Postdoc in Knowledge transfer for advancing environmental risk assessment of pesticides

The Department of Agroecology at Aarhus University, Denmark, is offering a postdoctoral position in knowledge transfer to advance environmental risk assessment (ERA) of pesticides, starting 01-05-2025 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position will be available for a three-year period.

You will be part of a collaborative team focusing on interdisciplinary research to advance environmental risk assessment of pesticides towards a system-based approach. You will be contributing specifically to the development of a digital platform that can promote and facilitate the sharing and integration of data, methods, and tools for evidence-based decision making. The focus of your position will be on exploring and identifying the requirements amongst key stakeholders that engender effective knowledge transfer.

This work is part of a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) funded project: PERA - Advancing the ERA of Plant Protection Products towards a system-based approach. The focus for the position will be to support:

• Identifying the needs, perceived challenges, constraints, and benefits amongst key stakeholders that engender effective knowledge transfer.
• Assessing stakeholder needs for the integration and interconnection of knowledge and data from different sources following FAIR principles.
• Fostering common understandings that align different perspectives and explicit reasoning that support evidence-based decision-making in ERA of pesticides
• Determining end-user requirements (current and future) and the development of a collaborative process for establishing an agile knowledge platform (data provision and management system), that can enhance transparency and trust in ERA.

We expect that you will be an important part of the project’s collaborative research environment, and the role will involve:

• Developing and conducting research on stakeholder requirements for effective knowledge transfer to advance ERA of pesticides
• Undertaking desk review of existing information to map stakeholders and their knowledge requirements (objectives, data production and usage) for evidence-based decision-making
• Facilitating co-development and iterative participatory processes integrating research activities (e.g., interviews and workshops), that contribute to development of a dynamic knowledge platform (in collaboration with another project partner).
• Participating in capacity building activities both within the project, across disciplines and internationally to engage key stakeholders (internal and external).
• Taking the lead on and contributing to dissemination of insights as part of project reports and publications in high-ranking international peer-reviewed journals

We expect that you will contribute positively to the social working environment. We also expect that you will report research results in high-impact reports and scientific journals.
 

Your profile

We are searching for a highly motivated candidate who has

• A PhD in social, political or environmental sciences, that included aspects of multi-stakeholder engagement and co-development.
• Research experience in knowledge transfer and evidence-based decision-making, within environmental regulatory contexts
• Experience in managing co-development and participatory process
• Proficient methodological skills for qualitative research that engender stakeholder insights e.g., interviews, workshop and expert elicitation
• Knowledge of FAIR principles and aspects of data provision and knowledge management systems
• Documented experience in scientific and report writing, with publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals
• Ability to organize and manage research activities
• Collaborative skills and ability to engage fully in teams

Further, we will prefer candidates with some of the following qualifications:

• Experience in working in a multidisciplinary and multi-institutional setting with good English skills
• Experience in liaising and interacting with people in a variety of positions of authority and qualifications
• Insight into evidence-based decision making and regulatory processes for environmental protection
• Interest and experience in developing high-quality national and international research applications

 

Who we are

At the Department of Agroecology, our main goal is to contribute to sustainable solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems within the areas of soil, plants, animals, humans, and the environment. We focus on improving fundamental knowledge generation and the attainment of sustainable production systems via innovative research, contracted policy advice, and education. We offer professional laboratories, greenhouses, semi-field, and field-scale research facilities, advanced computing capacities as well as an extensive national and international researcher network. The department consists of eight research sections with around 350 highly engaged employees, of which approximately 50% are scientific staff. More information can be found here.
We believe in encouraging inclusion, acceptance, and understanding by employing staff who bring diverse perspectives to our department.
 

What we offer

• An informal and multicultural research environment with high professionalism, where accountability, support, flexibility, and close collaboration are prerequisites for solving the core tasks
• A good social environment with activities and routines that make it possible to talk across and enhance the inclusive relationship, and where mutual trust, respect, kindness, and professional sparring are emphasized
• A flexible workplace with a good work-life balance
• A workplace where we prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion
• An engaging and varied working environment, where two days rarely resemble each other. We are often busy, and we work creatively for solutions to societal needs

 

Special benefits when working in Denmark

• Subsidized preschool childcare and a free education system from primary school up to university level
• Universal health insurance as a resident of Denmark, including family members officially residing in Denmark
• Five weeks paid holiday per year
• In connection with childbirth: the right to have a total of 52 weeks shared maternal/paternal leave with full or partial salary pay

 

Place of Work

The place of work is Aarhus University, Campus, C.F. Møllers Allé 8, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark. The affiliation will be with the Department of Agroecology.

More information can be obtained from James Williams ([email protected])

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.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: [email protected]
 

Formalities and salary range

Technical 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.

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


Aarhus University

Aarhus University is an academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 38,000 students (FTEs) and 8,300 employees, and has an annual revenues of EUR 935 million. Learn more at www.international.au.dk/