Postdoctoral research fellow

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

We are announcing a postdoctoral position at the Department of Epidemiology and Global Health for the project “The cognitive consequences of social frailty: a mixed methods study of precarity and resilience among aging populations in India and Sweden”. The project is jointly funded by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) during 2023-26. The position is for a full-time duration of two years with the workstation located in Umeå. 

The project utilizes data from two nationally representative surveys: the Swedish part of The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI). Both surveys cover the years 2017 – 2022/23, enabling distinct pre-, during-, and post-pandemic perspectives. Some project objectives require complement analyses with aggregated data at Swedish region and Indian state level. The applicant will participate in two sub-studies of the project, aiming to assess the connections between social frailty, cognitive health, and exploring the impact of macro-level contexts in Sweden and India.

• Data management of two large survey data (predominantly SHARE and LASI) for planned analyses in the project
• Advanced data analyses and reporting of results 
• Presentation of results to the project team orally and in writing  
• Leading and co-authoring manuscripts
• Availability for international travel, including India

Eligible to be employed as a postdoctoral researcher are those who have obtained a doctoral degree, or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree, in the subject area Public Health, Epidemiology, or a similar field. This entry requirement must be fulfilled at the latest at the time the employment decision is made.

• Advanced skills in epidemiological data management and data harmonization
• Experience in applying advanced epidemiological / statistical methods (e.g., causal inference methods, multilevel and mediation modelling, longitudinal modeling) 
• Documented experience in using R or STATA for data management and analysis
• Very good written and oral English skills

As the postdoctoral position is a merit-based position for junior researchers, we mainly target those with a doctoral degree no older than three years from the deadline for applications. If there are special reasons, those who have completed a doctoral degree earlier may be considered. Special reasons refer to leave of absence due to illness, parental leave, clinical service, positions of trust in trade unions or other similar circumstances, and service/assignments relevant to the subject area.

• Health research experience among older adults/elderly
• Interest in interdisciplinary and international collaborations

The employment is a full-time, fixed-term employment for two years according to the terms of the agreement on fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral researcher from 1 February 2022.

The application must include:

• A brief description of your research interests and the reason for applying for the position (max 2 pages)
• CV and a complete publication list
• Information about academic degrees (with verifications)
• Names and contact details of two reference persons

The application should be written in English. The application must be submitted using our digital/web-based recruitment system Varbi. For questions about this employment opportunity, please contact Julia Schröders (umu.se) , PhD ([email protected]), Department of Epidemiology and Global Health (umu.se) , Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. 

Welcome with your application!