PhD Position in Environmental Genomics and Pollinator Ecology

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Ecoscience programme. The position is available from 01 February 2027 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title:
PhD Position in Environmental Genomics and Pollinator Ecology

Research area and project description:
Pollinating insects are declining globally due to habitat loss, climate change, pesticides and emerging diseases. While conservation efforts typically focus on terrestrial habitats and floral resources, the role of freshwater ecosystems in supporting pollinator populations remains poorly understood.

Recent evidence suggests that ponds, streams and wetlands can act as important biodiversity hotspots for insect pollinators, providing hydration, microclimatic refugia, microbial resources and potentially novel nutritional supplements. However, the mechanisms linking freshwater habitats and pollinator health remain largely unexplored.

This PhD project will investigate how freshwater ecosystems influence pollinator diversity, diet, microbiomes and health. The work will combine field ecology, environmental DNA (eDNA), DNA metabarcoding, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics and AI-assisted monitoring technologies to uncover how aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems interact to support biodiversity.

The candidate will become part of a growing and highly interdisciplinary team working at the interface of molecular ecology, pollinator ecology and freshwater science.

Research activities:
The PhD candidate will primarily contribute to:

• Large-scale field surveys in Danish gardens, parks and freshwater habitats.
• Environmental DNA sampling from freshwater habitats and flowers.
• DNA metabarcoding of pollinator, plant and aquatic communities.
• Analysis of pollinator foraging networks.
• Experimental studies examining insect visitation to freshwater resources.
• Development and application of AI-assisted image-based insect monitoring approaches.
• Bioinformatic analysis of sequencing data.
• Publication of research findings in international peer-reviewed journals.

 The project includes opportunities for international collaboration, and a research stay with project partners at the National Botanic Garden of Wales (UK).

Project description. For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position should have a master’s degree in ecology, biology, environmental science, bioinformatics, genomics, conservation biology or a related discipline.

• Demonstrated interest in biodiversity, pollinator ecology, freshwater ecology, or molecular ecology.
• Experience with molecular methods such as DNA extraction, PCR, metabarcoding or sequencing.
• Experience with bioinformatics, R programming, or ecological statistics.
• Interest in both field research and laboratory-based research.
• Effective communication skills in English.

No candidate is expected to meet all criteria. We encourage applications from individuals with complementary skills and a strong interest in developing expertise across ecology, environmental genomics, and biodiversity monitoring.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark. 

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact: 

• Nikolai Friberg, niko@ecos.au.dk (main supervisor)
• Georgina Brennan, g.brennan@ecos.au.dk (co-supervisor)

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:

• admission.gradschool.tech@au.dk 

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application. 

Application deadline is 30 October 2026 at 23:59 CET. 

Preferred starting date is 01 February 2027.

Please note: 

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be considered.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which everyone has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.