Postdoc on Life cycle Assessment of Nutrient Recycling Technologies from Sewage Sludge and Food Industrial Residues

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences Faculty of Science University of Copenhagen

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Section of Soil and Plant Sciences invites applicants for Life cycle Assessment of Nutrient Recycling Technologies from Sewage Sludge and Industrial Residues. Start date is 1 January 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter and the position has a duration of 29 Months.

Nutrient recycling is a prerequisite for a sustainable development of our societies. This means that all side-streams from both production and consumption systems will have to be used or upgraded to be used for some purpose that means nutrients are not lost. However, while nutrient recycling is a prerequisite for sustainability, circular systems are not necessarily sustainable. Before we implement new technologies for nutrient recycling, it is therefore important that we quantify the environmental impacts of the new technologies and make sure that there is no serious environmental trade-off associated with them. Life Cycle Assessment is an environmental assessment methodology designed for assessing environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of products and services. The postdoc position will be deploying life cycle assessment to assess nutrient recycling technologies in various contexts.

The postdoc will be affiliated with two EU projects WalNUT and DeliSoil. WalNUT aims to develop the necessary concepts and technological solutions to re-design the value and supply chains of nutrients from wastewater and brine. DeliSoil will develop improved recycling and processing solutions for food industry residues. Both projects have a strong focus on using side-streams for production of biobased fertilizers with positive effects on soil health.

The postdoc will be responsible for data procurement from EU partners and other sources and conducting life cycle assessment using the collected data. This may also involve some methodological development especially in relation to assessment of soil health. The position may also include performance of other duties.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD degree in environmental science or related disciplines.
• Strong knowledge of nutrient recycling
• Extensive experience with life cycle assessment methodology
• Competence on data management and statistical analysis, etc.
• Good interpersonal skills, experience with collaborative work in larger multinational teams.
• Excellent English writing and speaking abilities.

Key criteria for the assessment of candidates:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the position
• Scientific publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• Language skills

Terms of employment: The position is covered by the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff. Terms of appointment and payment accord to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

Application process: The application, in English, must be submitted electronically. Please include:

• Curriculum vitae
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• Research plan – description of current and future research plans
• Complete publication list
• Separate reprints of 3 particularly relevant papers

The deadline for applications is 1 October 2024, 23:59 GMT +2.

Interviews will be held in week 45.