Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Biological and Chemical Engineering programme. The position is available from 01 May 2026 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.
Title:
PhD Student in Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deep Litter Systems
Research area and project description:
The PhD project is part of the research project DEEP-EMIS, which aims to quantify the climate impact of deep litter systems in cattle barns under Danish production conditions. Deep litter systems are widely used, yet emissions of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) from these systems remain poorly quantified and are currently represented by generic emission factors in national greenhouse gas inventories.
The project will focus on experimental quantification of greenhouse gas emissions from cattle barns under current manure management and under scenarios with more frequent manure removal. Measurements will be conducted in commercial barns using chamber-based methods, combined with detailed characterization of manure and bedding properties and measurements of oxygen conditions within the litter to better understand emission drivers. In addition, emissions of N2O and ammonia (NH3) following field application of digestate containing different proportions of digested deep litter will be quantified, allowing assessment of the full manure management chain from barn to field.
The PhD student will play a central role in planning and executing measurement campaigns, data analysis, and interpretation of results. The resulting datasets will form the basis for developing Danish emission and reduction factors suitable for inclusion in national greenhouse gas inventories and farm-level climate assessments. Depending on the interests and background of the PhD candidate, the project also offers opportunities to use the experimental data for process-based or empirical modelling of emissions, including development of emission factors with improved temporal resolution.
The project is carried out in close collaboration with farmers, advisors, and researchers to ensure high scientific quality and relevance for regulation, inventory reporting, and practical implementation.
Project description: For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.
Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position must have a relevant applicants must have a relevant academic background and a strong interest in experimental research on greenhouse gas emissions and manure management, including interactions with biogas systems.
- A master’s degree (120 ECTS) or at least one completed year of a master’s programme in environmental science, agricultural science, environmental or chemical engineering, biotechnology, bioengineering, agroecology, or a related field.
- Interest in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, manure management, and the role of anaerobic digestion in climate mitigation.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.
- Experience with field experiments, including handling organic materials, is an advantage.
- Experience with physical and chemical analysis of manure, digestate, or other organic materials is an advantage.
- Solid skills in data analysis and quantitative methods (e.g. R, Python, Matlab, or similar).
- Ability to analyse and interpret experimental data and contribute to modelling activities.
- Good written and spoken English. Danish language skills are an advantage but not required.
Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.
Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:
- Anders Peter S. Adamsen, apa@bce.au.dk (main supervisor)
- Jesper Nørlem Kamp, jk@bce.au.dk (co-supervisor)
For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:
How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.
Application deadline is 01 March 2026 at 23:59 CET.
Preferred starting date is 01 May 2026.
Please note:
- Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be considered.
- The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
- Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.
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. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.
INFORMATIONER OM STILLINGEN:
- Arbejdspladsen ligger i:
Viborg Kommune
-Virksomheden tilbyder:
-Arbejdsgiver:
Aarhus Universitet, Blichers Alle, 8830 Tjele
-Ansøgning:
Ansøgningsfrist: 01-03-2026;
Se mere her: https://job.jobnet.dk/find-job/f6ea2a36-a330-45f8-b2b3-7dd48b5883ef
