Umeå University announces...
Umeå University - with its 29,000 students and over 4,000 employees – is an organisation in constant change and development. The university’s researchers carry out excellence within several areas of research, and many of them are among the world’s elite. 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 position in Environmental Science with focus on Analysis of pre-industrial pollution and its sources
Doktorandtjänst i miljövetenskap med inriktning mot analys av förindustriella metallföroreningar och deras källor
The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science has about 170 members including 50 PhD students. For more information see the department’s homepage
www.emg.umu.se/en. See also
www.umu.se/english for a general presentation of Umeå and the University.
The objective of this PhD project is to advance knowledge about pre-industrial atmospheric pollution and its sources, based on multi-element (XRF and ICP-MS) and multivariate analysis of lake sediment and peat cores. The past atmospheric deposition of metals will be reconstructed for the past several thousand years. Examples of specific questions to be addressed are: What was the pre-industrial atmospheric history of pollutant metals? Can the source regions be specifically identified for early pollution (e.g. eastern, central, western Europe), and what was the contribution from historical Swedish mining? What were the natural background metal deposition rates? Can source regions for natural soil dust be identified? The results of this study will have important implications for: i) research on the long-term changes in the biogeochemical cycling of pollutant metals; ii) developing environmental management goals based on natural reference conditions; iii) historical studies of early mining in Sweden.
PhD students normally spend 90% of the year working on their research and studies, and spend 10% on teaching or other departmental duties; thus the position would last for 4 years and 6 months.
The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Högskoleförordningen Chapters 5 and 7). Applicants must fulfill one of the following prerequisites: (1) 240 ECTS-credits (Swe. högskolepoäng) of higher education studies of which 60 should be on an advanced level (Master level); furthermore, 120 credits must be in environmental science or related subjects (e.g. geoscience, chemistry) and 15 in environmental science (or related) at the advanced level; or (2) 120 Swedish credits (Swe. poäng) if the studies were completed prior to July 1, 2007; or (3) the equivalent of a Bachelors of Science with Honors (BSc, Hon.) and/or a Masters of Science (MSc). Relevant fields of study include geoscience, soil science or biogeochemistry. In addition to the above, the following criteria are valuable merits: completed coursework in chemistry and in statistical analysis; analytical experience, especially for metals (e.g. within a thesis-level project); field sampling experience (e.g. lake sediments, soils).
Your application must include: a cover letter describing your interest in and suitability for the position; a CV including relevant academic degrees and former positions, a list of university courses you have taken and the grades you were given, copies of degree certificates; your bachelor’s/master’s thesis and other publications (if any); and the names and contact details of two reference persons.
For further information, please contact Richard Bindler: telephone,
+46-90-786 9742; e-mail:
Richard.Bindler@emg.umu.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.
Your complete application, marked with reference number 313-302-09, should be sent to the Registrar, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden to arrive
April 30, 2009 at the latest.
We look forward receiving your application!