Doktorand - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) is an institute hosting research and education to address sustainability challenges with a critical perspective and solutions-based approaches. Our research projects focus on sustainability challenges such as climate change, water conflicts, food security, land use changes and urbanisation, often conducted in international cooperation. LUCSUS strives to catalyse change, on both a local and a global level, for a more sustainable society and future. The educational programmes at LUCSUS include a Master’s programme (LUMES) and a PhD research school.

 Sustainability Science PhD programme

The PhD programme in sustainability science consists of 240 credits (equivalent to four years of full-time studies); it concludes with the public defence of a doctoral thesis. The appointed doctoral student will receive a salary from the University for the four years, where their primary obligation is to complete the PhD studies. The PhD position also may involve departmental duties, mainly in the form of teaching of up to 20 per cent of full time working hours, in which case the position appointment will be extended by the equivalent number of hours. The doctoral student will have access to a work space at LUCSUS. The terms of employment for doctoral students are regulated in the Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (HF), Chapter 5, Sections 1– 7.

The GLOCULL project

The Globally and Locally-Sustainable Food-Water-Energy Innovation in Urban Living (GLOCULL) project is a JPI Urban Europe-Belmont Forum research project. It is a 3-year project with 12 main partners from a number of universities around the globe. The project is coordinated by the International Centre for Integrated Assessment and Sustainable Development (ICIS) at Maastricht University; LUCSUS is one of the partner institutions. The project got underway in May 2018. The goal of the project is to develop a novel Urban Living Lab methodology for generating innovations for Food-Water-Energy (FWE) systems that are both locally and globally sustainable. LUCSUS has the main responsibility for the Work Package 3 in the project, which focuses on modelling FWE systems at multiple scales and levels. In addition, LUCSUS will work with the regional craft beer sector to test the Urban Living Lab methodology developed during the project. Accordingly, the PhD research will focus on these two tasks.

General qualifications

The requirements for admission to third cycle courses and study programmes (in accordance with HF, Chapter 7, Section 35) are that the applicant:

• meets the general and specific entry requirements that the higher education institution may have laid down, and
• is considered in other respects to have the ability required to benefit from the course or study programme (Swedish Code of Statutes 2010:1064).

A person meets the general entry requirements for third cycle courses and study programmes if (s)he:

• has been awarded a second cycle qualification,
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle or has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or internationally.

Desired specific qualifications

The main research responsibilities for the position will be linked closely to the project deliverables and tasks defined by the GLOCULL project (see above). Furthermore, the PhD position will involve research and assistance on facilitating and understanding participatory methods (e.g., urban living labs) in sustainable transition processes. The ideal PhD candidate for the position will thus have the following specific qualifications:

• A degree relevant for sustainability (science) research and associated solution-based approaches
• Experience with and an interest in qualitative modeling of food, water and/or energy systems (e.g., causal loop diagrams, flow diagrams)
• Experience with and an interest in quantitative modeling of food, water, and/or energy systems (e.g., Stella, Vensim)
• Project administration and/or management experience
• Experience and an interest in participatory methods (e.g., urban living labs, transition experiments) for sustainability
• An interest in or experience with the craft beer sector

Assessment criteria

Only applicants who are eligible for third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Admission is primarily to be based on the applicant’s ability to benefit from the third cycle programme.

The applicants will be ranked based on an overall assessment of the quality of their cover letter (including a description of their motivation and specific qualifications), submitted thesis/theses, grades from previous studies, their overall personal suitability, and their interest and capacity to contribute to the overall goals of the GLOCULL research project. As third cycle studies in sustainability science are demanding; the applicant must be highly motivated and able to work independently under several time constraints. Good collaboration and communication skills are also required, as is proficiency in written and spoken English. Swedish language skills are a plus, but not a requirement.

Application procedure

Applications are to be submitted electronically via the Lund University application portal. The application must include:

• A cover letter in English of max. 2 500 words, which contains a brief presentation of yourself, your motivation and qualifications, as well as an explanation of why you are qualified for third cycle studies at LUCSUS, especially with specific qualifications for the GLOCULL project
• A CV in English that demonstrates your qualifications for the third cycle programme in Sustainability Science (including publications, if relevant)
• Degree and grade certificates
• Degree thesis/theses corresponding to at least 30 credits (30 credits Master’s degree thesis, or 15 credits Master’s degree thesis plus 15 credits Bachelor's degree thesis) in a discipline deemed relevant to sustainability science
• Name and contact information of three professional references (note: letters of reference are not required in the first stage of application).

Interviews will be conducted with a shortlisted number of applicants during the final stages of the admission process. Lund University encourages applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset. We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts.

Type of employment
Limit of tenure, four years according to HF 5 kap 7§.