PhD fellowship in computational and mathematical modelling of flow and fracture in ice sheets

We are seeking an outstanding candidate for a PhD fellowship in the field of computational fluid and solid mechanics. The fellowship will start on 15 December 2024, or as soon as possible after. The fellowship will focus on the damage evolution and formation of fractures in ice sheets. The successful applicant will be part of the research center PRECISE (PREdicting Changes in Ice Sheets on Earth) (▶https://nbi.ku.dk/english/research/pice/precise/).◀

We are looking for a talented, highly motivated and creative student interested in working in a strong interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate preferably has strong programming skills and experience with the modeling and simulations of fluid or solid mechanics or ice sheet flow and deformation (for example by use of finite element/volume methods, discrete element methods or kinetic methods). Excellent English skills, both written and oral are required.

The project
The Greenland ice sheet is currently the largest contributor to present-day global sea level rise, with mass loss mainly driven by surface melting. Surface meltwater can drain to the base of the ice sheet and enhance ice flow velocities on seasonal timescales, but the long-term response of ice flow and outlet glacier dynamics to increased surface melting in a warming climate is not well known.

The focus of the PhD project will be to study fracture and damage formation of ice sheets and how it induces structural weaknesses that can facilitate fast flow and precondition ice shelves for disintegration, and potentially causing irreversible grounding line retreats. The project will bne to develop and implement continuum formulations of stress-based poro-damage dynamics and hydrofracturing, using new e.g. phase field methods. Models will be validate against date obtained from inverse modelling of continent-wide surface velocity and fracture fields derived from satellite imagery.

You will work in an international team that also includes researchers and early career scientists from The section for the Physics of Ice, Climate and Earth at the Niels Bohr Institute, the Complex Physics group at the Niels Bohr Institute, the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and the Northumbria University in Newcastle, UK. Visits with these collaborators are expected.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The successful applicant will join the BioComplexity section. The section provides a highly interdisciplinary environment, which offers fantastic scientific and social interactions with a large group of talented researchers. Further information on the Niels Bohr Institute is found at https://nbi.ku.dk/english/ and information about the BioComplexity section can be found here https://nbi.ku.dk/english/research/biocomplexity/

Principal supervisor is Professor Joachim Mathiesen, Niels Bohr Institute. Email: [email protected].

The PhD programme
Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

• Option A: 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.

• Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

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Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

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. Physics, Geophysics, Meteorology or similar. 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.

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.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme
If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at the faculty’s master programme in Physics.

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: www.science.ku.dk/phd, “Study Structures”.

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year. A PhD grant portion is currently (2024) DKK 6.820 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

• Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and 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 high-impact journals
• Write and defend a PhD thesis on the basis of your project

We are looking for the following qualifications:

• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD project
• Relevant publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other relevant professional activities
• Curious mind-set with a strong interest in ice flow and climate physics and numerical modelling
• Good language skills in oral and written English

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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:

• Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
• Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
• 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.
• Publication list (if possible)
• Reference letters (if available)

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

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 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/.

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.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk