PhD student position in sustainable land-use and agricultural systems

There is an urgent need for a sustainability transition in the global land system: land use and land-use change is already a key driver of climate change and biodiversity loss and pressure on the land system is growing, due to increased demand for food, feed, fuel and biomaterials. At the same time, land systems can also help meeting global sustainability goals, by securing food production, providing livelihoods, mitigate climate change and protect biodiversity. The aim of this PhD position is to help further our knowledge on how we can transform the global land system in order to fulfill these goals.

Information about the research and the division
This is an open PhD position, where the student will be able to formulate a research project within the broad and interdisciplinary field of land system science, which aims to understand the drivers, states and trends in the interactions between human (societal) and natural (ecological) systems, the impacts this have on human welfare and the functioning of ecosystems, as well as how these processes can be governed. The PhD student will be part of the land-use science group at Physical Resource Theory, which use a multitude of approaches such as land-use modeling, LCA, energy- and material-flow analysis, remote sensing/GIS, as well as a combination of other quantitative and qualitative methods to further the understanding of land-use and biomass systems and the associated environmental, social and economic impacts. There is also a possibility to link the PhD project to the MISTRA Food Futures, which will analyze how the Swedish food system can be transformed to meet ecological, economic and social sustainability goals.

Major responsibilities
As a PhD student your main responsibility is to pursue your own doctoral studies, which includes pursuing research on sustainable land-use and agricultural systems, but also to undertake doctoral courses. You are expected to work independently, have the ability to plan and organize your work, to work in close collaboration with other group members and partners, and to be able to communicate scientific results, both orally and in written form, in English. The doctoral program leads to a doctoral degree, equivalent to four years of full-time studies, which includes research, coursework, and participation in seminars and conferences. Included teaching obligations, the position is expected to be five years.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
We require a Master's degree (or equivalent) corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a natural or social science of relevance to the area of research (e.g., environmental science, biology, ecology, agronomy, engineering, economics), with an MSc thesis project corresponding to a minimum of half a study year. Excellent analytical and communication skills are required. We look for a student with an excellent academic track record and strong motivation and commitment to scientific inquiry, as well as a genuine interest and curiosity in the subject matter of choice. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English.

With the application, the applicant should enclose a brief (max 1 page) description of the research direction that she or he wants to engage in and outline the background knowledge and competence the applicant possesses for this.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20200277 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

• In addition to the CV, the personal letter and other supporting documents, each applicant should enclose a brief (max 1 page) description of the research direction that she or he wants to engage in and outline the background knowledge and competence the applicant possesses for this.

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. The files may be compressed (zipped).

Application deadline: 21 June, 2020. The position will remain open until filled. The expected starting date is August-September 2020.

For questions, please contact:
Associate Professor, Martin Persson, Physical Resource Theory
E-mail: martin.persson@chalmers.se
Phone: +46-31-7722148

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***