PhD position in Animal Science

PhD position – Dairy production with cow and calf together
Department of Animal Nutrition and Management (HUV)
HUV conduct basic and applied research focused on feed, nutrition and management. The goal is to create a sustainable and profitable production with good animal care that provides high quality food. We conduct research on both production- and sports animals and pets. Our department is responsible for undergraduate education, research and postgraduate education in the subject areas of nutritional physiology, feed science, management issues and aquaculture. HUV offers an inspiring research environment where we study metabolic processes and nutrient utilization in animals, management in various animal production systems.

Our research in ruminant nutrition and management is focused on dairy cows and includes nutrient metabolism, feeding, lactation, growth, behaviour and housing issues. We focus on animal production and welfare and on quality of the products. The impact ruminant production has on the global environment has become an important part of our research. We have a large international network, within EU as well as worldwide.

Project - Welfare, sustainability and profitability in dairy production
with cow and calf together
The dairy industry is an important component of the Swedish food supply chain and the degree of self-sufficiency in dairy products is relatively high, compared with other food categories. There is a strong interest from consumers and farmers for the welfare of dairy cows and their calves. One example is the growing interest in keeping dairy cows together with their calves, during the milk feeding period. An on-going project at HUV is evaluating short- and long-term effects of keeping cows and calves together. The first heifer calves born on the project are now about to enter their own first lactation. Overview evaluations of welfare, sustainability and profitability are thereby possible, where important aspects will be activity, dry matter intake, milk yield, fertility and health

Tasks
A large part of the work will be with the herd at SLU Swedish Livestock Research Centre in Uppsala. The person that gets the position will be working with data collection, with a significant share of the student’s time devoted to organizing and analysing large sets of sensor data. The PhD-student will work with data from sensors on the animals and information from the barn management systems, like gates, feeding troughs and the robotic milking system, to study effects on net food production, profitability and sustainability in a broad sense. Information from sensors may also be evaluated against direct observations and video analyses of animal behaviour.

The student will also be expected to present the work in written and spoken scientific English, interact with society and participate in teaching at BSc and MSc level.

Qualifications
A university degree of at least 240 higher education credits is required. We are looking for a candidate who have a degree in Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine or in an equivalent subject. Experience of working with sensor data and practical experience of cows and calves is required. Experience of data handling, primarily sensor data, and data analysis in SAS or R is a merit. Also it is an advantage merit if you have practical experience of systems with dairy cows and calves together. The project requires well developed skills for working independently as well as in a group, to manage periods of high workload and a proven ability to communicate in written and oral English. Therefore, upper secondary school grade equivalents to English B/English 6 are required. It is a merit if you have driving license (Swedish, class B). 

Great emphasis in the assessment will be placed on the candidate’s personal characteristics and area of ​​interest. Start date as soon as possible.

Place of work:      
Uppsala, Sweden

Forms for funding or employment:
4 year PhD position. 

Starting date:
According to the agreement

Application:

We welcome your application no later than 2021-10-05, use the button below.

The application can be written in Swedish or English and must contain a cover letter that is maximum of one A4 page where you describe why you want to work with research area in general and this project in particular. Enter the names and contact details of two reference persons in your application.

A person has basic eligibility for third cycle education if he or she has taken a second cycle qualification or has completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, including at least 60 higher education credits at second cycle education. Upper secondary school grades equivalent to English B/English 6 are a basic requirement.

Selection among applicants meeting the requirements is made with reference to written application including curriculum vitae, copies of degrees and transcripts of academic records, one copy of the dissertation for masters or undergraduate degree, a list of at least two references familiar with the applicant's qualifications, certified knowledge of the English language and an interview.

Please observe that applicant/s chosen to participate in an interview shall hand in certified true copies of certificates, diplomas and transcripts from previous studies at an internationally recognized higher education institution (university or university college) and transcripts in connection to the interview. If the applicant is a foreign citizen we require a certified copy of the page in your passport with your personal data and photography.

Read about the PhD education at SLU at www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/

Academic union representatives:
https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/