Ledig stilling ved NMBU

PhD scholarship within Forest Ecology and Forest History

Deadline: 14.02.2020

We are looking for a PhD candidate who is eager to explore relationships between biodiversity, forest history, and carbon storage in boreal forests.

About the position

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU has a special responsibility for research and education that ensures the basis of life for future generations.


Sustainability is rooted in everything we do and we provide knowledge for life.


NMBU has 1700 employees and 5200 students and is organized in seven faculties. NMBU has a campus in Ås and in Oslo. In the autumn of 2020 we are co-located on Ås. Further information on NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no.

About MINA

The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) works with nature and the environment, sustainable use of natural resources, biological and geological processes.


MINA’s employees undertake teaching, research and dissemination within the fields of geology, hydrology and limnology, soil science, environmental chemistry, forestry, ecology, natural resource management, renewable energy, and nature-based tourism.


Our vision is to be a key actor in knowledge production and dissemination, and our goal is to deliver research of high, international quality, and varied and excellent teaching. The faculty’s employees are significant participants within their respective fields of expertise, both nationally and internationally.
The faculty is dominated by a vital research culture and high levels of scientific production.


The faculty has about 200 employees, 90 PhD students and 650 students.


Read more about MINA here
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The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD–position related to Forest Ecology and Forest History.

The PhD project is based on a collaboration between MINA and a strategic institutional program at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO).

An overreaching goal of the research is to estimate the importance of historical drivers as determinants of contemporary biodiversity and soil carbon stocks in forest landscapes presently dominated by Norway spruce. The historical drivers that should be targeted are loggings (clearcutting vs. high-grading), the timing of the local establishment of the spruce forest, and time since last fire disturbance. Historic logging regimes will be emphasized to learn, if and how, older stands of managed forests differ compared to natural forests with respect to their present-day structure, biodiversity, and carbon stocks.

Main tasks

The main activities will be related to the following tasks:

  • Dendrochronological studies.
  • Soil charcoal analysis and basic pollen analysis.
  • Determination of soil carbon stocks.
  • Identification and registration of boreal forest plants and fungi.
  • Exploring links between contemporary biodiversity, forest history, and soil carbon stocks.
  • Dissemination of results.

The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to completing a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.

Qualification requirements, desired experiences, knowledge and personal qualities

The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD program at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are at master's degree level. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD program description. The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required academic qualifications:

  • A relevant master degree in ecology, biology, forest science, or similar, with good results.
  • Fundamental knowledge in boreal forest ecology.

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

  • Competence in biodiversity, in particular skills in identification of boreal forest plants and fungi.
  • Experience with fieldwork in boreal regions.
  • Experience and knowledge about Fennoscandian forest ecology and management.
  • Experience with paleo- and dendroecological methods.

You need to have:

  • Ability to work independently as well as the ability to cooperate under varying conditions (e.g. under field- and lab conditions).
  • Good knowledge of the English language – both oral and written.
  • Good communication skills.
  • High work capacity.
  • Driving license.

Remuneration and information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow. PhD. Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 479.600,-) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact:

Information for PhD applicants and general information to applicants.

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: February 14th, 2020.

Applications should include (electronically) a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, full publication list, copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified), and a list of two persons who may act as references (with phone numbers and e-mail addresses). Publications should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant NMBU Department may require further documentation, e.g. proof of English proficiency.

.Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within February 14th, 2020. Please quote reference number 20/00131.

If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.

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