PhD fellowship in Inorganic Chemistry Full-time

PhD Fellowship in Molecular Magnetic Materials

The Department of Chemistry, Section for Inorganic Chemistry invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in Molecular Magnetic Materials for a project entitled “Spin-Photon Interfaces in Lanthanide Coordination Complexes”. This project is financed by a Novo Nordisk Foundation NERD – New Exploratory Research and Discovery grant.

Start date is 01.08.2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The Project

The PhD project will investigate the implementation of spin-photon interfaces in lanthanide coordination complexes with the aim that these materials are used as physical support for the implementation of Quantum Information Processing protocols. The PhD project concerns experimental and theoretical studies within molecular magnetic materials, including optical, magnetic resonance and other spectroscopies, coherent dynamics studies by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance and theoretical modeling of the obtained data.

Who Are We Looking For?

We are looking for candidates within the field of Molecular Magnetic Materials. Applicants can have a background from inorganic chemistry, coordination chemistry, catalysis, materials incorporating paramagnetic centres, spectroscopic and thermodynamic techniques relevant to molecular materials or catalysis, and theoretical interpretation of such data.

Our Group and Research – What Do We Offer?

The position is available in the Piligkos group, which is part of the Inorganic Chemistry section. The Piligkos group carries out fundamental experimental and theoretical work, in inorganic chemistry with emphasis in molecular magnetic materials.

The group is a part of the 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 modern laboratories and spectroscopic and structure determination facilities.

Principal Supervisor

Professor Stergios Piligkos, Department of Chemistry, E-mail: piligkos@chem.ku.dk, Direct Phone: +45 35 32 01 18.

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.

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, engineering. 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 Faculty of 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 Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations on Academics in the State. The position is covered by the Protocol on Job Structure.

Responsibilities and Tasks in the Regular PhD Programmes

• 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 Molecular Magnetic Materials
• Good language skills

Application and Assessment Procedure

Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking Apply for position below.

Please include :

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
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 possible)
5. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline: The deadline for applications is 3 May 2026, 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. 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 in week 23.

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.