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: Stockholm Resilience Centre (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 committed PhD student to join the research center PLATE – Center for Resilient Meals. PLATE conducts research on how the food service sector can contribute to a resilient, sustainable and competitive Swedish food system that promotes well-being for all.

As a PhD student, you will investigate the role of gastronomy for resilient meals.

Gastronomy is here meant as the culture around food and meals, including the sensory, social and practical dimensions that shape our meal experiences. Gastronomy thus affects the driving forces that control our food choices, such as identity, hunger, cravings and habits. Culture, taste and meal experiences can both enable and hinder changes towards healthier and more sustainable dietary patterns. Central questions in the project are thus whether and how a gastronomic focus can facilitate dietary changes and help overcome resistance in different food service contexts, such as schools, lunch restaurants, fast food environments and public events.

The PhD student will follow and further develop a number of “PLATE labs”, where resilient meals are developed and tested in practice – at events, in offices, in restaurants and in school canteens. These meals are based on four PLATE principles: that meals should contribute to (1) environmental sustainability, (2) public health, (3) increased social preparedness, and (4) be appreciated by many. Your main task will be to develop and deepen the understanding of principle 4 – what it means to create meals that are perceived as attractive and inviting to broad groups. The PLATE labs are run by different partners and therefore varies in form and context, which provides great opportunities for creative and applied research but also requires that you are responsive, flexible and comfortable in collaboration with different actors.

The Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University hosts PLATE, which is a collaboration with researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Beijer Institute at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, as well as other partners from the private and public food sector including municipalities, regions, authorities and civil society.

You will participate in SRC's PhD school. You will be supervised by Prof. Line Gordon, a systems ecologist with a broad interdisciplinary focus on food systems, and Dr. Noah Linder, an environmental psychologist at the Beijer Institute for Ecological Economics. You will be employed by SRC and be part of the interdisciplinary environment at SRC. Within PLATE you will have opportunities to collaborate with other students and researchers with different 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 time the applicant is admitted to the PhD program at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

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

Selection of applicants is made based on their ability to complete a doctoral degree. Criteria used to assess this ability are:

• Subject knowledge relevant to the research assignment, such as sustainability/environmental science, gastronomy, sensory science, or behavioral subject knowledge from, for example, psychology (including environmental psychology), sociology, political science, economics (including behavioral economics and environmental economics) or other interdisciplinary subjects with a bearing on climate and environmental transition in the food system.
• Knowledge and experience in applying quantitative research methods, such as statistical analysis and experimental design.
• Analytical ability demonstrated by, for example, scientific report(s), research articles or thesis.
• Fluent in English and proficient in written and oral communication.
• Experience of working in a team, preferably in an inter- or interdisciplinary environment.
• The applicant's personal references.

In addition, the following criteria would be desirable:

• Knowledge of the Swedish food system and gastronomy.
• Knowledge and experience in applying qualitative research methods.
• Knowledge of the Swedish language.
• Knowledge of preparedness issues.
• Experience of working with different groups of stakeholders in e.g. workshops and interviews.

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, phone: +46 8 674 70 83, victor.galaz@su.se or Head of Subject, Professor Örjan Bodin, phone: +46 8 674 76 71, orjan.bodin@su.se.

For more information about PLATE or the project description, please contact Professor Line Gordon, line.gordon@su.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.