PhD fellowship in the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) in Hologenomics

Globe Institute
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
We are looking for a highly motivated and dynamic candidate to fill a 3-year PhD fellowship commencing as soon as possible as part of the EU-funded, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) ‘HoloGen: Advancing the development and implementation of hologenomics in biological sciences’ (www.hologen-network.eu).

The project HoloGenDoctoral Network (MSCA DN) is funded from the European Union’s Horizon Europe program under the MSCA Doctoral Network, Grant Agreement No 101169005.

Our group and research
The Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics (CEH) is a Center of Excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation to study how interaction between genes and microbes determine biological evolution by developing and implementing state-of-the-art ‘omics and associated computational techniques, to address through experimental and theoretical research. CEH's main purpose is to address basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches, operating at the intersection of natural sciences, medical sciences and the humanities. CEH provides an inclusive and international work environment, where interdisciplinarity and creativity are key. CEH is in beautiful central Copenhagen, and frequent scientific and social events contribute to a collaborative atmosphere.

Project description
Adaptive processes to environmental changes are the central axis of evolution. Understanding how living organisms manage to adapt to environmental changes has become more relevant than ever, due to the intensity of the climate change we are experiencing. Various theories and experimental data suggest that vertebrates will be one of the taxa most affected by rapid climate change, due to their limited capacity to accumulate mutations that can be subject to natural selection. Therefore, most vertebrates depend on their phenotypic plasticity (through changes in behaviour and physiology) to adapt to new conditions. Although historically the origin of such plasticity has been attributed to genetic factors, recent studies have shown that the intestinal microbiota can grant extra plasticity under certain conditions. Therefore, the objective of the fellowship is to measure the degree of extra capacity that the microbiota confers to newts to adapt to different climatic conditions.

The PhD Fellow will need to carry out field work and captivity experimentation with newts in Spain, in which the adaptation capacity (measured through fitness proxies including physiological, genetic and behavioural factors) of animals translocated from different environments and subject to microbiota transplants will be measured. In consequence, the project will require spending long periods of time outside Denmark. Finally, sequencing and phenotypic data will need to be generated and analysed using a variety of analytical approaches.

Principal supervisors are Assistant Professor Ostaizka Aizpurua and Professor Tom Gilbert, Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, Department of Hologenomics, [email protected], +45 53 85 01 19.

Start: February 1, 2025, or after agreement with the cohort of the MSCA-DN

Duration: 3 years as a PhD Fellow

Job description
Your key tasks as a PhD Fellow at SUND are:

• Carrying through an independent research project under supervision.
• Completing PhD courses or other equivalent education corresponding to approximately 30 ECTS points.
• Participating in all training activities organised within the DN Hologen.
• Participating in active research environments including a stay at another research team.
• Obtaining experience with teaching or other types of dissemination related to your PhD project.
• Teaching and disseminating your knowledge.
• Writing a PhD thesis on the grounds of your project.

Key criteria for the assessment of applicants
Applicants must have qualifications corresponding to a master’s degree related to the subject area of the project, e.g. biology, ecology, genomics, microbiology or similar. Please note that your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree (two years).

Other important criteria are:

• You have documented experience in analysing shotgun metagenomic data.
• You have experience using R.
• You have experience in working with wildlife.
• You are comfortable with handling animals and performing dissections.
• You are willing to spend long periods of time in Spain.
• You have experience writing research articles.
• You have proficient communication skills and ability to work in teams.
• You have excellent English skills written and spoken.
• You must comply with European Commission’s mobility rule: you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.

Mobility rule
The researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her/their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the recruitment date. Short stays as holidays and compulsory military service and/or Refugee Convention 1951 are disregarded.

Eligibility as Doctoral Candidate (DC)
The recruited DC must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the first day of the employment. Researchers who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but who have not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.

Place of employment
The place of employment is at the Section for Hologenomics, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, 1350 Copenhagen K.

About Globe Institute
The Globe Institute is part of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen. The Institute’s main purpose is to address basic scientific questions through interdisciplinary approaches. The institute operates at the intersection of natural and medical sciences and the humanities. Information on the institute can be found at: https://www.globe.ku.dk/.

The Globe Institute is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment where employees and students can belong and thrive. See website

for more information. All qualified applicants will receive full consideration. Candidates who, through their research, teaching, and/or service, contribute to diversity and competencies of our Institute are encouraged to apply. The University of Copenhagen strives to offer a family friendly and flexible working environment with a sustainable balance between work- and private life, including parental leave schemes (up to 47 weeks for both parents) and up to six weeks of paid holidays per year. The university offers a variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families.

Terms of employment
The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week. The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The starting date is February 1, 2025, or after agreement.

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at 30,700 DKK/approximately 4,100 EUR (April 2024 level) plus pension.

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

International applicants may find this link useful: www.ism.ku.dk (International Staff Mobility) or https://www.workindenmark.dk.

General information about PhD studies at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences is available at the Graduate School’s website: https://healthsciences.ku.dk/phd/guidelines/.
Application procedure
Your application must be submitted electronically by clicking ‘Apply now’ below. The application must include the following documents in PDF format:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• CV incl. education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• Certified copy of original Master of Science diploma and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in other language than English or Danish. If not completed, a certified/signed copy of a recent transcript of records or a written statement from the institution or supervisor is accepted. As a prerequisite for a PhD fellowship employment, your master’s degree must be equivalent to a Danish master’s degree. We encourage you to read more in the assessment database: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/find-assessments/assessment-database. Please note that we might ask you to obtain an assessment of your education performed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
• Publication list (if possible).

The further process
After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the hiring committee. All applicants are then immediately notified whether their application has been passed for assessment by an unbiased assessor.

The assessor makes a non-prioritized assessment of the academic qualifications and experience with respect to the above-mentioned area of research, techniques, skills and other requirements listed in the advertisement.

Once the assessment work has been completed each applicant can comment on the part of the assessment that relates to the applicant him/herself.

You find information about the recruitment process at: https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

The University of Copenhagen wish to reflect the diversity of society and encourage all qualified candidates to apply regardless of personal background.

Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.

Kontakt
Tom Gilbert
E-mail: [email protected]

Kontakt
Ostaizka Aizpurua Arrieta
E-mail: [email protected]

Info
Ansøgningsfrist: 22-10-2024

Ansættelsesdato: 01-02-2025

Arbejdstid: Fuldtid

Afdeling/Sted: Globe Institute