PhD Fellowship in Organic Chemistry

Department of chemistry invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in organic chemistry. The project is part of the research project “Taming Cations in Natural Product Synthesis: Methods and Mechanisms”, which is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation – NERD programme.

Start date is expected to be October 1st 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project
The candidate will undertake an independent research project within carbohydrate chemistry in water and aqueous solvents. Reactions between carbohydrates and other biomolecules involving a precomplexation will be studied. The goal is to develop a stereospecific glycosylation working with minimally protected glycosyl donors allowing reactions to be performed in highly polar solvents. New protective groups and leaving groups will be developed to advance glycosylation chemistry in water.

Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within the field of synthetic organic chemistry, with a strong interest in organic synthesis and in particular carbohydrate and glycosylation chemistry. Applicants must have a background with experience in synthetic organic chemistry, analytical chemistry and a strong interest in synthesis.

Our group and research- and what do we offer?
We are a leading research group in the field of carbohydrate chemistry working within organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

The group is a part of Department of Chemistry, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen.

We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include laboratories and all relevant equipment for characterization.

Principal supervisor is Prof. Christian Marcus Pedersen, Department of Chemistry, cmp@chem.ku.dk, Direct Phone: 35320190.

The PhD programme
Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as either:

Option A: 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.

Option B: An up to five year full-time study programme within the framework of the integrated MSc and PhD programme (the 3+5 scheme), if you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree – but you have an education equivalent to a Danish bachelors´s degree.

Option A: Getting into a position on the regular PhD programme

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

Terms of employment in the regular programme
Employment as PhD fellow is full time and for maximum 3 years.

Employment is conditional upon your successful enrolment as a PhD student at the PhD School at the SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen. This requires submission and acceptance of an application for the specific project formulated by the applicant.

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. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Option B: Getting into a position on the integrated MSc and PhD programme

Qualifications needed for the integrated MSc and PhD programme
If you do not have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master´s degree, you might be qualified for the integrated MSc and PhD programme, if you have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish bachelor´s degree. Here you can find out, if that is relevant for you: General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.  

Terms of the integrated programme
To be eligible for the integrated scholarship, you are (or are eligible to be) enrolled at one of the faculty’s master programmes in chemistry or medicinal chemistry or nanoscience.

Students on the integrated programme will enroll as PhD students simultaneously with completing their enrollment in this MSc degree programme.

The duration of the integrated programme is up to five years, and depends on the amount of credits that you have passed on your MSc programme. For further information about the study programme, please see: For SCIENCE www.science.ku.dk/phd, “Study Structures

Until the MSc degree is obtained, (when exactly two years of the full 3+5 programme remains), the grant will be paid partly in the form of 48 state education grant portions (in Danish: “SU-klip”) plus salary for work (teaching, supervision etc.) totalling a workload of 150 working hours per year.
A PhD grant portion is currently (2024) DKK 6.820 before tax.

When you have obtained the MSc degree, you will transfer to the salary-earning part of the scholarship for a period of two years. At that point, the terms of employment and payment will be according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State (AC). The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and tasks in both PhD programmes

    Complete and pass the MSc education in accordance with the curriculum of the MSc programme (ONLY when you are attending the integrated MSc and 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
    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 in organic synthesis and carbohydrate chemistry
    Good language skills

Application and Assessment Procedure
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.

Please include:

    Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
    Project proposal
    Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
    Original diplomas for Bachelor or Master 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.
    Publication list (if possible)
    Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline:
The deadline for applications is June 22nd t 2025, 23:59 GMT +2.

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/.

Questions
For specific information about the PhD fellowship, please contact the principal supervisor.

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.

Part of the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU), and among Europe’s top-ranking universities, the University of Copenhagen promotes research and teaching of the highest international standard. Rich in tradition and modern in outlook, the University gives students and staff the opportunity to cultivate their talent in an ambitious and informal environment. An effective organisation – with good working conditions and a collaborative work culture – creates the ideal framework for a successful academic career.
Info
Application deadline: 22-06-2025
Employment start: 01-10-2025
Department/Location: Department of Chemistry