Doctoral studentship in Forestry Industry Production Systems with a specialization in the application of bio-adhesive in wood products

Welcome to Linnaeus University! Here you'll meet 2 200 staff members and 40 000 students, all united in following the vision to set knowledge in motion for a sustainable societal development. With us, research and education are conducted with an eye towards the future. Our proximity to the business world, both locally and globally, gives us a wide reach and the ability to create change that makes an impact. All that's needed is a place where ideas have the space to meet and grow. That's what we've created – and you are invited.

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The Faculty of Technology is one of Linnaeus University’s five faculties. We gather the university’s education and research within technical subjects. The operations are organised into nine departments and a faculty office. Here is also the Linnaeus University Centre DISA and two Knowledge Environments Linnaeus: Green Sustainable Development and Digital Transformations. Several of the faculty’s research groups collaborate within the strength area of Forest Values.

The Department of Forestry and Wood Technology conducts a thematic activity that ranges from seedlings to finished technical wood products through extensive collaboration with business partners in research and education. The department works together with the neighboring departments for a creative environment with challenging education and outstanding research.

Subject area for the position: Forestry Industry Production Systems
Location until further notice: Växjö. Since Linnaeus University is located in both Växjö and Kalmar, travel between the two may be required.
Terms and hours: The doctoral studentship is limited in time in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 5, Section 7). The studentship is full-time.
Starting date: Starting date as agreed upon.

Job description
The adhesive bonding of solid wood, wood particles and wood fibres is necessary to produce products that can be used in the furniture and building industries. Besides the characteristics of wood and adhesives, the quality of bonding and the properties of the final products are highly influenced by the production parameters such as tack properties, spraying conditions and pressing factors. The classical approaches to evaluate these influencing factors rely on the physical analyses of adhesives and properties assessments of the produced products while possessing limitations and unpredictable performance when new adhesive formulas with bio-based backbone polymers are used. This PhD project aims to provide knowledge on application conditions of different bio-based adhesives for wood and fibre-based products to better predict and optimise the production process and product properties, and thus ultimately expects to enhance the efficiency of the production process in different wood and fibre-based products. The PhD project will be carried out as a part of the newly established BioGlue-Centre “Competence Centre for Bio-based Adhesives”, which is a Vinnova Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Industry and Digital Transformation with a close collaboration with top scientists at Linnaeus University, SLU and KTH and 12 industrial partners along the value chain in furniture, packaging and construction sectors that share the same research questions around adhesives and adhesive bonding. As a part of the training, the PhD student will take courses as agreed with the supervisor.

The Higher Education Ordinance states that a person who is employed, as a PhD student should primarily devote himself/herself to his/her own studies. However, an employee may to a limited extent work with education, research and administration. Such work may, before the doctoral degree has completed, not cover more than 20% of a full-time work.

Eligibility
A person meets the general entry requirements for third-cycle studies if they:

• Have been awarded a degree at the second-cycle level,
• Have at least 240 credits of passed courses, of which at least 60 credits are at the second-cycle level; or
• Have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in or outside Sweden. 

A person meets the specific requirements for third-cycle studies if they:

• A minimum of 90 higher education credits in the subject Forestry Industry Production systems or in subjects related graduate studies at the doctoral level, or equivalent knowledge acquired in some other manner either in Sweden or abroad, and
• A good command of Swedish and/or English.

Other requirements

• Understanding in the subject of wood science and technology, liquid mechanics, chemical engineering or in a relevant subject
• Have in-depth knowledge of wood microstructure, wood chemistry, wood panels, and mathematical statistics,
• Ability to work independently, integrate into a team, and learn quickly.

Assessment criteria
Applications to graduate studies are governed by rules in the admission regulations.

The selection of candidates is made with regard to the applicant’s ability to successfully complete and benefit from their studies at the graduate level. The assessment takes into account academic skills documented in scientific works, especially focused on the quality of the essays at the undergraduate level, any advanced work and other scientific or scholarly works. The assessment also takes into account breadth and composition of the undergraduate degree as well as the picture which the intended principal academic supervisor, examiner, and other colleagues in the research group and the subject obtained of the applicant’s potential.

The applicants are ranked by the entity concerned for the graduate education after a statement of opinion is received from the prospective principal academic supervisor with proposals on order of precedence.

Contact
Head of department: Assoc. Prof. Erika Olofsson, 0470-70 89 99, [email protected]
Main supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Reza Hosseinpourpia, 0470-70 80 74, [email protected]
HR partner: Jesper Pettersson, 0470-70 89 99, [email protected]  

Welcome to apply according to instructions, last day to apply is 29 August 2024.

Linnaeus University has the ambition to utilize the qualities that an even gender distribution and diversity brings to the organization.

Please apply by clicking on the Apply button at the bottom of the ad. Applicants are requested to the application resolving CV, cover letter , a copy of a relevant essay , grades and certificates and other relevant documents. The applicant also requested to submit with their application a proposed research plan within the current area of research. All documents must be attached to digital in the application. The application and other documents shall be marked with the reference number. All documents cited must be received by the University no later than 23.59 (Local time in Sweden) on the closing day.

URL to this page
https://lnu.se/en/meet-linnaeus-university/work-with-us/vacancies-page/?rmpage=job&rmjob=8072&rmlang=UK