PhD scholarship in fish welfare in aquaculture

Job Details

DTU Aqua is seeking a motivated and qualified candidate to develop research and methodological tools to assess and to improve the welfare of farmed fish, contributing to the sustainability of aquaculture practices in the EU. We offer a 3-year PhD position based in our campus in Hirtshals, North Jutland.

You will develop research in our state-of-the-art facilities and in connection to real fish farming scenarios in Denmark, directed to better understand welfare hazards and welfare consequences of different operational practices with fish on-farm, during transport and at slaughter. Among other tasks, you will further develop and validate indicators and protocols for assessing fish welfare and resilience and will explore strategies to mitigate welfare risks and promote positive welfare outcomes in fish farming scenarios. You will work with nearby colleagues, and with both academic and industrial partners.

You will be joining the Section for Aquaculture, an international group of researcher and technicians performing multidisciplinary research, using both fundamental and applied approaches, directed to solve challenges and improve the sustainability of aquaculture from different angles.

Key responsibilities include:
 

• Develop your own PhD plan outlining experimental trials.
• Design and conduct in vivo trials with salmonids.
• Collect biological samples and observational data from lab-based studies and at real fish farming scenarios.
• Analyze biological samples in the laboratory by different means (HPLC, enzyme- and immune-based assays, molecular analyses).
• Complete the required PhD school courses and conduct an external research stay.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present your findings at international conferences.
• Contribute to teaching and supervision of MSc students
• Contribute to the daily operations of the research group.

Requirements

• A relevant background in aquatic biology, animal physiology or a related field.
• Good skills for laboratory-based analytical tools.
• Practical experience working with live animals.
• Excellent skills for data handling and statistical analysis.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a team.
   

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

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

The assessment of the applicants will be made by Senior Researcher Manuel Gesto Rodriguez and Professor and Head of Section Per Bovbjerg Pedersen.

Contact Information

Further information may be obtained from Senior Researcher Manuel Gesto Rodriguez, DTU Aqua, e-mail: mges@aqua.dtu.dk

https://www.dtu.dk/english/person/manuel-gesto-rodriguez?id=102699&entity=profile

You can read more about DTU AQUA, Section for Aquaculture at www.aqua.dtu.dk/english/research/aquaculture.

Application procedure

Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 30 September 2025 (23:59 Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:
 

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma (in English) including official description of grading scale

You may apply prior to obtaining your master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.