JOB VACANCIES - UNIVERSITY OF COPENHAGEN

 

Ph.D. fellow in automated decision support systems for precision farming .

Department of Food and Resource Economics, Faculty of Sciences at University of Copenhagen is offering a PhD scholarship commencing 1 January 2014 or soon thereafter. The application deadline is 1 November 2013.

 

Project description
The position as a phd-student is associated with the project Usability of Environmentally sound and Reliable techniques in Precision Agriculture (USER-PA) as well as the research group Management Science and Production Economics (MSAP - see, www.msap.life.ku.dk).

 

USER-PA is a research project in the framework of the ERA-NET, ICT-AGRI (European Research Area Network Information and Communication Technologies in Agriculture).

 

The overall aim of the project is to integrate canopy and fruit sensors with autonomous mobile vehicles and wireless sensor networks for providing spatial data for high value crops. Solutions based on automated decision support systems will be demonstrated to farmers and involve two production systems (apple orchard and wine yard) with demonstration field sites in Switzerland and Turkey.

 

The Ph.D. project will focus on automated micro decisions in these two systems and to provide economic sound solutions. Automated decisions are based on large amount of diverse sensor data as well as preference information from the real decision makers. The micro decisions may also be interlinked with market information and collaborative systems. The challenge is to make economically sound automated decisions based on this information. In the USER-PA project the topic is to optimize inputs like water and fertilizer in high value crops based on spatial sensor data from autonomous mobile vehicles and wireless sensors.

 

The ideal candidate should have an interest in:

• Microeconomics
• Operational Research
• Statistical methods

 

and preferable an interest in multidisciplinary research.   

 

As a part of the research you will work in the Section for Production, Markets and Policy. Supervision is provided by staff members from this section but you may also be able to draw on advice from colleagues in other sections and at other departments at KU-Science as well as work with researchers form other institutions in Denmark and abroad.

 

Principal supervisor

Associate professor

Søren Marcus Pedersen

E-mail: marcus@ifro.ku.dk

Direct Phone: (+45) 35 33 68 82

Institute of Food and Resource Economics

 

Co-supervisor

Associate professor

Kurt Nielsen

E-mail kun@ifro.ku.dk

Direct Phone: (+45) 35 33 23 16

Institute of Food and Resource Economics

 

Job description

Your key tasks as a PhD fellow at Science are:

 

• Manage and carry through your research project
• Take PhD courses
• Write scientific articles and your PhD thesis
• Participate in international congresses
• Stay at a research institution abroad for some  months
• Teach and disseminate your research

 

Key criteria for the assessment of candidates

 

• A master´s degree related to the subject area of the project (Microeconomics, Operational Research and Statistical methods)
• Professional qualifications relevant to the PhD programme
• Previous publications
• Relevant work experience
• Other professional activities
• Language skills (ability to speak or willingness to learn Danish would be an advantage)
• Interpersonal skills
• Marks obtained during the first year of study on the master programme (only relevant for applicants applying for a 4-year scholarship)

 

Formal requirements
The positions are available for a 3-year period for applicants holding a relevant master´s degree or for a 4-year period for applicants who are already enrolled or are accepted to be enrolled at one of the Faculty´s master´s programmes.
At the time of commencement, applicants for the 4-year period must have approximately one year of study remaining before graduating from their MSc programme.

 

The successful applicant of the PhD scholarship must pass an enrolment in the Science Graduate School before the Faculty can finish the letter of employment.

Graduate School of Faculty Sciences, strives to give our students the best international career prospects within our main research areas.

 

Terms of employment

The position will be filled according to the agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The post is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

 

Application Procedure

 

Apply by clicking "Apply online" below.

 

Applications - in English - must include:

• Cover Letter, stating which PhD project you are applying for and detailing your motivation and background for applying for the specific PhD project.
• CV
• Diploma and transcripts of records 
• Other information for consideration, e.g. list of publications (if any), peer reviewed and other
• Personal Recommendations  
• A maximum of 3 relevant scientific works which the applicant wishes to be included in the assessment.

 

The applicant will be assessed according to the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation Executive Order no 284 of 25. April 2008.

 

By the beginning of December all applicants will have received information regarding the evaluation of their application. Receipt of the application will not be acknowledged.

 

The application must be received no later than 1 November 2013. Applications received later than this date will not be considered.

 

Questions

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

 

General information about PhD programmes at SCIENCE is available at PhD Regulations .

 

Apply online

The University of Copenhagen actively influences current and future generations through excellent research, education and co-operation. UCPH is one of the highest ranked universities in Europe and is Denmark´s oldest university, founded in 1479. Today, the University has 37,000 students and 9,000 employees affiliated across six faculties: humanities, law, natural sciences, social sciences, health sciences and theology. www.ku.dk/english/.

Frist: 01-11-2013
Arbejdsgiver: Det Natur- og Biovidenskabelige Fakultet
Adresse: Tagensvej 16
By: 2200 København N
Telefon: -