Postdoc in Sustainable Built Environment/Climate impact of forest products

Welcome to Linnaeus University! We meet the societal challenges of today and tomorrow in a spirit of openness, curiosity and creativity. By creating arenas for exchange of knowledge from different subjects, fields and cultures, we open up for new ideas and create new opportunities for long-term sustainable societal development. Linnaeus University – where people grow.

The Faculty of Technology strives to ensure that Linnaeus University’s vision permeates all of its activities, focusing on the key words Attractive Knowledge Environment, Prominent Research, Social Driving Force, and Global Values. The Faculty of Technology has broad operations spanning nine different departments through which Linnaeus University provides instruction education and conducts research. The Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology provides education and conducts research in energy processes and energy systems to support our society’s transition to a sustainable development and a low carbon economy.

How we manage and utilize our renewable natural resources is, and will remain, crucial for the future. Sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources is a crucial step enabling us to transition to a bio-based and sustainable society. This transition implies replacement of materials that are not renewable, or in other respects not sustainable for the environment, with biogenic raw materials such as wood and other natural fibers.

Subject area for admittance: Sustainable Built Environment
Placement city: Växjö
Employment: 100% employment full-time for three years

Job description:
As the worlds emissions continue to increase we become more and more dependent on carbon dioxide removals. All the pathways of the IPCC for meeting the 1.5 degree target of the Paris agreement count on nature based solutions in liaison with drastic reduction of GHG emissions.

Forestry and forest products play a central role in climate change mitigation. Not only by removing carbon from the atmosphere but also by storing the carbon for as long as possible, at the land and in long living products. Trees and agricultural crops, which are used as raw materials in many value chains, are capable to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and store it in the plant itself and in the soil as they grow. Responsibly managed land increases carbon storage in plants and soil, effectively reducing the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. An additional important aspect is the storage of CO2 during the lifetime of products. If properly utilized and recycled, the lifetime of products and their materials can be decades or even centuries, providing an important aid in the fight against climate change.

Whereas standards and guidelines are being agreed upon by the international community for the climate impact of land use systems and raw material production, we have little available data to estimate and impact the lifetime of a final product or its materials. The time dynamics of wood products is a complex issue to define and measure. The lifespan can vary widely in different climatic, geographical, social, and end-use management contexts. This has implication for greenhouse gas estimation and reporting, especially for the forest products industry.  

The postdoctoral research fellow will conduct research on lifespan of furniture and its implication for climate change mitigation. More specifically, you will conduct literature review to define the lifespan of forest products and the underlying factors affecting the lifespan. You will conduct empirical studies (e.g. surveys and interviews) to collect primary data on lifespan of specific products in use in Swedish market. The data collection will also include the users’ perception and behavior towards the five stages of waste management hierarchy (reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, and dispose). Based on the collected data, you will conduct lifecycle analysis of the specific products considering the complete chain from forest to end of life of the product.

This project is part of the Knowledge Environment “Green Sustainability” at Linnaeus University and is financed is financed by the Bridge cooperation between Linnaeus University, IKEA of Sweden, and Södra. The research work is joint initiative of the Dept. of Built Environment and Energy Technology (BET) and Dept. of Forestry and Wood Technology at Linnaeus University and IKEA of Sweden. Hence, the candidate is expected to work closely with all these actors. You are expected to actively participate in the BETs environment and network, both internally and externally, develop new project ideas and apply for external funding. Some teaching and supervision within the undergraduate and advanced levels can be included in the tasks.

Eligibility Requirements
Eligible to be employed are those who have completed a doctoral degree in Forestry and/or Environment related subject areas or has a reached the corresponding competence no more than three years before the end of the application period.

Applicant must not have been earlier employed as a Postdoctoral position for more than one year in the same or adjoining subject areas at Linnaeus University.  

Eligibility for this position requires demonstrated scientific competence in the area of forestry and greenhouse gas emission accounting or equivalent. Good competency in English is a requirement.

Evaluation and selection criteria 


• Research experience in the areas of greenhouse gas estimation of forest products
• Experience of questionnaire surveys and interviews
• Experience of teaching at undergraduate and/or advanced levels in the subject area
• Experience in applying for external project funds
• Strong project management skills

The work is done in cooperation with many stakeholders, which is why collaboration and flexibility are given great importance. In the overall assessment, particular importance is attached to an assessment of the potential of the applicants for a successful career as a teacher and researcher.

Contact persons:
Prof. Krushna Mahapatra, Krushna.mahapatra@lnu.se; +46 470 767813
Head of Dept: Prof. Michael Strand, michael.strand@lnu.se; +46 470 708981
HR partner: Jesper Pettersson, jesper.pettersson@lnu.se; 

Welcome to apply according to instruction, last day to apply is 23th november 2022.