PhD fellowship in Organic Chemistry

PhD Project in CO2-Catalyzed Reactions for Carbon Capture and Storage
Department of Chemistry
Faculty of SCIENCE
University of Copenhagen

The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science at University of Copenhagen invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Organic Chemistry. The project is part of a research project financed by Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC). Start date is 1 June 2023 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The candidate will study how to catalyze organic reactions by using CO2 to produce useful organic building blocks, and upscale these processes for CO2 capture directly from ambient air. Various organic molecules will be evaluated for CO2 capture and functionalization. Our objectives include development of efficient CO2 absorbents and simultaneous CO2 up-concentration for further applications in biological and chemical CO2 conversion reactions.

Who are we looking for?

Applicants should hold an MSc degree in Chemistry with good results and be highly confident in written and spoken English. The candidates should be able to work independently and strive towards scientific excellence, be ambitious and hard-working. Only applicants who seek to be among the brightest in their field and do science at the highest international level will be considered. The candidates should have excellent skills in synthesis with at least 2-3 years of laboratory experience, particularly with development of new methodologies. Experience in CO2 research and polymer chemistry will be highly valued. As criteria for the assessment of your qualifications, emphasis will also be laid on previous publications (if any) and relevant work experience with GPC, NMR, solid state NMR, TGA, DSC, gas sorption.

Our group and research - and what do we offer?
The group is located at the Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry section, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. The group is also part of the Nanoscience Center and The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center. We are a dynamic and international research group of about 15 members situated in the center of Copenhagen. Our students and staff members come from different academic backgrounds, and have in common a deep curiosity and eagerness to do research in organic chemistry, methodology, organic synthesis with real-world applications. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions. Students will gain insightful knowledge in diverse fields of chemical science including inorganic, organic, and organometallic chemistry, materials science and catalysis.

Principal supervisor isAssociate Professor Jiwoong Lee,Department of Chemistry, [email protected],Direct Phone: 35333312.

The PhD programme

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.

Qualifications needed for the 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. Organic Chemistry. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database .

Terms of employment
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.

Responsibilities and tasks in the 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 organic chemistry and CO2 research
• Good language skills

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 3 April  2023, 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 https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/ .

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held ultimo April of 2023.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowships, please contact the principal supervisor (Associate Professor Jiwoong Lee,Department of Chemistry, [email protected], Direct Phone: 35333312).

General information about PhD study at the Faculty of SCIENCE is available at the PhD 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. 

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.