Postdoc in Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Land Use Change (LUC/iLUC)
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Postdoc in Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Land Use Change (LUC/iLUC)
Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Section for Forest and Bioresources, invites applicants for a three-year Postdoc in Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage, and Land Use Change. The project is part of the project “BECCS as a tool to achieve net-negative GHG emissions in Europe”, which is financed by the Novo Nordisk Foundation.
Start date is 1 March 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is considered a requirement to meet the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement, by compensating hard to abate GHG emissions and by removing already emitted CO2 from the atmosphere. To achieve negative emissions, CDR must be based on non-fossil carbon sources, e.g., carbon in biomass. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offers a potentially low-cost opportunity for CDR, which is already developed to a comparably high technology readiness level enabling rapid implementation. While the use of biomass for heat and electricity (BE) production is well established in several European countries only few BECCS facilities operate on commercial scale.
Biogenic carbon is a limited resource and considerate use of it is paramount for sustainable development. Furthermore, biomass production is connected to land use, with land use change being a potential driver of GHG emissions and climate change. Deploying BECCS in large regionwide scales consequently raises a number of unanswered questions. What are the ecosystem service synergies and trade-offs with BECCS systems? What are the direct and indirect land use change consequences of large-scale deployment of BECCS?
The complex interactions between ecosystems and surrounding technoeconomic systems raise significant scientific questions about the climate effect of BECCS. The scientific challenge is to develop a deeper understanding of direct and indirect land use implications of CDR based on BECCS in Europe.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with strong interdisciplinary qualifications and interests in ecology, forestry, systems analysis and land use change. Requirements for the candidates are:
The position is located within the Silviculture, Trees and Bioresources research group. The research group is highly diverse, encompassing expertise in systems analysis, forestry, growth modelling, and ecological restoration. Together, these areas aim to advance the understanding, development, and management of forest ecosystems to support a wide range of ecosystem services, including carbon storage, material and energy provision, groundwater regulation, and biodiversity conservation. The group is a part of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen.
We are located on Frederiksberg Campus in Copenhagen and offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.
The department is planning to increase its focus on the climate change mitigation potential of forests in upcoming projects. We therefore welcome applications from candidates with a broader interest in the intersection of forests, forest-based climate solutions, biosphere-atmosphere interaction, climate policy, and related themes.
Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Niclas Scott Bentsen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, nb@ign.ku.dk, Phone: +45 20206318.
Terms of employment
Employment is full-time and for 3 years.
The terms of employment and salary are in accordance with 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
Your application including all attachments must be in English and submitted electronically by clicking APPLY NOW below.
Please include:
The deadline for applications is 23 November 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.
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 51 2025.
Applicants must be prepared for further security screening related to international research collaborations as part of the recruitment process, when UCPH considers it appropriate from a holistic consideration
Questions
For specific information about the Postdoc position, please contact the principal supervisor.
Start date is 1 March 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
The project
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is considered a requirement to meet the temperature targets of the Paris Agreement, by compensating hard to abate GHG emissions and by removing already emitted CO2 from the atmosphere. To achieve negative emissions, CDR must be based on non-fossil carbon sources, e.g., carbon in biomass. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) offers a potentially low-cost opportunity for CDR, which is already developed to a comparably high technology readiness level enabling rapid implementation. While the use of biomass for heat and electricity (BE) production is well established in several European countries only few BECCS facilities operate on commercial scale.
Biogenic carbon is a limited resource and considerate use of it is paramount for sustainable development. Furthermore, biomass production is connected to land use, with land use change being a potential driver of GHG emissions and climate change. Deploying BECCS in large regionwide scales consequently raises a number of unanswered questions. What are the ecosystem service synergies and trade-offs with BECCS systems? What are the direct and indirect land use change consequences of large-scale deployment of BECCS?
The complex interactions between ecosystems and surrounding technoeconomic systems raise significant scientific questions about the climate effect of BECCS. The scientific challenge is to develop a deeper understanding of direct and indirect land use implications of CDR based on BECCS in Europe.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with strong interdisciplinary qualifications and interests in ecology, forestry, systems analysis and land use change. Requirements for the candidates are:
- Experience and interest in systems thinking and systems analysis.
- Good understanding of ecosphere-technosphere interactions with respect to land use and land use change.
- Experience in quantitative modelling and data analysis of land use and land use change.
- Experience is quantitative assessment of ecosystem services and their synergies and trade-offs.
The position is located within the Silviculture, Trees and Bioresources research group. The research group is highly diverse, encompassing expertise in systems analysis, forestry, growth modelling, and ecological restoration. Together, these areas aim to advance the understanding, development, and management of forest ecosystems to support a wide range of ecosystem services, including carbon storage, material and energy provision, groundwater regulation, and biodiversity conservation. The group is a part of the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, Faculty of SCIENCE, University of Copenhagen.
We are located on Frederiksberg Campus in Copenhagen and offer creative and stimulating working conditions in a dynamic and international research environment.
The department is planning to increase its focus on the climate change mitigation potential of forests in upcoming projects. We therefore welcome applications from candidates with a broader interest in the intersection of forests, forest-based climate solutions, biosphere-atmosphere interaction, climate policy, and related themes.
Principal supervisor is Associate Professor Niclas Scott Bentsen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, nb@ign.ku.dk, Phone: +45 20206318.
Terms of employment
Employment is full-time and for 3 years.
The terms of employment and salary are in accordance with 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
- Rigorously carry out independent research projects under the PI’s supervision
- Record and report periodic progress clearly, logically and proactively
- Carry out dissemination and relevant teaching activities
- Participate in active research environments, including a stay at another research institution, preferably abroad
- Write scientific papers aimed at high-impact journals
- Strong ability to interpret data and think analytically, critically, conceptually, synthetically and interdisciplinarily
- Strong social competence including interpersonal skills, teamwork and networking ability, and presentation skills
- Strong personal competence including autonomy, goal-oriented mind-set, planning/organizing/prioritizing, perseverance, problem-solving skills
- General leadership skills including ability to translate long-term goals to daily work situations (strategic time managing); be flexible to adjust one’s own behavior and thinking according to the (relevant/local) context so as to attain the desired goals (learning ability)
- Good language skills and fluency in English
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) – please relate how the above required abilities are represented in your past work experiences
- Curriculum vitae including information about your education, experience, language skills and other skills relevant for the position
- Original diplomas for Bachelor’s or Master’s and PhD 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
- Reference letters (if available)
The deadline for applications is 23 November 2025, 23:59 GMT +1.
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 51 2025.
Applicants must be prepared for further security screening related to international research collaborations as part of the recruitment process, when UCPH considers it appropriate from a holistic consideration
Questions
For specific information about the Postdoc position, please contact the principal supervisor.