Research area and project description:

In connection with the Danish National Research Foundation Niels Bohr Professorship and Centre of Earth System Petrology at the Department of Geosciences, one PhD research stipend is available to investigate at multiple scales the interplay between mantle convection, partial melting, and the influence of lithosphere on the generation and evolution of flood basalts of the North Atlantic and High Arctic Large Igneous Provinces.  Research will involve petrologic and geochemical studies of extensive sample suites from these regions, including acquisition of major and trace elements, radiogenic and non-traditional stable isotopes, as well as the possibilities to conduct high-pressure experiments and develop geochemical/petrologic models.  Fieldwork may also be involved.

At Aarhus University the Ph.D. candidate will utilize new state-of-the-art mass spectrometry facilities (MC-ICPMS, Q-ICPMS, LA-ICPMS) for radiogenic and non-traditional stable isotopes, and trace elements, EMPA, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, piston-cylinder and multianvil devices and advanced computational facilities as required for the research.  Some international travel can be expected with the likelihood of 3-4 month visits to the University of California, Davis (USA).

Qualifications and specific competences:

The applicant is expected to hold a university degree (minimum B.Sc. or M.Sc. – for further information see ‘Ph.D. education at Aarhus University’ below) preferably in Earth Sciences with interests and background in petrology and/or geochemistry. Although not required, experience with scientific writing and publication in English is an asset, as is experience with analytical geochemistry and fieldwork.

The Niels Bohr Professorship at Aarhus University is committed to recruiting a diverse research team.  We encourage all qualified applicants to apply.

Place of Employment and Place of Work:

Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergsgade 2, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark

Contacts:

Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

Profs. Charles E. Lesher (lesher@geo.au.dk) and Christian Tegner (christian.tegner@geo.au.dk), Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.

Before you apply

Information and attachments:

Please be aware that you must have all relevant appendices, attachments, addresses for referees, etc. ready when you apply, as the entire application must be uploaded to the system in one go.

Documentation of language skills: 

The English language requirement at Graduates School of Science and Technology is comparable to an “English B level” in the Danish upper secondary school (“gymnasium”).

English language qualifications comparable to an “English B level” is documented by one of the following tests:

• TOEFL test, minimum score: 560 (paper-based test) or 83 (internet-based test)
• IELTS (academic) test, minimum average score: 6.5 points
• Cambridge ESOL Examinations:
  Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency (CPE)
  Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)

When to take the test and how to upload the documentation:

The test result must not be more than two years old at the time of application.

The English language test should be taken before applying for admission and uploaded under “language skills documentation” in the online application form.

It is possible to apply for admission before you have taken the test. In this case documentation stating that you have signed up for a test (please state expected submission date) must be uploaded. If the test result is not part of the original application the test result is to be sent to sphd@psys.au.dk no later than one month after the application deadline.

The following applicants are exempted from documenting their English qualifications/taking a test:

• Applicants with citizenship from the following countries Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, or one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway or Sweden).
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or United States. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s or Master’s programme completed at Aarhus Universit for which the requirement was English B level at the time of admission. In this case, please upload your Bachelor’s or Master’s diploma under the section ”Language skills documentation”.
• Applicants able to document that English was the language of instruction during the whole period of their Bachelor’s and/or Master’s programme. This must be documented by uploading an official document from the institution stating this under “language skills documentation”.

The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.

How to apply:

1)      Find the application form:

Go to http://talent.au.dk/phd/scienceandtechnology/opencalls/

Choose November 2015 Call with deadline 1 November 2015 at 11.59 PM MET.

You will be directed to the call, and must choose the programme 'Geoscience'

2)      Fill in the following information:

• Personal information
• Academic background
• Admission
• Financing (if any)
• Study: In the dropdown menu you must choose the project: "Mantle temperature, heterogeneities and flood basalt volcanism"
• Source (how you found out about the call)

Some of the information fields in the application have a little number outside of them to the right. By clicking on the number, you can find further directions on how to fill in the information field/what information is needed.

3)      Application attachments:

Please be aware that you cannot submit the application if one or several of these documents have not been uploaded.

If you wish to upload more than one document under each section, you must scan/merge all documents into one large PDF file and upload this. Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like. Instead you can indicate a URL where the information is available.

Please note that all information in the application must be in Danish or English.

As a minimum all applications must include (pdf-files only, max. 20 MB, no zip):

• one reference (template for references)
• curriculum vitae,
• motivation (max. 1 page)
• transcripts and diploma(s)
• Project description (½-4 pages). For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. When - as here - you apply for a specific project, please simply copy the project description above, and upload it as a PDF in the application. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.  Please note that we reserve the right to remove scientific papers, large reports, theses and the like.
• Documentation of language skills if required.

After submission of the application you will receive a confirmation e-mail with an application ID, you should use for reference if needed. The e-mail will also include a link to the application – GSST urges you to check that all mandatory data, marked with an asterisk (*), is registered correctly and all attached files are readable. In case of significant errors, you should reply to the confirmation e-mail with the correct details before the application deadline.

Please note: The programme committee may request further information or invite you to attend an interview.

GSST reserves the right to verify the authenticity of your educational diploma and transcripts: 

-          Request additional information to verify an application.

-          Reject the application if it is proven, or if the University has reasonable belief, that the information provided is false or if the applicant refuses to provide the requested information, whether or not an offer has already been made. 

For further information on applying, assessment procedures, etc. please see the GSST application guide here

Please note:

The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.

Please note that the project will only be initiated if final funding (from GSST/the faculty) is secured.