211-0653/24-2E Associate Professor in Agrohydrology and Biophysical Modelling

Associate Professor in Agrohydrology and Biophysical Modelling
Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
University of Copenhagen (UCPH)

Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences invites applications for an Associate Professor position within the field of Agrohydrology and Biophysical Modelling from 1 June 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

Job description
Research and teaching at PLEN cover topics within Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology. The vision of PLEN is to contribute to a green transition of agriculture and to provide solutions for future challenges such as feeding an increasing human population while climate change and pollution threaten to reduce the available land. The nine sections of the department form the basis for cross-disciplinary research activities that will produce a better understanding at all levels from basic molecular processes to ecological functions of organisms and the role of these organisms within their ecosystems. Fundamental studies of plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses, and the interplay between soil, water, and pollutants in the environment, form the core platform for the development of sustainable biological production systems and support human activities that will ensure a stable and secure environment. We would aim to maintain and develop our position as one of the principal centres for plant and environmental sciences and related areas based on excellent basic and applied research. The department hosts state-of-the-art infrastructure, unique field research facilities and many opportunities for collaboration.

The Associate Professor will be part of the Section of Environmental Chemistry and Physics, located at the Frederiksberg Campus, and is expected to collaborate within and contribute to the good working environment of the section. The section focuses on environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, ecotoxicology, agrohydrology, and soil physics, including soil-plant-atmosphere modelling. Our research spans from molecular to ecosystem levels, focusing on chemical and physical states and processes and their interaction with biology as a basis for the development of future systems for the sustainable production of food and biomaterials. The Agrohydrology research group has an impressive track record in the field of preferential transport and modelling of water, carbon, nitrogen, and pesticide dynamics as well as crop production. Ongoing work includes the dynamics in imperfectly drained soils and the effects of biochar, tillage, and compaction on soil hydraulic properties, several N2O-related projects and the development of a data science platform around the Daisy model, see later.

The Associate Professor´s main tasks will be conducting research and teaching in the field of soil physics and soil-plant-atmosphere processes, including scientific publication and communication, performing research-based teaching, and being responsible for courses at BSc and MSc level. The focus is on the quantification of processes and biophysical mechanistic modelling.

The successful applicant will have scientific qualifications within the modelling of one or more of the following areas:

• Vertical and lateral transport of water, solutes (incl. nutrients, pesticides, pollutants), and particulate matter in agro-ecosystems,
• Effects of tillage and artificial drainage on soil hydraulics and transport properties,
• Effects of soil biological, chemical and physical properties and processes on soil structure and transport processes,
• Interactions between weather, plant and root growth, water stress, soil physical processes, and water and solute dynamics in the soil (including climate change aspects).
• Gas exchange between the soil/canopy system and the atmosphere (in particular CO2, N2, N2O, and water vapour), and coupling and feedback between soil and atmospheric processes.

The Agrohydrology group is responsible for the soil-plant-atmosphere-model “Daisy”, and an important task for the Associate Professor will be to coordinate and support the maintenance and further development of this model, and its use in research and in the public domain. Recently, the Agrohydrology group in cooperation with the Institute of Data Science at UCPH received a grant to develop a platform around Daisy (AgroEcoHPM), ensuring access to databases, improved tools for optimisation, statistical analysis, coupling with machine learning, development of documentation and educational tools and other improvements. This will be done in cooperation with relevant researchers in related fields within and outside the Department. Hence, it is a requirement that the applicant has demonstrated ability in the quantification and mathematical modelling of soil-plant-atmosphere processes and is interested in contributing to this important project. The platform has primarily a research focus, but it should be attempted to move technologies closer to practical use, e.g., through an emphasis on data assimilation and the use of models in decision support. Furthermore, the broad expertise available at the department and at other departments at UCPH provides possibilities for future model developments in several fields, for example, dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen turnover, phosphorus dynamics in plant and soil, and transport and transformations of several other compounds or microorganisms.

The Associate Professor must be responsible for and contribute to courses and individual student projects at BSc and MSc level, and contribute to PhD courses, related to agrohydrology, theoretical and experimental soil physics, and soil-plant-atmosphere modelling.

The Associate Professor is expected to participate in knowledge exchange with society, to lead a research area, and to participate in the Faculty of Sciences´ innovation program.

Applicants are required to have university level teaching experience, documented teaching competencies and must be able to explain and reflect upon their own teaching practice and portfolio. Formal pedagogical training or supervision equivalent to the University of Copenhagen teacher training programme for assistant professors is required.

Duties include the applicant’s own research, development of the field, assessment tasks, grant applications, and research management such as supervision and training of research fellows and other staff. The successful applicant must also teach, supervise, prepare and participate in examinations, and fulfill other tasks requested by the Department.

Qualification requirements

Assessment will comprise all of the following professional and personal qualifications:

• Documentation of a high degree of original scientific production at an international level
• Documented teaching qualifications preferred.
• Documented research qualifications and ability to attract external funding in relation to the above-mentioned fields
• Experience in research management or other managerial functions
• Fluency in English. The Faculty of Sciences require employees who do not speak Danish to acquire a working knowledge of the language to be able to teach in Danish at BSc courses within 3-4 years.
• The successful applicant is expected to be enterprising and possess the cooperative and managerial skills necessary for projects and teaching activities, for which she/he will be responsible.

Assessment of applicants will primarily consider their level of documented, original scientific production at an international level, including contributions to developments in their field, as well as their documented teaching qualifications. Managerial and out-reach qualifications of applicants including ability to attract external funding will also be considered.

Six overall criteria apply for associate professor appointments at the University of Copenhagen. The six criteria (research, teaching, societal impact, organisational contribution, external funding and leadership) are considered a framework for an overall assessment of the candidates. Furthermore, each candidate must be assessed according to the specific requirements stated in the job advertisement. Please read more at https://jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabelige-stillinger/kriterier-for-videnskabelige-stillinger/dokumenter-til-meritering/5b_Criteria_for_recognising_merit_-Associate_professors.pdf .

Further information on the department is linked at https://plen.ku.dk/english/ and the section https://plen.ku.dk/english/research/env_chem_phys/

Inquiries about the position can be made to Head of the Department Morten Petersen (morten.petersen@plen.ku.dk, +45 31757660) or Head of Section Bjarne W. Strobel (bjwe@plen.ku.dk, +45 35332411).

The University wishes the staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender and personal background.

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 Danish Ministry of Taxation and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State.

Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

The application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include

• Curriculum vitae including information about external funding
• Diplomas (Master and PhD degree or equivalent)
• Research plan and visions – description of current and future research plans as well as visions for further development of agrohydrological modelling
• Description and documentation of teaching experience and qualifications according to university guidelines
• Complete list of publications
• Separate reprints of 5 particularly relevant papers.

The deadline for applications is 5 January 2025, 23:59 GMT +1

Interviews/trial lectures will be held on 24 April 2025.

Please refer to the following no. in future communication in this case: 211-0653/24-2E.