PhD scholarship in Dynamic Food System Modelling - BRIGHT

Are you interested in sustainability assessments and modelling, and at the same time eager to work towards more sustainable food systems? Then join us as our new PhD Student in dynamic food system modelling!

The overall goal of this project is to develop dynamic modelling approaches for sustainability assessments of microbial foods and food system transformations in general. Building on the Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA) framework, a key aim is to adapt AESA to the food system by integrating nutrition as the functional unit (nFU) to incorporate a nutritional LCA (nLCA) angle. The project also aims to further develop the AESA approach by taking into account different factors including temporal dynamics and regional differences. In particular, you will focus on understanding how temporal dynamics may influence the allocated shares of safe operating space, due to changing population sizes and future needs requirements, as well as how the carrying capacities themselves may be influenced by Earth Systems interactions. You will also develop methods to account for regional differences in both the environmental carrying capacities and life cycle impacts. Finally, an aspect of the project will also involve incorporating prospective modelling approaches e.g. pLCA, to explore how future technological developments and changes in eco-efficiencies might influence the sustainability impact of microbial food production.

The position is a collaboration between the Novo Nordisk Foundation Biotechnology Research Institute for the Green Transition (BRIGHT) and the Centre for Absolute Sustainability and affiliated with the Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment of the Department of Environmental and Resource Engineering (DTU Sustain).

The job

• Integrate nutritional functional units (nFU) into the AESA framework to better represent the function delivered by food products and systems
• Develop spatially differentiated AESA by regionalizing environmental carrying capacities, life cycle impacts, and their allocation to assessed systems.
• Incorporate temporal dynamics into AESA to account for changing carrying capacities and allocated shares over time
• Combine prospective LCA (pLCA) with AESA to assess the absolute environmental sustainability of future food-system transformation pathways

What we’re looking for

You will have a two-year Master’s degree (120 ECTS points) in environmental engineering, integrated food studies, sustainability assessments, or closely related disciplines, or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year Master's degree.

You will have excellent organizational and project management skills and enjoy developing new methods.

You will be fluent in spoken and written English and have literacy in common IT systems.

The ideal candidate will also:

• have experiencein LCA and/or AESA. Mathematical modelling skills are an advantage
• have a genuine interest in food systems and sustainability
• be able to work with others and independently, and adaptable to working in an interdisciplinary and multi-cultural environments
• be patient, charitable, curious and playful—key qualities for interdisciplinary work

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.

Assessment