PhD position in Organic Chemistry

The Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science at University of Copenhagen invites applicants for a PhD position in Organic Chemistry. The project is part of the research project “CO2 Capture using organic materials”, which is financed by Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC), and the research will take part in the group led by Associate Professor Jiwoong Lee.

Start dates are 01.09.2025 or as soon as possible.

The project
The project will study CO2 capture using non-conventional organic materials. Our objectives include design, synthesis and evaluation of organic materials that are scalable. One strategy, for example, includes facile degradation and/or modification of waste plastic in order to produce efficient absorbents and adsorbents for CO2. These molecules will be evaluated for CO2 capture and functionalization for further applications in biological and chemical CO2 conversion reactions.

Who are we looking for?
Applicants should hold an MSc degree in Chemistry with specialization in organic chemistry and/or organic synthesis. The candidate should be highly confident in written and spoken English. The candidates should be able to work independently and strive towards scientific excellence, be driven and self-motivated. The candidate should have excellent skills in organic synthesis with at least 2-3 years of laboratory experiences, and interested in working on mission-driven projects with “real world applications”. Experience in chemistry of CO2 or polymer chemistry will be highly valued. As criteria for the assessment of your qualifications, emphasis will also be laid on previous publications (if any) and relevant work experience with GPC, NMR, solid state NMR, TGA, DSC, and gas sorption. The candidate is expected to participate and present in group meetings and seminars and generally be a contributing member of the research group, cooperating within and across projects, and participating in lab activities and outreach programs. There is also the expectation of presenting the project often at local, national and international meetings and conferences. As a PhD student at the department of chemistry, teaching duties apply.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The group is located at the Department of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry section, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. The group is also part of the The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Center (CORC), the Center for Medicinal Chemistry and the Nanoscience Center. We are a dynamic and international research group of about 15-20 members situated in Copenhagen. Our students and staff members come from different academic backgrounds, and have in common a deep curiosity and eagerness to do research in organic chemistry, methodology, organic synthesis that has real-world applications. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions. Postdocs will gain skills in diverse fields of chemical science, including organic, inorganic and organometallic chemistry, polymer chemistry, materials science and catalysis.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Jiwoong Lee, Department of Chemistry, jiwoong.lee@chem.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +4535333312.

The PhD programme
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. Candidates without such qualifications will not be considered.

Qualifications needed for the 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. Organic Chemistry. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database

Terms of employment in the regular programme

The average weekly working hours are 37 hours per week.

The position is a fixed-term position limited to a period of 3 years. The start date is 01.09.2025 or as soon as possible

The employment is conditioned upon the applicant’s success­ful enrolment as a PhD student at the Graduate School at the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

The PhD study must be completed in accordance with The Ministerial Order on the PhD programme (2013) and the Faculty’s rules on achieving the degree.

Salary, pension and terms of employment are in accordance with the agree­ment between the Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. Depending on seniority, the monthly salary starts at approximately 30,840 DKK/Roughly 4,133 EUR (April 2025 level) plus pension.

Responsibilities and tasks in the 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 in collaborative programs
• 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 organic chemistry and peptides
• Good language skills

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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: 

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page), stating which PhD project you are applying for.
2. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position.
3. 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.
4. Publication list (if available).
5. Reference letters (if available).

Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is June 30th 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.

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 https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held during weeks 31-32 of 2025.

The applicants will be assessed according to the Ministerial Order no. 242 of 13 March 2012 on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD position, please contact the principal supervisor (Associate Professor Jiwoong Lee, Department of Chemistry, jiwoong.lee@chem.ku.dk, Direct Phone: 35333312).

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.