Associate Professor Position in Benthic Biogeochemistry

We are offering an Associate Professor position in benthic biogeochemistry. This position is available at The Department of Biology at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Odense and is associated with the Nordcee Research group. 

Starting date: March 2025 (or as negotiated).

Description of the Position: 

We are looking for a colleague with expertise in benthic biogeochemistry. More specifically, we seek a colleague with expertise on in situ technology, benthic oxygen dynamics, primary production and carbon turn over in benthic ecosystems. Potential research focus areas could include the importance of climate change, environmental dynamics and anthropogenic forcings for the production, transport, mineralization and sequestration of organic material from shallow coastal regions to the deep ocean. 

We also expect this colleague to establish and lead their own research group and to collaborate with researchers in Nordcee, on e.g. the interactions between microbial communities and element cycling. This is expected to be achieved through active pursuit and acquisition of independent and external research funding. We also encourage the candidate to collaborate with other research groups at the Department of Biology, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and SDU in general and to establish international collaboration.

We expect the successful candidate to teach and continuously develop mandatory as well as elective courses in the study programs of the department (BSc and MSc in Biology, One-year MSc in Climate Adaptation), with topics including, for example, marine and coastal ecology, global element cycling and climate change. Furthermore, the supervision of project, Bachelor, M.Sc. and Ph.D. students is expected. 

About you:

The ideal candidate has:  

• A PhD in Microbial Ecology, Microbiology, Biogeochemistry, Molecular Biology or similar with research expertise in the above-mentioned areas. 
• Candidates with research expertise on using in situ technology to investigate benthic biogeochemical functioning are particularly encouraged to apply. 
• A substantial research and publication track record in, microbial ecology, biogeochemistry or related areas.
• Significant experience in acquiring external research funding. 
• Documented teaching and student supervision experience. The candidate will be expected to possess teaching and pedagogical qualifications corresponding to those obtained as an Associate Professor which should be documented in a teaching portfolio or similar document. 

About us:

Department of Biology: 
The Department of Biology (approximately 200 employees) conducts a wide range of research within the broad and diverse field of biology. Our research is organized in 5 research groups focusing on more specific, but still diverse, disciplines and biological focus areas. The Department’s current research groups are:

• Sound and Behaviour - focusing on neuroscience, communication and behavior
• Nordcee - focusing on biogeochemistry of Earth systems
• Ecotoxicology - focusing on environmental effects of anthropogenic chemicals, especially endocrine disrupting chemicals, and materials (e.g., plastics)
• PopBio – focusing on the dynamics of population biology and life history evolution. 
• Ecology - focusing on the assessment, protection, and reestablishment of ecological and ecosystems processes in a changing world 

The N0rdcee research group that the successful applicant for this position will join is world renowned for its research in microbially mediated biogeochemistry, global element cycles, earth evolution, aquatic biogeochemistry (including deep-sea research), earth-climate interactions, microbial ecology, and molecular microbiology. The research group has state of the art molecular microbiology laboratory facilities, advanced instrumentation and experimental capacity such as GC-MS, advanced sequencing, microbial incubation under regulated gas environments, pressure chambers, in situ instrumentation and access to an advanced fine mechanical workshop. 

Research at the Department is characterized by using state-of-the-art technology, methodologies, and facilities in both disciplinary and interdisciplinary ways to address scientifically and societally relevant biological questions and challenges at local, regional, and global scales. 

At the Department, staff and students develop collaborative networks both within and outside the department as they conduct research. These collaborative efforts foster the sharing of ideas, techniques, and technologies, thereby greatly increasing research potential and productivity. The Department believes in fostering a stimulating and inspiring environment for both staff members and students. 

Application deadline: 26 December 2024 at 23:59 hours local Danish time.
Please see the full call, including how to apply, on www.sdu.dk