PhD fellowship in Plant Conservation

Natural History Museum Denmark invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Developing Best Practice Botanical Conservation Collections.

Start date is April 1 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
Botanical Gardens are increasingly playing a role in conservation of threatened plants. The living collections in the Botanical Garden of the Natural History Museum Denmark date back several hundred years and represent collections of nearly 8,000 species from botanical expeditions across the globe. However, for the majority of threatened plants, little is known about the health of the remaining populations, and many species are represented by only one or a few individuals in collections. There is therefore a need to establish genetically diverse conservation collections (ex situ), which can function as a basis for research and a safety net for future restoration needs. This phd project will help to develop best practice conservation collections of a selection of the currently 162 plant species on The National Danish Red List, as well as for a set of global priority species in the existing botanical garden collections. The project will include database analyses, fieldwork in Denmark and abroad in either Madagascar or Hawaii, exchange with other botanical gardens, population, morphology, and phylogenomic analysis, as well as assisting with coordination with stakeholders and public engagement and communication activities in the botanical garden.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of plant systematics and plant conservation. Applicants can have a background from biology or related plant sciences with a solid background in plant systematics. The ideal candidate has experience with planning and conduction individual fieldwork, a solid knowledge of the Danish flora and plant systematics and taxonomy, generation and analysis of phylogenetic and population genomic data, and strong communication skills to diverse audiences in English and Danish.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The Rønsted group focus on applied conservation science using collections-based research and big picture analysis of collections data, to support the role of botanical gardens and natural history museums in connecting people with nature and addressing conservation challenges. The PhD candidate will be based at the Natural History Museum Denmark in the Botanical Garden, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, located in Copenhagen, working closely with garden staff and other scientific staff. Substantial fieldwork in Denmark must be expected and possibly to a limited extent abroad.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include museomics laboratories, a herbarium, and a botanical garden with living scientific plant collections.

Principal supervisor is Professor Nina Rønsted, Natural History Museum Denmark, E-mail: [email protected], Direct Phone: +45-29827911.

The PhD programme
The PhD programme of the Faculty of Science is 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 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. botany, plant conservation. 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 with the help of the supervisor.

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 good impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• MSc in biology or related plant sciences with a background in plant systematics
• Working knowledge of the Danish flora
• Relevant publications if any within the project area
• Relevant work experience including genomic analysis
• Experience working with plant collections in a botanical garden environment
• Experience with planning and conducting independent fieldwork in Denmark and abroad
• A strong interest in plant systematics, living collections, and Danish flora
• Good collaboration, communication and fluent Danish and English language skills

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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: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
3. Original diplomas for Bachelor of Science or Master of Science and transcript of records in the original language, including an authorized English translation if issued in another 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.
4. Publication list (if possible)
5. Reference letters (up to 2)

Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is December 15, 2024, 23:59 GMT +1.

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 the 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 http://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held 17-24 January 2025.

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: 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