Two PhD scholarships in greenhouse gas mitigation within the agricultural sector

Do you want to establish your career as a scientist while working to relieve one of the major challenges of our time?  Do you want to work in an academic environment with a wide range of collaborations with companies, industries and authorities? If so, this opportunity is for you.

At DTU Sustain you will join a team working with greenhouse gas (GHG) quantification and mitigation from various sectors: energy, waste and agriculture. You will take part in one of two related projects which will enhance our understanding of the effectiveness of various GHG mitigation options regarding agriculture.

Both projects are funded by the Danish Ministry of Green Transition. A key part of the projects will be to document the GHG reduction efficiencies of several technologies to reduce methane emission from manure storage, which are in different stages of development: anaerobic digestion, acidification, flaring and biofilters.

Using biofilters to reduce emissions is a technology being developed at DTU Sustain, and part of the projects will be to construct additional systems in full scale.

The documentation must meet the requirements to be included in the Danish National Inventory Report which is submitted to the UNFCCC. It is likely that the datasets generated in the projects will be the largest of their kind and will provide valuable insights related to GHG mitigation from agriculture, which can provide additional value and research perspectives.

Responsibilities and qualifications

Your research will utilize state-of-the art measurement techniques and analytical instrumentation to provide accurate data from field measurements from many farms in Denmark. This work will be partly done by DTU using a mobile analytical platform (a vehicle fitted with gas analysers and other instrumentation) and partly done with external partners due to the large volume of field work. External experts will assist in determining the sites to be monitored to ensure the sites are representative of farming practises and other variations in the agricultural sector in Denmark.

Each PhD project can approach the overall objectives from different angles and will focus on different GHG mitigation technologies. One of the PhD students will work with coupled models to simulate microbial methane oxidation in biofilters with the aim to provide design tools for future systems. This work requires experience in numerical modelling, for which experience with COMSOL is an advantage.

The PhD students will collaborate with researchers and technical staff at DTU as well as the external companies that participate in the projects. You will join the research group “Waste, Climate and Monitoring” at DTU Sustain, which consists of researchers and other PhD students working on related subjects using a variety of research approaches and tools.

Qualified applicants must have:

• An educational background in environmental engineering or related field
• Some experience in laboratory or field studies (preferably)
• An interest in performing research that involves hands-on work (field measurements)
• Ability to work independently and plan your work in dialogue with your supervisors
• Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken
• A valid driver’s license is necessary for the field work
• Familiarity with organizing and analysing large datasets using tools such as Excel or Python

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Approval and Enrolment The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval, and the candidate will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes at DTU. For information about our enrolment requirements and the general planning of the PhD study programme, please see DTU's rules for the PhD education .

We offer

DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms

The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union. The period of employment is 3 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here .

Further information

Further information may be obtained from Professor Charlotte Scheutz by e-mail: chas@dtu.dk

You can read more about DTU Sustain at https://sustain.dtu.dk/en/

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark . Furthermore, you have the option of joining our monthly free seminar “PhD relocation to Denmark and startup “Zoom” seminar ” for all questions regarding the practical matters of moving to Denmark and working as a PhD at DTU.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than10 May 2026 (23:59 Danish time) .

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file . The file must include:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale
• Description of experience with laboratory and field studies (can be included in curriculum vitae)
• Description of experience with numerical modelling (can be included in curriculum vitae)
• Statement regarding possession of a valid driver’s license (can be included in curriculum vitae)

You may apply prior to ob­tai­ning your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

***DTU Sustain - Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering**

• is one of the largest university departments specializing in environmental and resource engineering in Europe. The department conducts research, development & scientific advice and provides educational programs and service to society.  We are working to develop new environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies, methods and solutions, and to disseminate this knowledge to society and future generations of engineers. The Department has approximately 300 staff from more than 30 nationalities.*

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829

DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.