Doctoral student in Geobiosphere Science - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

We seek a PhD student to the project ‘Understanding the role of freshwater respiration in the carbon cycle – a reconsideration of the pelagic respiratory quotient’, who will be admitted to the research education in Geobiosphere Science at Lund University.

Job assignment
Respiration in aquatic systems contributes to globally significant emissions of carbon dioxide, but calculations of respiration in the open water (the pelagic) are uncertain. One main source of uncertainty is the conversion factor RQ (respiratory quotient), used to convert measured respiration rates from oxygen units to carbon units. It has long been assumed that this ratio is 1 (one carbon dioxide molecule produced per consumed dioxygen molecule), but new findings suggest that the RQ variations can be large and systematic. As PhD student in this project you will carry out field measurements combined with laboratory experiments to test a number of hypotheses about how spatiotemporal variations in the RQ of lakes are governed by chemical, biological and physical factors. You will apply chemical analytical methods combined with microbial analyses and innovative measurement methods in the field.

Eligibility

• We seek an enterprising and motivated candidate with background in Geosciences or equivalent (e.g., ecologist or geochemist), who can work independently to reach long-term goals.
• Experience in laboratory work is required and documented skills in scientific writing in English (such as published scientific papers) are meriting.
• Applicants should also have documented skills in quantitative methods, for example courses or work on statistics, modelling or analysis of large data sets.
• The applicants must include a motivation to why they are suited for graduate studies and explain how they can contribute to the project. Applications that lack this motivation will be discarded.

Applicants are expected to hold a university degree (preferably MSc. or equivalent) in natural sciences. A degree in subjects like Geochemistry, Physical Geography or Ecology is preferable.

Students with basic eligibility for third-cycle studies are those who- have completed a second-cycle degree- have completed courses of at least 240 credits, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses, or- have acquired largely equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

Basis of assessment
Regulations for Ph.D. positions will be found in SFS regulations 1998:80 (in Swedish). This position can only be appointed to a person eligible for postgraduate studies. Particular emphasis for admission shall be placed upon the applicant’s ability to successfully complete postgraduate studies, as indicated by academic qualifications and merits. Apart from postgraduate education, the successful applicant may be assigned other duties within undergraduate teaching, research, and administrative work according to special regulations.

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