Are you interested in contributing to the green transition in a project entitled ‘Hermetia illucens for a Green agriculture’? Then this post doc position might be something for you. The position is available at the Department of Biology, Aarhus University.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 1-year position, with the potential for extending it to a 2-year position, pending approval of a submitted grant application. The position will start October 1st, 2024, or soon thereafter.

Research area and project description 

The position is integrated in the Department of Biology, Aarhus University, and is part of an international collaborative project including academic and industrial European partners and funded by GUDP. The aim of the overall project is to contribute to the development of environmentally friendly agriculture by advancing the use of insect (Black Soldier Fly) production. The post doc position entails exploring the scope for manipulation of production relevant Black Soldier Fly larvae performance traits through 1) genetic, 2) environmental, and 3) microbiome manipulation. Genetic aspects could cover estimation of heritability, trade-offs among traits, artificial selection or evaluation of genetic differences among strains. Environmental manipulation could cover aspects of diet or temperature effects. Microbiome manipulation could cover identification of beneficial microbial assemblages and their seeding in the substrate for production on low quality substrates.

Responsibilities and job description 

The successful applicant will join an interdisciplinary team on a project on the Black Soldier Fly, contributing to green transition by addressing production efficiency of the growing insect breeding industry. The main work focus will be on investigating genetic and phenotypic diversity to establish the opportunities and limits to manipulating quantity and quality of producing this species, but will also focus on microbiology. Interaction with the industry will provide access to application of the results. You will play a key role in designing and executing experimental research on Black Soldier Flies and their associated microbiology, and disseminate the results through scientific papers.
The work will be done under the supervision of Prof. Jesper Givskov Sørensen (AU), supported by a grant from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, under their Green Development and Demonstration program (GUDP). The project is funded through the EU Horizon Europe framework ‘Green Era-Hub’. Co-PI of the project is Prof. Andreas Schramm (Department of Biology, AU: microbiology).

Qualifications and specific competences

We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated candidate holding a PhD in relevant biological sub-disciplines such as evolutionary biology, eco-physiology, microbiology (or equivalent) or having submitted a PhD thesis for assessment before the application deadline. A strong interest in experimental as well as analytical work and the ability to communicate scientific work is required. Experience with insect (eco)physiology, insect farming, and a strong background in genetics, microbiology and/or evolutionary biology is highly valuable.

Place of Employment and Place of Work

The place of employment is Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark, and the place of work is the section for Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Ny Munkegade 114-116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

Contact

Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:
Jesper Givskov Sørensen, phone: +45 3018 3160, e-mail: jesper.soerensen@bio.au.dk, for further information about the position.

 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline. Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Natural Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

At the Faculty of Natural Science at Aarhus University, we strive to support our scientific staff in their career development. We focus on competency development and career clarification and want to make your opportunities transparent. On our website, you can find information on all types of scientific positions, as well as the entry criteria we use when assessing candidates. You can also read more about how we can assist you in your career planning and development.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.