PhD student in Sustainability Science

Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) is a research centre on resilience and sustainability science at Stockholm University. The Centre advances the scientific understanding of the complex, dynamic interactions of people and nature in the Biosphere; train the next generation of sustainability researchers and leaders; and engage in collaborations with change agents. It is a joint initiative between Stockholm University and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The SRC currently employs around 160 members of staff. More information about us, please visit: SRC.

The SRC aims to foster new generations of researchers and academic leaders through our Resilience Research School. The school equips students with a theoretical and practical foundation in Sustainability Science with a focus on resilience in social-ecological systems. Students are encouraged to develop new approaches that integrate methods and concepts from the social, natural and applied sciences. Emphasis is placed on developing student ability to define a problem, develop research methods, and communicate research findings within international scientific and science-policy discussions.

Project description

We are looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated PhD candidate to join an interdisciplinary team of researchers working on resilience, sustainability, and preparedness with a focus on meals.

The research project will use primarily quantitative but also qualitative approaches to explore Swedish citizens' willingness to change their eating habits, accept policy measures, and personally contribute to contingency planning. In collaboration with private and public actors within the meal sector, the project will develop, test, and evaluate various measures that could be implemented by the meal sector to drive behavioural change and offer meals adapted to sustainability, resilience, and preparedness.

This PhD position will be part of the research centre PLATE – Centre for Resilient Meals. PLATE is funded by FORMAS' National Food Programme, with the vision of strengthening the food sector so that it plays a crucial role in creating a resilient, sustainable, and competitive Swedish food system that ensures well-being for all.

The Stockholm Resilience Centre (SRC) at Stockholm University hosts the centre, working in direct collaboration with researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the Royal Institute of Technology, and the Beijer Institute at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, as well as other partners from the private and public meal sector, including municipalities, regions, government agencies, and civil society organizations.

The PhD position will include tasks such as designing and implementing behavioural interventions in private and public ‘meal environments’. The effects of these interventions will be evaluated through field experiments and the data generated will be analysed using statistical methods. Tasks will also include conducting and analysing large-scale and smaller survey studies, as well as carrying out interviews with private and public actors within the food system.

As a PhD candidate, you will participate in the SRC’s PhD school. You will be supervised by Dr. Therese Lindahl (SRC and the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics) and Dr. Noah Linder (SRC and the Beijer Institute). You will be employed at SRC, and as part of the interdisciplinary environment at SRC and Beijer, you will have opportunities to collaborate with and benefit from interactions with other students and researchers with diverse research interests and perspectives.

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Specific entry requirements for admission to postgraduate studies in Sustainability Science are that the applicant has a total of at least 30 credits, or equivalent, at advanced level in Natural Science, as well as a thesis of at least 30 credits at advanced level in a relevant subject, or equivalent knowledge.

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

• Subject knowledge relevant to the research task, such as sustainability/environmental science, food systems, behaviour-related disciplines from fields such as psychology (including environmental psychology), sociology, political science, economics (including behavioural and environmental economics), or other interdisciplinary subjects.
• Familiarity with and experience in applying quantitative research methods, such as statistical analysis and experimental design.
• Analytical skills demonstrated through, for example, scientific reports, research articles, or thesis work.
• Fluent in English, with strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience from working in teams, preferably in an inter- or transdisciplinary environments.
• Personal references of the applicant.

In addition, any of the following would be desirable:

• Knowledge of the Swedish food system.
• Proficiency in the Swedish language.
• Experience working with different stakeholder groups, such as in workshops and interviews.
• Familiarity with research on social-ecological systems and complex adaptive systems.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information about the PhD programme or Sustainability Science at Stockholm Resilience Centre, please contact the Director of PhD programme Victor Galaz, telephone: +46 8 674 70 83, victor.galaz@su.se, or Head of Subject, Professor Örjan Bodin, telephone: +46 8 674 76 71, orjan.bodin@su.se.

For more information about the project or the position, please contact Therese Lindahl, therese@beijer.kva.se, or Noah Linder, noah.linder@kva.se.

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.