Ph D Project in synthesis and structural characterization of nanoparticles for electrocatalysis

Department of Chemistry
Faculty of SCIENCE
University of Copenhagen

Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a Ph D fellowship in synthesis and structural chacterization of alloy and oxide nanoparticles for electrocatalysis. A special focus will be on elucidating structural changes changes place in the material under operating conditions.

The position is one of the open positions in the 2024 CAPe X Ph D cohort call . CAPe X is a 13-year and 300 MDKK “Pioneer Center for Accelerating P2X Materials Discovery”, funded by Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, the Danish National Research Foundation, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Villum Foundation. CAPe X is hosted by the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) and co-hosted by Aalborg University (AAU), and unites leading experts from DTU, AAU, University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, and the University of Southern Denmark with international partners from Stanford University, Utrecht University, and the University of Toronto to form a truly Pioneering Center on P2X. You can read more about the CAPe X research themes and X-trails, our organization, and the other open Ph D and postdoc cohort positions at http://www.capex-p2x.com .

Start date is (expected to be) 1 Febuary 2025 or thereafter.

The project
The Ph D project will focus on synthesis/structure/property relations in alloy and oxide materials for electrocatalysis with a strong emphasis on synthesis and structural analysis using X-ray scattering techniques. The project especially concerns understanding the structural changes taking place during synthesis and catalytic reactions, and in situ synchrotron experiments will be central for the work. Apart from synthesis, a major part of the Ph D project will be acquisition and high-level analysis of scattering and spectroscopy data.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within the fields of chemistry and nanoscience. Applicants can have a background from materials synthesis and characterization. Experience in material synthesis as well as in structural characterization using X-ray scattering using e.g. Rietveld refinement and/or Pair Distribution Function analysis is required. Experience and interest in programming using e.g. Python is an advantage.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The reseeach in the Nanostructure group at University of Copenhagen focuses on elucidating atomic and nanoscale structure in materials for energy. The group is lead by assosciate professor Kirsten M. Ø. Jensen, and includes postdocs, Ph D-students and MSc- and BSc-students. We are currently ca. group 15 members.

The group is a part of Department of Chemistry, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Kirsten Marie Ørnsbjerg Jensen, kirsten@chem.ku.dk , Direct Phone: +45 35 33 47 97.

The Ph D programme

Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the Ph D programme as either:

Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular Ph D programme (5+3 scheme), if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master’s degree.

Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and Ph D programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree .

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Option A: Getting into a position on the regular Ph D programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular Ph D programme, you must have completed a degree programme, equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (180 ECTS/3 FTE BSc + 120 ECTS/2 FTE MSc) related to the subject area of the project, e.g. chemistry or nanoscience. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as Ph D fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a Ph D student at the Ph D School at the Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and Ph D programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and Ph D programme

If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree , you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and Ph D programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in chemistry or nanoscience.

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as Ph D students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: www.science.ku.dk/phd , “Study Structures”.

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year.
A Ph D grant portion is currently (2024) DKK 6.820 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both Ph D programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and Ph D programme)
• Carry through an independent research project under supervision
• Complete Ph D courses corresponding to approx. 30 ECTS / ½ FTE
• Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
• Teaching and knowledge dissemination activities
• Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
• Write and defend a Ph D thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the Ph D project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in materials and structure/property relations.
• Good language skills

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Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include :

Application deadline
The deadline for applications is 9 October 2024, 23:59 GMT +2 .

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 deadline, a number of applicants will be selected for academic assessment by an unbiased expert assessor. You are notified, whether you will be passed for assessment.

The assessor will assess the qualifications and experience of the shortlisted applicants with respect to the above mentioned research area, techniques, skills and other requirements. The assessor will conclude whether each applicant is qualified and, if so, for which of the two models. The assessed applicants will have the opportunity to comment on their assessment. You can read about the recruitment process at http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Questions
For specific information about the Ph D fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

General information about Ph D study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the Ph D School’s website: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/ .

The University of Copenhagen wishes to reflect the surrounding community and invites all regardless of personal background to apply for the position.