PhD student - scholarship (DoACh) | Faculty of Chemistry at the Gdańsk University of Technology

Research Unit: Chemical Faculty, Gdansk University of Technology

Nazwa stanowiska: PhD student - scholarship

Essential requirements:

1. MSc in chemistry, environmental science / technology, environmental engineering or similar.
2. Participation in a PhD programme in an academic unit (such as a faculty of a university, a research institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences or an international research institute) located in the Republic of Poland or fulfilling another qualifying criterion of the NCN (listed here in Polish: https://ncn.gov.pl/finansowanie-nauki/koszty-w-projektach/stypendia-naukowe/zasady-przyznawania-wyplaty-stypendiow-2).
3. Knowledge of a wide range of analytical techniques in chemistry, especially gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.
4. Knowledge and keeping of good laboratory practice.
5. Interest in the topic of environmental pollution and data interpretation ability in that scope.
6. English language, spoken and written - at least at the intermediate level, allowing for the understanding of scientific literature in the subject area and the preparation of publications.
7. Knowledge of the basic data analysis skills, including statistical techniques.
8. The ability to cooperate in a team.

Desired skills and experience:

1. Skills in environmental sampling.
2. Skills in sample preparation for analysis, especially by liquid-liquid extraction or solid phase extraction.
3. Knowledge and analytical skills within the scope of the following techniques: ion chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, spectrophotometry, total organic carbon determination.
4. Fieldwork skills and knowledge about the Arctic environment.
5. Category B driving licence.
6. Knowledge about the problems of Arctic contamination and the fate of persistent organic pollutants in the Arctic.
7. Authorship or co-authorship of scientific publications within the scope of transport and distribution of pollutants in the environment, especially in the Arctic, as well as concerning persistent organic pollutants or other problems of circumpolar environmental chemistry.

The title of the project is PER2Water – PERsistent organic pollutant remobilisation from PERmafrost into surface Waters.

Participation in the project will encompass the following tasks:

• optimisation and validation of existing analytical procedures dedicated to identification and determination of selected groups of components present in collected samples,
• sampling of surface waters and sediments, initial treatment and preparation of samples for analyses (field and laboratory work),
• determination of selected organic compounds in the samples of surface waters and sediments, preparing datasets,
• chemometric analysis of the datasets and selection of the chemical markers of permafrost thaw,
• calculating of annual and long-term loads of selected POPs re-mobilised from permafrost,
• co-authoring publications resulting from the project.

Type of NCN call: OPUS – ST

Application deadline: 18.09.2022, 23:59

Mode of application: email (electronic only)

Conditions of employment:

The scholarship will be 3000 PLN / month (tax-free, but subject to other deductions), and the maximum duration of the scholarship will be 40 months (the scholarship will cease when the NCN qualifying criteria are no longer fulfilled). The scholarship agreement may be terminated prior to its original date in the case of neglect on the part of the PhD student. The duration of scholarship will be agreed upon once the candidate is chosen (depending on personal circumstances pertaining to their PhD studies).

The application should include:

• a copy (scan) of an MSc diploma
• a confirmation of participation in a doctoral programme at a Polish research unit or fulfilment of another qualifying criterion of the NCN
• a scientific CV (including the scientific activities such as research stays in Poland and abroad, participation in workshops, research projects, authorship or co-authorship of research articles, participation in conferences, competitions and awards, etc.)
• a cover letter in Polish and English;

Additional information:

Prior to signing the scholarship agreement it will be necessary to issue a GDPR declaration allowing Gdansk University of Technology to process the candidate’s personal data for the purpose of the agreement.

The scholarship award decision is made by a committee consisting of three people, led by the project leader and at least two people indicated by her with appropriate qualifications. Qualification criteria are the following:

a) qualifications of the candidate to perform project tasks,

b) scientific achievements of the candidate,

c) awards and distinctions achieved by the candidate in the course of the already conducted research.

The criteria will be weighed as follows:

• scientific achievements of the candidate, especially publications with high impact - 50% of the final score;
• awards and distinctions related to scientific research, scholarships, research experience abroad and in other research units, workshops and training, participation in research projects - 20% of the final score;
• qualifications to perform particular tasks within the PER2Water research project - 30% of the final score.

The Scholarship Committee reserves the right to call upon chosen candidates to conduct an interview (the information about such an occurrence will be sent by email).
Application form and conditions of project realisation: the application needs to be sent to the project leader at Gdansk University of Technology, Professor Żaneta Polkowska, via email (zanpolko@pg.edu.pl). Please send all documents electronically.

The application deadline is 18.09.2022, and the expected scholarship announcement date is 28.09.2022. Scholarship commencement is planned on 01.10.2022.

The project budget does not allow to reimburse commuting cost to and from Gdansk for the purpose of conducting the project tasks.

Link to offer at National Science Centre https://www2.ncn.gov.pl/baza-ofert/?akcja=wyswietl&id=191708