The Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a PhD fellowship in experimental electrocatalysis of nanoparticles. The start date is expected to be January 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
Water electrolysis is crucial in the green energy transition. Especially, membrane-based electrolyzers are a crucial technology that allows for dynamic operation, which makes them compatible with fluctuating renewable electricity. This leads to a resource challenge, as the electrolyzers rely on the scarce, precious metal iridium as an electrocatalyst. The project will focus on water electrolysis catalysts with decreased precious metal loadings, which are often unstable. The aim is to achieve an understanding of the fundamental degradation mechanisms that lead to the instability and related performance losses.
The PhD project will explore nanoparticle electrocatalysts on different support materials for water electrolysis. As catalyst degradation includes macroscopic phenomena, which are heterogeneous across the electrode, spatially resolved knowledge of structural changes is crucial. The focus will be on understanding the instability during operation with different operando X-ray scattering and X-ray spectroscopy synchrotron methods.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for candidates within the field(s) of chemistry, nanoscience, physics, or similar. Applicants can have a background in either electrochemistry or materials chemistry. Experience in the characterization of nanoparticles with synchrotron characterization techniques, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy, is considered an asset.
Our group and research- and what do we offer?
The Center for High Entropy Alloy Catalysis (CHEAC) is a large, multi-disciplinary, collaborative research center that combines catalyst materials development in both experiments and simulations. The nanoparticles in electrocatalysis group is a new research group in CHEAC led by Rebecca Pittkowski. We are a young, motivated group with experience in nanomaterials, electrocatalysis, and operando synchrotron characterization. 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 a dynamic and international research environment. Our research facilities include modern laboratories and equipment for electrocatalytic testing as well as materials characterization. Facilities at CHEAC and UCPH include X-ray scattering (XRD, SAXS, total scattering) and spectroscopic techniques, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES), and computational methods.
Principal supervisor is Center leader and Professor Jan Rossmeisl, Department of Chemistry. Daily supervision will be by the co-supervisor, tenure-track assistant professor Rebecca Pittkowski. Inquiries about the current positions can be made to Rebecca Pittkowski, [email protected].
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.
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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, nanoscience or physics. 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 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, Nanoscience, or Physics.
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: 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 (2025) DKK 7.086 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 electrochemistry and materials characterization
- Good language skills
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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)
- 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 29 September 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/.
Interviews with selected candidates are expected to be held in week 44.
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.
Københavns Universitet giver sine knap 10.000 medarbejdere muligheder for at udnytte deres talent fuldt ud i et ambitiøst, uformelt miljø. Vi sikrer traditionsrige og moderne rammer om uddannelser og fri forskning på højt internationalt niveau. Vi søger svar og løsninger på fælles problemer og gør ny viden tilgængelig og nyttig for andre.
