PhD fellowship in ice flow modelling of the Greenland ice sheet

The Ice and Climate group at the Niels Bohr Institute invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in modelling of the Greenland ice sheet evolution in a warming climate.

The PhD project is part of the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Centre “PRECISE – PREdicting Changes in Ice Sheets on Earth” with the overall aim of reducing uncertainties in the projected contributions from ice sheets to the global mean sea-level rise. PRECISE includes ice flow and climate modelling studies, ice core studies, theoretical ice physics studies, as well as integration of data and numerical models, to enable better simulations of ice sheet melt and mass loss under global warming.

Start date is (expected to be) 1 November 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
The Greenland ice sheet is currently the largest contributor to present-day global sea level rise, with mass loss mainly driven by surface melting. Surface meltwater can drain to the base of the ice sheet and enhance ice flow velocities on seasonal timescales, but the long-term response of ice flow and outlet glacier dynamics to increased surface melting in a warming climate is not well known.

The focus of the PhD project is to improve the response of ice flow velocities to surface melting in Greenland ice sheet flow modelling. The PhD will use a combination of numerical methods and observational data to investigate how surface melting affects ice flow velocities of Greenland glaciers on seasonal and longer timescales, and explore approaches to improve the numerical representation of these feedbacks in ice flow models. We use numerical modelling tools, including the Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM) and the Úa ice flow model, and combine with climate model output and observational constraints from ice core projects and remote sensing. The PhD student will evaluate ice sheet model simulations using observational data, and analyse ice sheet and climate simulations under various climate forcing scenarios. The ultimate goal is to reduce the uncertainty in the projected mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet.

You will work in an international team that also includes researchers and early career scientists from the Complex Physics group at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and the Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK. Visits with these collaborators are expected.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for an enthusiastic and outstanding candidate with an interest in the following themes: ice flow and climate modelling, combining theoretical and numerical methods with observations, glaciological data and processes, complex numerical modelling, coupled atmosphere-ice processes and ice sheet mass loss. Applicants should have a strong background in physics, geophysics, mathematics or similar, as well as good communication skills in oral and written English.  Applicants should preferably have strong analytical and numerical skills and experience with programming and/or ice flow and climate modelling. It is not an essential requirement, but any relevant experience you may have or publications (if any) can also be considered in the assement of your qualifications.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The position will be hosted in the Ice and Climate group, which is part of the section for Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, and we are located in Copenhagen. The Ice and Climate group is a world-leading research group in ice-core related climate research. The main activities of the group are ice core drilling, analysis of ice cores, and ice flow modelling, with the overall aim to understand climate change and the evolution of ice sheets. The group has a large network of national and international collaborators that you will be part of, with great opportunities for scientific interactions with international researchers at different career stages. For more information on the activities in the Ice and Climate group and the PRECISE centre, visit: nbi.ku.dk/english/research/pice/

Further information on the Niels Bohr Institute is found at: nbi.ku.dk/english/

Principal supervisor isProfessor Christine S. Hvidberg, Niels Bohr Institute. Email: [email protected]

The PhD programme
Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

Option A: A three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD 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 PhD 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 PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the regular programme
To be eligible for the regular PhD 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. Physics, Geophysics, Meteorology or similar. 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 PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD 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 PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD 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 PhD 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 the faculty’s master programme in Physics.

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD 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 PhD 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 Taxation 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 PhD 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 PhD programme)

• Carry through an independent research project under supervision

• Complete PhD 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 PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in ice flow and climate physics and numerical modelling
• Good language skills in oral and written English

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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  23 June 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 employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in late July, 2024.

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

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD School’s website: 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. 

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.