been an important element of crop rotations, maintaining soil fertility and carbon storage, compared to arable monocropping. Including legumes and herbs decreases external inputs, and increases yield stability. Yet, while many benefits of diversified grassland leys within the grassland stage are identified, the benefits for following arable crops in the crop rotations are currently underexplored.
The two PhD positions are part of the Doctoral Network “LegumeLegacy”. The first position will aim to understand particularly the impact of species diversity on nitrogen fluxes from the grassland stage to the follow-on crop, including a modelling approach, while the second position will aim to determine the dynamics in interspecies competition or facilitation above- and belowground to identify suitable species compositions.
The PhD positions are advertised jointly and will collaborate closely. The PhD projects include research stays abroad, offering the successful candidates to establish a strong research profile and network.
We are looking for open minded, curious persons that either have an interest in modelling soil processes, or in agronomy and agro-ecological processes. Candidates can mention a preference for of the two positions or apply for both simultaneously
LegumeLegacy is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network and funded under the Horizon-MSCA-DN-2021 programme. The role of multi-species grassland mixtures within crop rotations will be investigated in the search for solutions to develop lower nitrogen farming systems that will promote sustainable farming practices.
LegumeLegacy is a highly interdisciplinary collaboration bringing together experts in ecology, agronomy, plant breeding, animal nutrition and statistics. The LegumeLegacy Doctoral Researchers will carry out their own individual research projects and collaborate on a multi-site experiment conducted across the network. The Doctoral Researchers will undertake a world-class training programme developed and implemented by the LegumeLegacy collaborating experts and will meet twice per year to participate in joint training events.
The gross salary will be fixed according to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie guidelines and will be approximately 450’000 DKK per annum, plus an additional family allowance, if conditions apply.
Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
The applicants must have a M.Sc. degree (120 ECTS) in Soil Science, Agronomy, Environmental Science, Ecology or closely related fields. Demonstrated oral and written communication skills in English are required. Basic knowledge of nitrogen dynamics in soils is an advantage.
The applicant must be able to present results at international conferences and publish in international peer-reviewed journals. The applicant should be enthusiastic about working in an international and interdisciplinary academic environment. Applications from women and people from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.
Eligibility:
The PhD Researcher must be an ‘early-stage researcher’, i.e., at the time of recruitment have not already been awarded a doctoral degree.
The PhD Researcher is required to undertake physical, transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) to take up this appointment. The PhD Researcher must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Denmark for more than 12 months in the 3 years prior to their recruitment. Compulsory national service and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not taken into account.
In addition to the standard documents, please complete the LegumeLegacy eligibility form available here, convert it into a PDF file, and upload in under ‘Other information to consider’ when applying for the position.
Place of employment and place of work: The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact: Professor Jørgen Eriksen, jorgen.eriksen@agro.au.dk Tenure-Track Assistant Professor Carsten Stefan Malisch, cmalisch@agro.au.dk
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. Application deadline is 31 March 2023 at 23:59 CEST. Preferred starting date is 1 September 2023. For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments,
Please note: The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview. Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
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. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.