The Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Aarhus University, invites highly qualified applicants for a 2-year postdoc position in insect nutrition and production. The position is available from 1 November 2025 or soon thereafter. The position is in the research section Monogastric Nutrition.  

Position:

The preferred candidate will have experience in the nutrition of insects used for industrial production focusing on Tenebrio and black soldier fly. The tasks will include:

• Establishing nutrient requirements for optimal production and resource utilization in insects produced at an industrial scale for food and feed.
• Conducting research-based tasks for the ministry focused on risk assessment of substrates to assist in political decisions.
• Developing digital measurement methods of metabolism as production surveillance tools in collaboration with the insect production industry.
• Supporting the development of the research area by attracting external funding within this area of research. The postdoc will participate in knowledge exchange with public authority services and industry, as well as teaching and supervising students at the bachelor, master, and PhD levels.

Qualifications for a postdoc position:

• Academic qualifications at the PhD level in entomology.
• Research experience in the nutrition of insects.
• Preferred research experience in the nutrient requirements of Tenebrio and black soldier fly larvae.
• Experience in conducting risk assessments of feeding insects intended as food and feed.
• Significant skills in the scientific communication of research results.
• For non-Scandinavian candidates, an effort to learn to read, write, and speak Danish is a requirement.

Contact

Further information on the position may be obtained from Professor Jan Værum Nørgaard, phone: +4550718795, email: janvnoergaard@anivet.au.dk
 

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is the Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, AU Viborg,
Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830 Tjele, and the area of employment is Aarhus University (AU)
with related departments.
 

Who we are

Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences is well-known for its skilled and very innovative interdisciplinary research environments with high international impact. We perform world-class research, which contributes with solutions to solve essential societal challenges within the green transition: food production and veterinary medicine – nationally and globally.

The department generates novel research at the highest international level within sustainable food production, environment, climate, health and welfare for animals and humans. The activities form the basis for the research-based public sector consultancy and degree programs covering bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degree programs within animal science and veterinary medicine.  We offer a lively, engaged and innovative learning and study environment, which is closely integrated in the research environment.

Our department has unique and advanced animal experimental research facilities and technologies, situated in close connection to the research environment, and a comprehensive national and international research network and good industrial and professional collaboration.

Please refer to Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences (au.dk) for further
information about the department: https://anivet.au.dk/en

Living in Denmark

Please visit the international staff website: https://internationalstaff.au.dk/prearrival/  for information about arriving to and living in Denmark for both the applicants and their potential families..

 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.