PhD position in Physical Geography, focusing on carbon fluxes in Arctic headwaters

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) at Umeå University invites applicants for a PhD position on carbon cycling in Arctic headwaters. The start date is flexible but ideally sometime between June and November 2026. Deadline for applications is 30 March 2026.

Project descriptions and work tasks
Northern high latitudes are subject to pronounced warming, with expected major impacts on the carbon cycle of coupled land and water ecosystems. This project aims to investigate climate impacts on the lateral export of carbon from and the subsequent turnover and fate of this carbon from streams and lakes. The project will include comparative studies of the magnitude and control of land-water carbon fluxes across various vegetation, permafrost and climate conditions in the Arctic, experimental tests of climate driven changes in carbon export from land and turnover and release of greenhouse gases (CO2 and CH4) from headwaters, and use of machine learning and process-based model for large scale assessments and projections of the land-water carbon cycle to variation in climate conditions. The detailed direction of the PhD studies will be discussed and decided jointly with the selected candidate. Field studies will be mainly carried out in northern Boreal-Arctic Sweden, complemented by studies in other Arctic regions. The project includes collaborations with researchers from different disciplines (terrestrial and aquatic biogeochemistry, modelling, hydrology) and use of field and laboratory infrastructure at the Climate Impacts Research Centre (CIRC) and Abisko Scientific Research Station.

Entry requirements and prerequisites
To be admitted to doctoral education, the applicant must meet the general entry requirements and the specific entry requirements established by the Faculty Board of Science and Technology, and be deemed to have the overall ability required to benefit from the education (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 35).

General entry requirements
To fulfil the general entry requirements, the applicant must have qualifications equivalent to either a completed degree at advanced level (second-cycle), or completed course requirements of at least 240 ECTS, including at least 60 ECTS at advanced level, or has otherwise acquired essentially equivalent knowledge within or outside Sweden. The faculty board may, in the case of a specific applicant, consent to an exemption from the general entry requirements if there are special reasons to do so. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 7, Section 39)

Specific entry requirements
In order to fulfil the specific entry requirements for admission to doctoral studies in physical geography, the applicant must have passed courses in a basic higher education subject relevant to physical geography of at least 120 credits. At least one course at advanced level in a subject that is central to the doctoral student's planned specialization must be included, as well as an independent project (degree project) with a relevant specialization of at least 15 credits. If there are special reasons, for example a strong interdisciplinary focus of the planned research work, it may be permitted to replace up to 30 of these 120 credits with courses in another relevant subject area. The requirements for prior knowledge as described above are also considered to be met by those who have otherwise acquired essentially equivalent knowledge.

Qualifications
The candidate should have an academic background in Earth Science, Limnology, Ecology, or from similar fields. Additional requirements for this position are:

• good knowledge of the processes controlling carbon cycling in aquatic ecosystems,
• good ability to carry out physically demanding fieldwork in northern environments,
• good ability to write and speak in English,
• driver’s license for cars,
• experience of remote sensing/GIS and modelling is meriting.
• We are looking for candidates with creativity, power of initiative, independence and good collaboration skills.

The assessments will be based on the application, reference check and interview.

Terms of employment
The employment is expected to result in a doctoral degree and the main assignment for the doctoral student is thus to be part of the research education, which includes participation in the described research project but also to take relevant courses. Teaching and other departmental work (up to a maximum of 20%) can be included. The employment is limited to four years at full time or up to five years if teaching and other departmental work is performed. The salary is fixed according to the established salary level for doctoral students.

How to apply
You apply through our recruitment system on 30 March 2026, at the latest. The application, written in English, should include:

• A short (max 2 pages) description of why you are interested in and suitable for the position
• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Certified copies of degrees and certificates from higher education
• List of completed university courses and the grades
• Copy of potential publications/degree thesis
• Names and contact information of two reference persons

The documents should be in PDF-format.

Contact
If you have questions regarding the position, please contact Prof. Jan Karlsson, jan.p.karlsson@umu.se

The Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG) is both a research and teaching department situated within the Umeå University campus. The department has approximately 160 staff members, of which 30 are PhD students. For more information, visit https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-ecology-and-environmental-science/