Doctoral student in chemistry with focus on food science

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The Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences is part of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences.
The research activities within this multidisciplinary department include the fields of biology, microbiology, chemistry and food science.

Subject field for the appointment
Chemistry

Job description
Consumption of legumes, which are good sources of protein, B vitamins, minerals and fibre, is associated with health benefits regarding non-communicable diseases. The PhD scholarship is part of a multidisciplinary project in collaboration with scientists and the food industry entitled “Innovative legume-based foods and drinks for enhanced resource use efficiency in food systems”, which aims to develop climate-smart and protein-rich food products containing domestic legumes to increase the sustainability of the Swedish food system. The PhD project aims to support the development of novel attractive and health-promoting legume-based foods and drinks, and to investigate the effects of novel and traditional food processing techniques on the nutritional quality of legume food products. The doctoral student will optimise and validate analytical methods using HPLC-FLD/UV and LCMS for key nutrient quantification. The validated methods will be used to measure the stability of those nutrients during processing as well as in the final products. Under the supervision of a researcher from Jönköping International Business School (JIBS)and in collaboration with industrial partners, the doctoral student will also carry out a focus group study with current and potential consumers of legume-based foods. The main aspects of the work are chemical analyses of food, food processing experiments in the laboratory and test plants, and a minor aspect is a focus group study on consumer preferences. The research will be conducted within a four-year multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary project collaboration with scientists from JIBS and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, partners from Nordic food industries, regional councils and a farming cooperative. Please read more about the job descripion at https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/work-at-the-university/

Entry requirements
A candidate fulfils the general entry requirements if he/she has


• Completed a Master of Sciences degree or equivalent in food science, human nutrition, chemistry, food technology, biology or equivalent.
• Completed courses totalling at least 240 higher education credits (ETCS), of which at least 60 must be at second-cycle level in a related field, or have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in Sweden or abroad.

Specific requirements
The specific prerequisites for admission to graduate studies in food science are


• 30 credits from independent project work (thesis) in a field mentioned above or a related field at second-cycle level or equivalent
• High proficiency in written and spoken English

Assessment grounds, other assessment criteria are



• Experience and skills in food analysis and HPLC
• Important personal qualities are being creative, good at problem-solving, a team worker, independent, resilient, and structured

Conditions of employment
In accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, PhD education consists of four years (48 months) of full-time research and training at third-cycle level. The doctoral student is assessed on an annual basis following the general and individual study plans. A maximum of 20% of teaching and/or administration can be included in the position, and the position will be extended accordingly.

Location
Kalmar

Applications
You apply through www.lnu.se. Closing date for application is January 9th, 2017. Mark your application with reference number 2016/6095-2.2.1.The application (in English) should include a CV (including telephone number, e-mail address, current address and date of birth), application letter (maximum four pages) containing descriptions of reasons for applying, compliance with the assessment criteria and expectations for PhD studies, signed copies of documents detailing grades for courses completed, signed copies of degrees awarded and proof of the required basic qualifications and the other assessment criteria given above, summary (maximum two pages) of the Master’s thesis, name and contact information (including title, affiliation, telephone number and e-mail address) of two references who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation, contact information for two academic candidates with experience in relevant research areas and any other relevant documents

For further information about the position, please contact
Professor Cornelia Witthöft, +46 480 446310, e-mail cornelia.witthoft@lnu.se Head of Department: Päivi Jokela, +46 480 446071, e-mail paivi.jokela@lnu.se Human Resources Consultant: Christian Andersson, +46 470 708506, e-mail christian.andersson@lnu.seUnion representatives and the student union can be reached through the university switchboard, +46 77228 8000.