Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within data-driven ecosystem analysis

The Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in data-driven analysis of a subarctic ecosystem near Kiruna, Sweden. The fellowship is full-time and will commence on 1 September 2025, or as agreed.

Project description
How do species interact within an ecosystem – and how do their interactions change over time?

With data-driven methods, new opportunities arise to understand ecosystems as complex, dynamic networks. This project aims to analyse the world’s most extensive eDNA database, consisting of weekly samples collected over 34 years in northern Sweden, to identify and understand interdependencies between species, and to explore how climate change and land-use shifts have shaped these patterns. The project is conducted in close collaboration with researchers in mathematics, ecology, and bioinformatics.

The fellow will be offered affiliation and a workspace at IceLab – the Integrated Science Lab – at Umeå University, which hosts a Centre of Excellence focused on living systems under stress. IceLab brings together early-career and senior researchers from the life sciences, computer science, physics, mathematics, and other fields in a curious, creative, and international environment. The community is vibrant and welcoming, with an active academic and social life that includes journal clubs, workshops, research lunches, movie nights, and informal gatherings. As a fellow at IceLab, you will have the opportunity to grow both scientifically and socially in a supportive and inclusive environment.

This postdoctoral fellowship is funded and administered by the Carl Trygger Foundation. The fellowship is tax-free in Sweden and amounts to SEK 672,000 for two years (SEK 336,000 per year).

Qualifications
To qualify as a postdoctoral scholarship holder, the postdoctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree. This qualification requirements must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.

Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree prior to that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, trade union duties or similar circumstances.

The PhD degree should be in a computational or life science field, such as bioinformatics, ecology, mathematics, or statistics.

The fellow is expected to be proficient in written and spoken English, and able to communicate scientific results clearly.

Strong merits include experience in quantitative data analysis and programming in, for example, R or Python. Particularly valuable is a research background in ecology, biodiversity, systems biology, or related areas, as well as experience working with time-series data, dynamic systems, or network analysis. Experience with methods for causal inference, or modelling of biological systems is also considered a merit, along with prior work involving large-scale sequencing data such as metagenomics or eDNA. Expertise in empirical dynamic modeling (EDM) is particularly advantageous.

We place great value on collaborative skills, curiosity, and initiative, as well as a desire to contribute to a creative and interdisciplinary research environment.

Application
A full application should include:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages) explaining your interest in the fellowship and how your previous research experience aligns with the project,
• Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,
• Verified copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,
• Verified copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,
• Copy of doctoral thesis and relevant articles,
• Other documents that the applicant wishes to claim,
• Contact information to two persons willing to act as references.

The application should be written in English or Swedish, and attached documents should be in Word or PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and be submitted by the deadline, May 31, 2025.

Umeå University strives to offer an equal environment where open dialogue between people with different backgrounds and perspectives lay the foundation for learning, creativity and development. We welcome people with different backgrounds and experiences to apply for this scholarship, and especially encourage female applicants.

More information
Further details are provided by Professor Åke Brännström, ake.brannstrom@umu.se, 090-786 7862.

More information about the department: https://www.umu.se/en/department-of-mathematics-and-mathematical-statistics/

More information about The Integrated Science Lab (IceLab): https://www.umu.se/en/icelab/