PhD scholarship in Sustainable Maritime Logistics - DTU Management

If you aspire to conduct a PhD study and your ambition is to contribute to sustainability, the opportunity is right in front of you. This PhD position focuses on sustainable maritime logistics, in particular, Sustainable Fleet Planning in Green Transition under Uncertainty. You will be part of a talented and ambitious team at DTU Department for Technology, Management and Economics (DTU Management) and Maritime DTU, which is situated at the heart of DTU’s mission to develop and create value for society.

DTU Management develops decision support tools enabling shipping companies and ports to operate in a more sustainable manner in decreasing costs while respecting environmental criteria. The research is motivated by the need for maritime decarbonization. Moreover, planning problems within the maritime sector are pushing the limits of assessment and optimization methods, creating a new breeding ground for advanced modelling and solution methods. Research carried out during the last years includes optimization and assessment tools for shipping companies and ports, maritime emissions control and governance modeling. Our research methodologies are situated within engineering, computer science and economics.

Responsibilities
You will work on the research project “Sustainable Fleet Planning in Green Transition under Uncertainty”. To meet ambitious targets of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in shipping set by IMO, it is crucial to transit from fleets running on fossil-based fuels to ones using low-carbon or carbon free alternative fuels, such as methanol, biofuel, ammonia and hydrogen. However, shipping companies face major challenges in fleet planning, with substantial uncertainty. For example, green technology and fuels are not yet available or under development. Most operating parameters – including alternative fuel prices and availability, energy consumption, regulatory framework and emission taxes – will change in the future. Moreover, toxicity and flammability of alternative fuels pose higher risk to shipping operations. Addressing these uncertainties is essential for maritime green transition, while at the same time solutions should be economically viable to sustain business performance. Therefore, the overall aim of the PhD project is sustainable fleet planning incorporating green alternative fuels, cost and risk assessment with scenarios addressing uncertainties. As such, your work will support shipowners’ complex and strategic decisions in the green transition. Operations research methods are used to develop models and decision support tools for the three aspects of sustainable fleet planning, i.e. economic, social, and environmental. 

The PhD program includes a research visit at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for 6-12 months to benefit from joint supervision by DTU and NTNU, which represent the world's leading groups in maritime research and innovation, in particular maritime green transition and technology.

Your primary tasks will be to:

• Conduct research in Sustainable Fleet Planning in Green Transition under Uncertainty
• Conduct modelling and experiments
• Prepare scientific papers for publications
• Discuss collaborations with potential parties
• Contribute to the academic activities at the department
• Assist in teaching and co-supervision of BSc and MSc students

Qualifications and expectations:

• Excellent academic results from top-rated university
• Good analytical, modelling and quantitative research skills, in particular, operations research methods
• Capable of programming and using tools such as MATLAB, Python, CLPEX
• Some knowledge in decarbonisation/ sustainability/ alternative fuel/ related areas
• A good team member with good communication and interpersonal skills as well as the capability to work independently
• Good command of English, both oral and written with the ability to communicate effectively
• Highly motivated and innovative
• Experience with publishing research and/or project experience related to maritime/ logistics/ transport will be an advantage

The PhD scholarship is a full-time position allowing you to become a research scientist and benefit from the academic activities at the department. The salary is internationally highly competitive. Department duty work (teaching) amounts to 420 hours (equivalent to three months of work in total over the three years), allowing you to focus on your PhD project. 

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment  
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education . 

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms 
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

The PhD scholarship provides you with the opportunity to become a research scientist and benefit from the academic activities at the department. As of October 2023, the monthly salary, including pension for a PhD student (with no seniority) amounts to approx. 4,300 Euro. Department duty work (teaching) is very limited, allowing you to focus on your PhD project. 

You can read more about career paths at DTU here http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths.

Further information  
Further information may be obtained from Professor Jasmine Lam. Email: [email protected] .

You can read more about DTU Management at www.man.dtu.dk.  

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU. 

Application procedure 
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 3 April 2025 (23:59 Danish time) . Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae 
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• International English test result/certificate, e.g. IELTS, if any
• ORCID, if any
• List of publications and projects

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it. 

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Management conducts excellent research at the intersection of management, technology and economics. We develop solutions in close cooperation with companies and public authorities. Our research aims at strengthening welfare, productivity and sustainability. A key element is the role of technology and its interaction with industry and individuals. The department offers a wide range of courses and programs at bachelor, master, and PhD levels across DTU's study programs. The department has 200+ employees with around half of the staff coming from abroad.

Maritime DTU is the anchor point for the transversal maritime activities at DTU within research, education, innovation and research-based consultancy. It strengthens cooperation with Blue Denmark on research and education.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.