Postdoc in Improving Soil Phosphorus Bioavailability

A three-year postdoc position within: “Improving phosphorus bioavailability to agricultural crops by recycling phosphorus containing products in combination with microbial rhizosphere P solubilization” is available at the Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. The start date is 1 August 2023, or soon thereafter. Application deadline: 25 May 2023.

Project background
Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient with unique functions. In the soil, most P is found in insoluble inorganic or in slowly mineralising organic compounds. Consequently, P is often a limiting plant nutrient on a local scale, but also on a global scale due to the limited abundance of, and uneven access to, P containing rock reserves. Therefore, the objective of this project is to add to an improved circular management of P in agriculture by activating naturally occurring processes in the rhizosphere to improve the bioavailability of P. This will be done by amending native soil microorganisms, with specialized P solubilizing abilities to agricultural soils. In addition, the project will investigate the microbially-mediated P solubilization of a range of waste products (e.g. sewage sludge and lake sediments) to improve their fertilizer value.

Qualifications
We are looking for a motivated candidate to study different aspects of plant availability of P in soils amended with natural microorganisms or P containing waste products such as e.g. lake sediments and wastewater sludge, by conducting plant experiments and assess the mobility of P in soils by various approaches such as e.g. diffusive gradients in thin films (DGTs) analysis and chemical extractions. Furthermore, the candidate will pursue speciation of P and Fe species by different analytical chemical techniques, such as e.g. 31 P NMR spectroscopy and P k-edge XANES. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in P chemistry and preferably also plant ecology and microbiology. The candidate should be able to work independently and to communicate fluently in English, have good writing skills as well as possess good interpersonal skills. Furthermore, teaching obligations at the Department of Biology, should be expected.

The postdoc covers the area of soil biogeochemistry, microbiology and analytical chemistry and will be aligned with ongoing research at the Freshwater Ecology group at the Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark.

Further information about the postdoc position can be directed to Associate Professor Kasper Reitzel ([email protected] ).

Application, salary etc.
The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and AC (the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations). Please check links for more information on salary  and taxation .

The application must include the following:
• A curriculum vitae including information on previous employment.
• A full list of publications stating the scientific publications on which the applicant wishes to rely.

Shortlisting may be used in the assessment process.

Incomplete applications and applications received after the deadline will neither be considered nor evaluated.

To qualify you must have passed a PhD or equivalent. Applications will be assessed by an expert assessor/committee. Applicants will be informed of their assessment by the university.

The University wishes our staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.

Applications must be submitted electronically using the link "Apply online". Attached files must be in Adobe PDF or Word format. Each box can only contain a single file of max. 10 Mb. We strongly recommend that you read How to apply before you apply.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark.