DAWN PhD call with start in early Fall 2020

The Cosmic DAWN Center at The Niels Bohr Insitute, Faculty of Science at University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship in Astronomical Instrumentation commencing 15 august 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter.

About the Cosmic DAWN Center
DAWN is a center of excellence funded by the Danish National Research Foundation, and is located at the Niels Bohr Institute (NBI), University of Copenhagen and at the Space division of the Danish Technical University (DTU-Space).  The center brings together experts in all aspects of early Universe galaxy evolution and is deeply involved in major existing and upcoming surveys with HST, ALMA, Euclid and JWST, as well as cosmological and zoom in simulations.  

For more information on the Center's activities and researchers, please see http://dawn.nbi.ku.dk

Project description
A PhD project is offered that will involve the student in the optical testing, assembly, alignment and observatory installation of the NOT Transient Explorer (NTE, https://nte.nbi.ku.dk/) at the Nordic Optical Telescope. The student will also work on an experiment that will characterize the IR background, especially to determine the continuum background in the NIR spectral range.

The NTE is an innovative new instrument that will allow very fast (1-2 minutes) follow-up observations of cosmic transients both with spectroscopy covering the full UV-to-nearIR range and imaging covering the full range from the U-band to the K-band. The prime science goal is to secure spectroscopic observations of the prompt optical flash from a gamma-ray burst. Besides transient sources the instrument will also be very powerful for observations of quasars and stellar sources. 

The ideal applicant has a strong background in instrumentation with knowledge of optics and electronics within the field of astronomical instrumentation.

Principal supervisor is Professor Johan Peter Uldall Fynbo, Head of Section, Cosmic DAWN Center, jfynbo@nbi.ku.dk, Direct Phone: 28755983.

Job description
The position is available for a 3-year period and your key tasks as a PhD student at SCIENCE are:

• To manage and carry through your research project
• Attend PhD courses
• Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
• Teach and disseminate your research
• To stay at an external research institution for a few months, preferably abroad
• Work for the department

Formal requirements
Applicants should hold an MSc degree in Astronomy, Astrophysics or Physics with good results and good English skills. As criteria for the assessment of your qualifications emphasis will also be laid on previous publications (if any) and relevant work experience.

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

The starting salary is currently at a minimum DKK 331,125 (approx. €43,750) including annual supplement (+ pension at a minimum DKK 53,811). Negotiation for salary supplement is possible.

Integrated MSc and PhD Scheme
The position is also available for candidates who are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in Astronomy or Physics. The duration of the integrated programme 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”.

Scholarship and terms of employment for integrated MSc and PhD
PhD grant portions (Ph.D.‐SU klip)
In the period up to the completion of the MSc programme (up to three years), the student is entitled to so-called PhD grant portions. The grant portions are financed by the grant donor but not by the Danish State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme Agency (as is the case for the ordinary study grant portions on the BSc and MSc programmes). They are called PhD grant portions because this kind of remuneration is regulated and described in the Executive Order on the State Educational Grant and Loan Scheme in Denmark (SU‐bekendtgørelsen), and because the value of a PhD grant portion corresponds to the value of an ordinary Danish study grant portion. Students are awarded 48 PhD grant portions during the period of their MSc and PhD studies.

48 PhD grant portions at DKK 6,243 each, corresponding to DKK 299,664 (approx. €39,955).

'Duty work'
As a supplement to the PhD grant portions, the student may, in accordance with the collective agreement of the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC), be offered 'duty work'. In the period up to the completion of the MSc programme, students performing 'duty work' are paid by the hour. UCPH has decided to offer students on integrated MSc and PhD schemes 150 hours of 'duty work' per year during Part A of the programme (until two years of the combined programme of study remain). 'Duty work' during Part A if it has a duration of three years: 450 hours at a rate of DKK 219.79 (+ 12.5% holiday pay), corresponding to DKK 111,267 (approx. €14,835)

For further information about Part A please see: https://www.science.ku.dk/phd/studystructure/integratedphd/

Salary in accordance with the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC)
In the period after the completion of the MSc programme, the student is employed as a PhD scholar and is remunerated in accordance with the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The scheme is arranged in such a way that students graduate from the MSc programme at a time when there are two years left of the integrated programme. For this reason, the salary must be paid for a period of two years in accordance with the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The amounts specified include a supplement locally agreed upon as well as pension contributions: Salary as a PhD scholar: 24 months at a rate of DKK 32,078 (including pension contributions and supplement), corresponding to DKK 769,873 (approx. €102,650).

Application Procedure
The application, in English, must be submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include

• Cover Letter (optional)
• CV
• Diploma and transcripts of records (BSc and MSc)
• Acceptance Letter for the relevant MSc Programme at SCIENCE, if any
• Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications (if any)
• 1-3 reference letters (if any)

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

The deadline for applications is 1 June 2020, 23:59 GMT +2.

After the expiry of the deadline for applications, the authorized recruitment manager selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Interview Committee. Afterwards an assessment committee will be appointed to evaluate the selected applications. The applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee and the final selection of a successful candidate will be made by the Head of Department, based on the recommendations of the assessment committee and the interview committee.

The main criterion for selection will be the research potential of the applicant and the above mentioned skills. The successful candidate will then be requested to formally apply for enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD school of Science. You can read more about the recruitment process at https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/recruitment-process/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD scholarship, please contact the principal supervisor: Professor Johan Peter Uldall Fynbo, Head of Section, Cosmic DAWN Center, jfynbo@nbi.ku.dk, Direct Phone: 28755983.

General information about PhD programmes at SCIENCE is available at https://www.science.ku.dk/phd.