Postdoctoral fellow(2yr)methylmercury spreading from contaminated sediments - Befattningen är under tillsättning eller redan tillsatt, och det är inte längre möjligt att lämna in en ansökan

The Department of Chemistry is hiring a postdoc for a research project on the spread of methylmercury from contaminated sediments. The employments are full-time for two years with starting date 1st of June 2021, or by agreement.

Project description and working tasks
Mercury poses serious threats to ecosystems and human health, primarily through the formation and spread of methylmercury in aquatic ecosystems. To improve this situation, the contributions from contaminated sediments to the total mercury load on ecosystems must be carefully evaluated and effective measures taken. Today, there are uncertainties about the risks of mercury-contaminated sediments due to insufficient understanding of the factors that control the formation and spread of methylmercury. There is a great need for improved risk assessments that include these processes.
 
You will develop and implement methodologies based on stable isotope measurements to trace the spread of methylmercury from contaminated sediments to surrounding sediment, water and biota. The project will include field sampling of sediment, water and biota. You will carry out stable isotope measurements with multi-collector ICPMS to trace the spread of Hg from contaminated sediments to the surrounding environment (sediment, water, biota). The project aims to generate practically applicable tools for improved risk assessments of contaminated sediments through focused fundamental research of biogeochemical processes.
 
Within the project, you will carry out the experimental research work, which you plan and evaluate in collaboration with the project's other researchers. You will also be responsible for writing scientific publications and presentations of results at seminars / conferences. Together with the project's other researchers, you will be responsible for contacts and discussions with government officials about the project's design and results.

The postdoctoral project is funded by grants from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency in a call for research projects on risks with and, or spread of hazardous substances from contaminated sediments. Within the same project we will hire one more postdoc who will study processes for methylmercury formation in contaminated sediment (see dnr AN 2.2.1-178-21).  The two postdocs will work in close collaboration within their projects which will be carried out within an international team with researchers in analytical chemistry and biogeochemistry at Umeå University (Prof. Erik Björn; https://www.umu.se/en/staff/erik-bjorn/), SLU, Umeå (Prof. Ulf Skyllberg; https://www.slu.se/en/ew-cv/ulf-skyllberg/), and CNRS/Pau Univeristy, France (Prof. David Amouroux; https://iprem.univ-pau.fr/fr/iprem/membres/cv_-damourou-fr.html). A reference group will be linked to the project and consist of representatives from government agencies (eg County Administrative Boards) and environmental consulting and industrial companies, which further broadens your network within the project.

Qualifications
Eligible to be employed as a postdoctoral fellow is a person who has completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree that is deemed to correspond to a doctoral degree in biogeochemistry or an equivalent subject area. In the first instance, it should be considered as having completed a degree no more than three years before the end of the application period. If there are special reasons, it may be considered as having completed a doctoral degree earlier. Special reasons refer to leave due to illness, parental leave or clinical service, positions of trust within trade unions or other similar circumstances.

Your PhD degree should preferably have a focus on mercury biogeochemistry. You have experience of and an interest in experimental research. A very good knowledge in written and spoken English is required. You should have a good ability to take initiative and collaborate and be flexible to changes within the project. In your work, you should have a focus on high quality and a good ability to solve problems analytically.

Experience of field sampling, work with sediments or soils and stable isotope measurements with a multi-collector ICPMS are meritorious.

Application
A complete application must contain

• Personal letter of a maximum of two A4 pages describing your qualifications, research interests, why you are applying for the position and how your research experiences fit with the announced position,
• CV and list of publications,
• Certified copy of doctoral certificate,
• Certified copies of other diplomas, academic course certificates and / or grades,
• If possible, electronic link to doctoral thesis and a maximum of 5 relevant publications,
• Contact details for two reference persons,
• Other documents that you want to invoke.

The application must be written in English or Swedish. The application is submitted through our electronic recruitment system. Documents sent electronically must be in Word or PDF format. Log in to the system and apply via the button at the end of this page. Last day to apply is Monday 8th of March 2021.

Further information is provided by Prof. Erik Björn, erik.bjorn@umu.se.

Department of Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry is the largest department within the Faculty of Science and Technology and has about 200 employees, of which about 40 are postdocs and with a strong and expanding research. Three major research areas, Biological Chemistry, Environmental and Biogeochemistry and Technical Chemistry bring together the department's research and education in chemistry. We are also a strong partner within KBC, Chemical-Biological Centre. You will work in a research environment that offers a strong focus and depth in biogeochemistry, but also a wide range of expertise and research infrastructure within the KBC environment.