Applications are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Environmental Science programme. The position is available from 1 November 2020 or later.
Title:
Constructed wetlands for the treatment of cyanotoxins
Research area and project description:
More and longer events of cyanobacterial blooms are resulting in the irrigation of crops with contaminated water. Thus, the consumption of contaminated vegetables increases the risk of poisoning to humans. The usage of constructed wetlands to mitigate cyanotoxins contamination from surface waters is deemed interesting due to their proven capacity to reduce pollutants, their low- technological requirements and landscape integration. However, it is currently unknown if constructed wetlands can be used to remove the cyanobacteria biomass and degrade the cyanotoxins. In addition, a balance is needed in terms of process optimisation. Ideally, we want to clean the water from the cyanobacteria/cyanotoxins, while the nutrients should remain available for the crops. WETCYANO proposes an in-depth characterization of the potential for removal, including removal mechanisms and cyanotoxins biotransformation, as well as how shock loads of cyanobacteria may impact the microbial community in the constructed wetlands.
The PhD student will be part of the project WETCYANO financed by the Independent Research Fund Denmark and involved in the research activities of TOXICROP financed by the European Union.
Qualifications and specific competences:
Suitable applicants to the PhD position must have a Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering or Environmental Sciences. Proven competences in either bio-technical systems (constructed wetlands or other type of biological water treatment), analytical chemistry (liquid-chromatography and/or mass spectrometry) or microbiology (DNA sequencing and bioinformatics) are wanted, but not mandatory, for a highly motivated candidate that will be eager to learn and develop these skills. The successful applicant must be curious, interested in setting up and running experimental mesocosms and be willing to travel.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is the Department of Environmental Science, Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000-Roskilde, Denmark.
Please be aware that short-term visits to Aarhus University Department of Biology at Aarhus and to one of the international partners Technological University of Pereira, Colombia will be required.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:
- Researcher Pedro Carvalho, +45 87158462, [email protected], or
- Senior Researcher Carlos Arias, +45 87156354, [email protected] or
- Senior Researcher, Section Head, Anders Johansen +45 87158586, [email protected]
Application procedures
Before you apply
Information and attachments:
Please be aware that you must have all relevant appendices, attachments, addresses for referees, etc. ready when you apply, as the entire application must be uploaded to the system in one go.
Documentation of language skills:
The English language requirement at the graduate school is comparable to an “English B level” in the Danish upper secondary school (“gymnasium”).
English language qualifications comparable to an “English B level” are documented by one of the following tests:
- TOEFL test (internet-based), minimum score: 83. The graduate school does not accept the paper-based test, nor the TOEFL ITP test. Remember to ask the test center to send your test results to Aarhus University in order to enable verification of your test results. Aarhus University’s TOEFL code is 8935.
Currently, the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition test (available in selected areas) will also be accepted. - IELTS (academic) test, minimum average score: 6.5 points/C1 level
Please note, from 1 June 2020 the Graduate School of Science and Technology has split in two following the split of the faculty. For the two new schools, Graduate School of Natural Sciences and Graduate School of Technical Sciences, the minimum average score requirement for an IELTS test is 6.5 points equivalent of a C1 level. B2 level is no longer accepted. - Cambridge English Language Assessment:
Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency (CPE)
Cambridge English: Certificate of Advanced English with grade A,B or C (CAE)
Cambridge English: First Certificate with grade A (FCE)
When to take the test and how to upload the documentation:
The test result must not be more than two years old at the time of application.
The English language test should be taken before applying for admission and uploaded under “language skills documentation” in the online application form.
It is possible to apply for admission before you have taken the test. In this case documentation stating that you have signed up for a test (please state expected submission date) must be uploaded. If the test result is not part of the original application the test result is to be sent to [email protected] no later than one month after the application deadline.
The following applicants are exempted from documenting their English qualifications/taking a test:
- Applicants with citizenship from the following countries: Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States, or one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden).
- Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.
- Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed at a Danish university for which the requirement was English B level at the time of admission. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.
The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
How to apply:
1) Find the application form:
Go to https://phd.tech.au.dk/for-applicants/apply-here/ – Note, the online application system opens on 1 June 2020.
Choose August 2020 Call with deadline 1 August 2020 at noon (11.59 AM CEST).
You will be directed to the call, and must choose the programme “Environmental Science”.
2) Fill in the following information:
- Personal information
- Academic background
- Admission
- Financing (if any)
- Study: In the dropdown menu you must choose the project: “Constructed wetlands for the treatment of cyanotoxins”
- Source (how you found out about the call)
Next to some of the information fields you will find a number. Click on the number to get further directions on how to fill in the information field/what information is needed.
3) Application attachments:
Please be aware that you cannot submit the application if one or several of these documents have not been uploaded.
If you wish to upload more than one document under each section, you must scan/merge all documents into one large PDF file and upload this. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like. Instead you can indicate a URL where the information is available.
All information in the application must be in English or Danish, preferably English. A certified English translation is required for documents written in languages other than English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) languages.
As a minimum all applications must include (pdf-files only, max. 20 MB, no zip):
- One reference (template for references)
- Curriculum vitae,
- Motivation (max. 1 page)
- Transcripts, grade point averages (weighted and unweighted), and diploma(s) for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree. If the original documents are not in English or one of the Scandinavian languages (i.e. Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) then copies of the original documents as well as a certified English translation must be attached.
- Project description (1 page). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.
- Documentation of language skills if required.
After submission of the application, you will receive a confirmation e-mail with an application ID, you should use for reference if needed.
The graduate school reserves the right to verify the authenticity of your educational diploma and transcripts:
- Request additional information to verify an application.
- Reject the application if it is proven, or if the University has reasonable belief, that the information provided is false or if the applicant refuses to provide the requested information, whether or not an offer has already been made.
- For further information on applying, assessment procedures, etc. please see the GSTS Application Guide.
Please note:
- The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
- The project will only be initiated if final funding (from the graduate school/the faculty) is secured.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
