PhD student in plant demography

Do you want to conduct research on the population ecology of plants? Do you want to join an outstanding academic environment at Uppsala University’s Evolutionary Biology Centre? We are now looking to recruit a PhD student who wishes to begin their research career together with us.
The Department of Ecology and Genetics
(IEG)
Department of Ecology and Genetics – Uppsala University at the Evolutionary Biology Center (EBC) is an international environment with staff that conducts research to understand ecological and evolutionary processes across all levels of biological organization. IEG provides access to advanced national and local research infrastructures, including free super computing resources
(NAISS) and the latest molecular technologies and sequencing platforms
(SciLifeLab platforms)
. IEG hosts a
Climate Lab with controlled environmental chambers, greenhouses and a state-of-the-art molecular lab. PhD-students at IEG can join the PhD school which provides ample opportunities for networking on and off campus with PhD-students from the other two biology departments at Uppsala University (The Department of Organismal Biology, and the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology).
The position is offered by the research program in Plant Ecology and Evolution at IEG. Information about the program’s current research can be found here
.

Duties

The PhD project will address central current questions about plant life history and population dynamics, with focus on how demographic parameters (survival and reproduction) are affected by plant ageing and how environmental factors influence the same “vital rates” and thus the dynamics and distribution patterns of populations. The goals of the research will be to address key basic ecological questions and to achieve knowledge on how environmental changes will affect populations and communities. For examples of our previous work on demographic ageing see key papers here and here
, and on environmental drivers of population dynamics here and here
.
The main supervisor of the PhD candidate will be Johan Dahlgren. Specific aims and focus of the project will be decided together with the supervisor but will involve a combination of independent field work and mathematical modelling, and utilize ongoing long-term studies of Actaea spicata, Pulsatilla vulgaris subsp. gotlandica, and orchids of the genera Dactylorhiza and Gymnadenia. The exact balance between tasks will depend on the candidate's interests and the project's development.
PhD students at the Institute of Ecology and Genetics (IEG) have the option to engage in teaching and to develop their pedagogic CV by taking courses. The type and level of teaching will depend on availability and the student's interests but cannot exceed 20% full-time employment. The position and funding are extended by the time the student has engaged in teaching.

Requirements

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must:
hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in biology with focus on ecology or a related field, or have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.
We attach great importance to personal qualities such as motivation, independence, and problem-solving analytical skills. We value highly other personal qualities including initiative, creativity, and the ability to cooperate and collaborate with others.
The candidate is also expected to:
have a valid international driver’s license, have good understanding of central ecological concepts, have experience with statistical analysis and population modelling, especially using the software R, be highly motivated and curious and thrive in a collaborative environment, be able to take responsibility for carrying out and finishing independent tasks and projects, and express themselves at a high level in spoken as well as written English.

Additional qualifications

Experience with ecological field work, plant species identification and all forms of quantitative skills are meriting.

About the employment

The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 1 April 2027 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala.
Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in
Uppsala University's rules and guidelines.
Instructions for the application

The application must include:

A cover letter describing yourself, your research interests, why you want to pursue a PhD, and why you are suitable for this specific position (maximum 2 pages).
CV.
A brief description of your education.
A copy of your master's degree and course transcripts, as well as a copy of your master's thesis.
Names and contact details of at least two references (email and phone number).
Any publications.
For further information about the position, please contact:
Johan Dahlgren, johan.dahlgren@ebc.uu.se.
Please submit your application by
18 January 2027
, UFV-PA
2026/3293.
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