Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) in mycorrhizal biogeography and species distribution modelling

A postdoctoral scholarship is available at the Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre (www.upsc.se): a stimulating research environment at Umeå University. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate for Adam Frew’s research group, where the research will focus on the distribution and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi.  

The Knut and Alice Wallenberg foundation (KAW) funds this two-year postdoctoral scholarship. The scholarship amounts to 354 000 SEK per year and is not subject to tax. The PI covers running costs for the project.

Project description

Mycorrhizal fungi are fundamental to plant nutrition, ecosystem functioning, and soil processes, yet their diversity, distribution, and ecological roles across large spatial scales remain incompletely understood. This research program integrates large-scale field sampling, DNA metabarcoding, and advanced ecological modelling to examine how climate, vegetation, and environmental context shape mycorrhizal fungal communities.

The postdoctoral scholarship holder will be given a good opportunity to gain experience in developing and applying species distribution and community models to characterise the environmental niches, biogeographic patterns, and assembly processes of mycorrhizal fungi in Sweden and globally. The research will involve analysis of large, high-dimensional metabarcoding datasets derived from coordinated sampling across ecosystems, with particular emphasis on linking fungal community composition to environmental gradients and plant community structure.

As a postdoctoral scholarship holder within this research project, you will get the opportunity to:

• Develop and apply species distribution, joint species distribution, or related hierarchical models for fungal communities
• Analyse large-scale metabarcoding datasets linking fungal diversity to environmental and ecological covariates
• Contribute to sampling design and integration of ecological datasets (soil, vegetation, climate)
• Lead and co-author scientific manuscripts
• Contribute to the conceptual development of the research program
• Collaborate within an interdisciplinary and international research environment

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 requirement 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 before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.   

The doctoral degree should be in ecology, quantitative biology, ecoinformatics, environmental science, biostatistics, microbial ecology, or a related subject.

Requirements

• Strong quantitative and statistical skills
• Demonstrated experience with species distribution models, joint species distribution models, hierarchical models, or related approaches
• Experience analysing community or biodiversity datasets
• Proficiency in R (or equivalent statistical programming environment)
• A publication record in peer-reviewed journals commensurate with career stage
• Ability to perform research independently and develop analyses with a high degree of autonomy
• Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

Application

The application should contain

• A personal letter that describes your qualifications, experiences, scientific interests, and motivation for application (max 2 pages)
• CV with full publication list
• Certified copies of doctoral degree certificate or equivalent, or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained
• Other relevant degree certificates and grades
• Other documents wished to be claimed.

The application must be written in English (preferably) or Swedish. The application is made 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. The closing date is April 30, 2026

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact  Adam Frew (adam.frew@umu.se)