PhD-student in human geography - ,

The Department of Geography is to appoint a doctoral student in economic geography focussing on the current labour market realignments caused by the reindustrialisation process in Northern Sweden. The successful candidate will work in an ongoing research program analysing under which circumstances  individuals can enter new, emerging jobs (see link)  and is co-financed by the Arctic graduate school at Umeå University. The Department of Geography has around 40 employees and conducts extensive research within the field of human geography. Our main research and teaching evolve around topics like spatial planning, economic geography, tourism, resource management and sustainability. For more information about the department, (See link)

The Arctic graduate school

As a PhD-student you will be involved in an interdisciplinary research environment, engaged both at your home department as well as in the Arctic graduate school on sustainable development at Umeå University. All engaged PhD-students are expected to participate in the joint activities of the graduate school and are offered program-specific courses complementing the subject-specific syllabus. For more information about the graduate school at Arcum, read here. 

Description of work

The current doctoral project will be carried out within the framework of an ongoing research program funded by Forte on how cognitive and spatial relationships between emerging and declining jobs create opportunities and constraints for workers and firms in general, and in the context of the Swedish Arctic (Norrbotten and Västerbotten) in particular. The candidate will combine large datasets, covering Swedish job ads recently made available by the Swedish Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) on the one hand, and Statistics Sweden’s longitudinal register data on individuals and firms on the other. As a PhD-student you will be part of an existing research group with both senior and junior researchers who jointly work on this topic with research groups at Göteborg University and Lund University. The PhD student is expected to have documented skills in quantitative analyses and to work with large public data as well as longitudinal micro-data within the scope of this program.

Suggestions on topics for the PhD student could be: How and where does skill-demand in growing jobs overlap with that in declining jobs?  To what extent do the specification of task- and skill-requirements in job ads signal a “green” and/or sustainable transformation taking place in Arctic Sweden? How does the skill background of individual workers condition their ability to enter growing jobs and influence their post-entry performance?

The position requires active communication of research in both academic and policy circles and the candidate is expected to participate in daily project and departmental activities. 

About the position

Employment as PhD-student aims to reach a doctoral degree and is normally full-time employment for 4 years starting 2022-09-01 or when mutually agreed. Your salary is determined in accordance to a stipulated scale for PhD positions (currently starting around 28 000 SEK to reach about 35 000 SEK the final year). If departmental duties (e.g., teaching) can be offered that will be a maximum of 20% and the position will be prolonged accordingly. As a PhD student you are expected to work independently with your PhD project as well as collaborate with the research group, participate in seminars and other department activities. 

Location for the appointment is Umeå, Sweden.

Eligibility requirements 

Eligible applicants must fulfil the following prerequisites: 240 ECTS-credits of higher education studies of which at least 60 should be on an advanced level (Master level), at least 90 credits must be in human geography or related disciplines, and at least 30 credits must be awarded for successful thesis work in human geography or related disciplines.

Other qualifications

Applicants must be proficient in both oral and written communication in English and have insight in the research field of social sciences, especially human geography. Knowledge of and experience with, analysing quantitative data and scripts in, for example, Stata is particularly meritorious. Familiarity with R or Python is also considered a merit.

If considered eligible the ability to formulate a research proposal that is related to the call and embedded in current discussions in human geography together with previous academic achievements will primarily be evaluated. Attention will also be given to the ability to utilize the education (communicative ability, ability to work in a group as well as independently and ability of critical reasoning). 

Application 

A complete application must include:

1. Research proposal presenting your research ideas in relation to the call (no more than four pages), including

·         Motivation of project in relation to the theme of this call

·         Aim and research questions

·         Connection to relevant literature and the work of the research group. 

2. A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, scientific interests and motives for applying (max two pages)

3. CV

4. Diplomas of bachelor and Master level degrees

5. Bachelor/Master theses work/other relevant publications (including thesis draft if not already having a Master-degree)

6. Other merits of relevance for the position

7. Contact information to two reference persons

Note that incomplete applications will not be processed.

Your application must be registered in Umeå University’s e-recruitment system no later than 2022-05-02. 

The procedure for recruitment for the position is in accordance with the Higher 

Education Ordinance (chapt. 12, 2§) and the decision regarding the position cannot be appealed.

For more information contact Professor Rikard Eriksson (phone+46 (0)90-786 7416, e-mail rikard.eriksson@umu.se) or the director of graduate studies, Aina Tollefsen ( Phone+46(0)90-786 7884, e-mail aina.tollefsen@umu.se).

We are looking forward to receiving your application!