Umeå University - with its 33,000 students and over 4,000 employees - is an organisation in constant change and development. Umeå University conducts groundbreaking research within several areas - several in which we are among the best in the world - within others regarded as the leaders in Sweden. We are one of Sweden’s largest providers of education and offer a broad and attractive range of courses and programmes. Our campus constitutes an inspiring environment for everyone that studies and works here. We wish to co-operate with companies and organisations throughout the Umeå region and all over the world.

PhD student position in Ecology
Environmental monitoring and sampling design

Announced by the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) (www.emg.umu.se) and Umeå Marine Sciences Centre (UMF) (www.umf.umu.se)

ECOCHANGE is a new governmental strategic marine research program at Umeå University (UmU) in collaboration with the Linnaeus University in Kalmar. Ecosystem dynamics in the Baltic Sea is studied in a climate change perspective. The effect of climate related changes on lower and higher trophic levels are investigated in a north-south gradient in the Baltic Sea, as well as effects on bioavailiability of pollutants and their potential to change food web function. It is an interdisciplinary project spanning from ecology and chemistry to environmental science.

Project description
The project will be a basis for increased use of different sensors and automatic analysis instruments in marine environmental monitoring. Focus will be to evaluate common sensors to estimate biomass and activity in the different trophic levels of the planktonic food web. This includes analysis and statistical evaluations of environmental data from historic time series, and extensive measurements in the lab and in contrasting marine environments (from estuaries to open sea) during different seasons. The achieved knowledge will be used to design monitoring programs with automatic sensors, both for short-term (e.g. weather events) and long-term (e.g. seasonal, inter-annual and climate-change related) trends.

Application
The application should include a letter of intent, certified curriculum vitae that includes information on previous education, ev. copies of the master’s thesis, publications and other documents supporting your competence and suitability for the position, and address and phone number to two reference persons. The application may be written in English or Swedish.

Requirements
The recruitment procedure for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen Chapter 5 and 7). Prerequisites include either i) 240 ECTS credits (Swe. högskolepoäng) of higher education studies of which 60 should be on an advanced level (Master level), or ii) 120 Swedish (old) credits (Swe. poäng; corresponding to 180 ECTS credits) of higher education studies if they were taken before July 1, 2007 or equivalent competence. The candidate should have education in ecology. It is qualifying to have some background also in statistics and/or natural geography.

The successful applicant should have good ability to write and speak in English, creativity, power of initiative, independence and ability to collaborate. Evaluations will be based on results on University courses, quality of master’s thesis, references, interviews and the letter of intent.

A PhD education is 4 years (48 months) and the PhD-student will get a formal position at the start of the project (Sw: “doktorandanställning”). Up to 10 % as teaching assistant may be included in the position (then the position will be extended accordingly).Questions about the position will be answered by Prof. Ulf Båmstedt, phone +46 (0)90 7867988, e-mail: ulf.bamstedt@emg.umu.se or Assoc. Prof. Johan Wikner +46 (0)90 7867980, e-mail: johan.wikner@umf.se.

Union information is available from SACO, +46-(0)90-786 53 65, SEKO, +46-(0)90-786 52 96 and ST, +46-(0)90-786 54 31.

Applications will be discarded or, if the applicant so wishes, returned two years after the position has been filled. Documents sent electronically should be in MS Word or PDF format. If you are applying to several positions with different reference numbers, you must submit a separate application for each position.

The application period for this advert has expired.