PhD scholarship in Fish Ecophysiology – Deadline 31 January 2022

A fully funded 3-year PhD position in experimental fish ecophysiology is open at DTU Aqua in Denmark (Lyngby campus). The successful candidate will join the research group of a newly established PI, Dr. Tommy Norin, as part of a grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark aimed at unravelling why and how metabolic rate changes (scales) with body size in animals. Using fish as model organisms, your research will focus on understanding how variation in growth – and variation in selection on growth – causes variation in how metabolic rate scales with body size among both individuals and species. We need to know this to understand how organisms of different sizes expend energy and require resources such as food and oxygen.

You will join a supportive and fun work environment at DTU Aqua, and have the opportunity to help shape a newly funded research programme. Your main supervisor will be Senior Researcher Tommy Norin (experimental ecophysiologist). You will be co-supervised by Professor Ken H. Andersen (theoretical marine ecologist).

The position is open to both national and international applicants.

Responsibilities and qualifications

The successful candidate will be responsible for conducting experimental research on fish metabolic physiology to improve our understanding of how growth affects metabolic scaling of animals. Your primary tasks and opportunities will be to:

• Establish and maintain a multi-generational artificial selection experiment with fish
• Use modern aquatic respirometry to measure metabolic rates of fish, from larvae to adults
• Contribute to the day-to-day running of the lab (e.g. feed and maintain fish)
• Analyse data in R (you will have the opportunity to learn R if you do not already use it)
• Write manuscripts for publication in scientific journals and inclusion in your PhD thesis
• Attend conferences to present your research and expand your academic network
• Be involved in research abroad (e.g. field work and collaborative projects)

The ideal candidate is a highly motivated individual with a strong interest in experimental biology and a curiosity of how animals function and vary in their physiology. You are expected to conduct rigorous experiments and data analyses, possess a strong scientific integrity, and have the ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English. You are not expected to know or learn Danish (everyone at DTU speaks English). While some aspects of the PhD project are fixed (e.g. running the multi-generational selection experiment), the final project will be developed in collaboration with the supervisors, and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence the project based on their own ideas. Prior experience working with ecophysiology and fish, in particular larval fish and fish breeding, would be considered assets but are not required.

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.

Assessment

Interviews for the PhD position will be held either online or in person at DTU Aqua (Kemitorvet, Building 202, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark). You will be notified whether you have been short-listed for an interview within approximately two weeks after the closing date for applications.

Further information

You will be based at DTU Aqua in Lyngby, 16 km north of Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Copenhagen is a highly international city (basically everyone speaks English), with ample opportunities for cultural and recreational activities, and Denmark has a very high standard of living.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark. You can also read more about DTU Aqua here.

Please do not hesitate to contact Tommy Norin with questions about the position, project, application requirements (detailed below), or living in Denmark. Tommy can be contacted informally by e-mail (tnor@aqua.dtu.dk) or phone (+45 22 74 81 31).

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 31 January 2022 (Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link “Apply online”, 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); please include when you would be able to start the position in Denmark
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma including official description of grading scale
• Contact information (name, affiliation, e-mail, and phone number) for at least one but ideally two people who have agreed to act as academic references for you, and who can comment on your suitability for a PhD position
• Other material that you would like to include in the evaluation of your application

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, race, disability, religion, or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.