PhD fellowship in Wood Science Full-time

PhD Project in Novel Grass-Based Materials

The Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in novel grass-based materials, focusing particularly on biobased material components (adhesives and fibres). The project is part of a larger research project called “GrassCO2mposites” on storage of biogenic carbon in the built environment by developing novel, sustainable composite materials from grassland biomass, which is financed by the Innovation Foundation Denmark strategic InnoCCUS programme.

Expected start date is November 1st, 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The project

The built environment has an enormous material and energy footprint. Boosting the understanding and use of sustainable building materials and energy renovation of existing buildings is a central Danish and European priority to bring down carbon emissions. However, general and sensible energy renovation should limit the use of energy-intensive materials based on nonrenewable resources, e.g. mineral wool and plasterboards, to avoid increasing carbon emissions from material production and depletion of non-renewable resources. Instead, grass composites are expected to be used across all building elements, from floor, ceiling, walls, spatial partitions, window casings, doors, panels, and insulation to acoustic modules.

Grassland biomass is a promising alternative:

• Renewable resources that can be cultivated and harvested multiple times each year with high dry matter yields per hectare, while reducing nutrient leaching and pesticide use, increase soil carbon and improve biodiversity in the agricultural production.
• Capture atmospheric carbon by photosynthesis and embeds it in the material structure.
• Store the carbon as long as the material is not degraded.
• Fibre composite structures enable enormous application fields, from bulk to bespoke building parts.

The hypothesis of the GrassCO2mposites project is that grass-based materials can reduce carbon emissions by substituting conventional, energy-intensive materials and boost carbon storage by creating higher value long-lived building elements in the built environment.

This PhD project is one of three PhD projects in the GrassCO2mposites: another PhD project at Aarhus University will focus on biorefinery of grass biomass for further use as building material components, while the last PhD project at the Royal Danish Academy will focus developing methods for fabricating grass-based composites for building materials and building elements with a focus on thermal performance.

This PhD project will develop novel grass-based material components (adhesives, fibres) for composite material manufacturing. Adhesives will be developed by first chemical characterization of fractionated biomolecules from grass biomass followed by functionalization and formulation of adhesives. Fibres will be characterized in terms of their chemistry and geometry, and the surface chemistry will be functionalized for improved processing and adhesion. Finally, the material properties of developed adhesives and improved fibres will be characterized and validated.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of materials science, biotechnology, plant sciences, organic chemistry, wood and science technology, and chemical engineering. Previous experience with relevant biomolecules (e.g. lignin, starch, cellulose), biobased adhesives, biobased materials e.g. for construction, and biological materials science in general is seen as an advantage. Applicants should have laboratory experience, data handling skills, a collaborative approach, and be scientifically curious.

Our group and research – and what do we offer?

Our research group, Bioresource Chemistry and Technology, contributes to both fundamental and applied aspects of the sustainable utilization of biomass for materials, chemicals, and bioenergy by the creation of knowledge and development of technologies within this subject area. This includes a fundamental understanding of the chemistry and physical properties of the cell walls in plants, and how this intricate biocomposite interacts with external factors (e.g. biological agents, chemicals, catalysts, and water) during processing or use. It also includes studies of molecular level interactions, between plant cell wall polymers and fungi, enzymes, water, and chemical reagents, as well as attention to sustainability aspects, as technologies are transferred from laboratory scale to industrial scale biomass utilization.

The group is imbedded in the section for Forest and Bioresources, and in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen. We are located in Copenhagen. We offer creative and stimulating working conditions in dynamic and international research environment.

Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Emil E. Thybring, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, eet@ign.ku.dk.

The PhD programme

Depending of your level of education, you can undertake the PhD programme as a three year full-time study within the framework of the regular PhD programme if you already have an education equivalent to a relevant Danish master's degree.

Qualifications needed

To be eligible for the 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. materials science, biotechnology, chemical engineering. For information of eligibility of completed programmes, see General assessments for specific countries and Assessment database.

Terms of employment

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 Taxation 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

• 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 wood materials science
• 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 :

1. Motivated letter of application (max. one page)
2. Your motivation for applying for the specific PhD project
3. Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
4. 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.
5. Publication list (if possible)
6. Reference letters (if available)

Application deadline: The deadline for applications is July 15, 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 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/.

Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 38.

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.