Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

A post-doctoral Fellowships in peatland biogeochemistry is available at the Department of Forest Ecology and Management at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Umeå, Sweden. The department includes 100 people in 7 competence areas. Our mission is to advance the understanding of forest ecosystem processes and to progress the principles of forest ecosystem management. The fellowship is funded by the Kempe foundations and the research connects to two larger projects funded by the Swedish EPA and the Swedish Research Council Formas.

Homepage: https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/departments/forest-ecology-management/

Northern peatlands are unique ecosystems and provide several important ecosystems functions. Yet, peatlands are under immense pressure owing to past and present activities such as drainage, development and resource extraction, leading to carbon release, biodiversity loss and compromised water resources. In addition, climate change exacerbates these threats, creating feedback on greenhouse gas emissions and peat degradation. How perturbation affects the degradation of the accumulated peat is critical for the impacts but is a key knowledge gap.

In this project we will investigate to what extent peatland drainage has triggered peat degradation and how such impact has changed the organochemical composition of the deposits. To explore how perturbated hydrology changes the molecular composition, we will use advanced multi-dimensional NMR techniques (www.umu.se/en/research/infrastructure/nmr) at the KBC center of Umeå University, also part of the large Umeå campus. We will elucidate how peat properties connect to ecophysiological constraints as well as the potential relationship with common isotopic and elemental proxies conventionally used to assess peat degradation. From this we aim to this deduce the rate and magnitude of carbon loss following perturbation.

Qualifications

Successful candidates will have a PhD in (bio)geochemistry, environmental chemistry, peatland ecology or in related fields. The degree should not be more than three years old. Demonstrated experience in NMR spectroscopy and peatland research are both meriting.

Requirements

We require that candidates have documented capabilities for independent research as well as the writing of scientific publications and reports in English. In addition, the postdoctoral researchers are expected to participate in other ongoing research projects within the collaborating research groups. A willingness and interest to develop research-funding possibilities within the research groups is encouraged. Good command of the English language, both written and spoken, is required. A driving license is desirable.

Your application should contain: (1) a cover letter stating why you are applying for the fellowship, a summary of your research accomplishments and how you could contribute to the research project (maximum 2 pages), (2) a Curriculum Vitae, (3) a publication list, (4) transcripts of relevant degree certificates and publications, and (5) names and contact details of 2-3 references. The application should be submitted electronically to mats.oquist@slu.se. All documents submitted should be in MS Word or PDF format. Deadline for submission of applications is March 1, 2026.