Postdoctoral researcher (2 years) within environmental chemistry

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.

The Department of Chemistry within focus on development of research probes in general that will be applied in a project focusing on pancreatic cancer. The Department of Chemistry invites applicants for a postdoctoral employment (2 years) focusing within the project "Are bats exposed to chemicals primarily via the aquatic environment?" The project will focus on environmental pollutants in the aquatic environment and how these bioconcentrate in insects. The project will also include a larger screening of chemical pollutants in different bat populations globally. The employment is full-time for two years starting on 1 April 2024, or as agreed.

We are now looking for an excellent post-doc for a project that focus on bats and their exposure to anthropogenic chemicals. Several anthropogenic chemicals enter our waterways annually and exposed aquatic insects bioaccumulate these chemicals by multiple orders of magnitude.  Insectivores, such as bats, then consume these insects and get exposed to unproportionally high levels. This exposure could have a wide range of ecotoxicological implications including the evolution of viral variants that are resistant to antiviral drugs.

This high-profile, multidisciplinary research project, have the specific aims of determine bioaccumulations factors in an invertebrate model for a few relevant polar emerging chemicals. We will also investigate the transfer of chemicals during emergence for these chemicals as well as measure chemicals in bat samples collected worldwide.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, 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 appointment decision.

To be appointed under the postdoctoral agreement, 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, 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. Postdoctoral fellows who are to teach or supervise must have taken relevant courses in teaching and learning in higher education.

Additional requirements are: Applicants must have a PhD in environmental chemistry/analytical chemistry or equivalent and have previous experience in both sampling and analyzes based on LC-MS/MS. Good communication skills in English, both oral and written, are a requirement. We are looking for you who drives your studies forward independently as well as in collaboration with other members of the team, independence and good collaborative skills are therefore requirements.

Meriting criteria are: Previous experience in sample processing of biota samples is meritorious.

A full application should include:

- A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, your scientific interests, your motives for applying, and how you feel you meet the essential and meriting criteria (max 2 pages),

- Curriculum vitae (CV) with publication list,

- Copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the degree of doctor is expected to be obtained,

- Copies of other diplomas, list of completed academic courses and grades,

- Copy of doctoral thesis and up to five relevant articles,

- Other documents that you wishes to claim.

- Contact information to two persons willing to act as references.

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 3 January 2024. The candidate’s physical workplace will be in Umeå, Sweden.

Further details are provided by Associate Professor Jerker Berglund Fick, [email protected]

The Department of Chemistry is one of the largest departments within the Faculty of Science and Technology with approximately 200 employees and strong and expanding research. The Department has four major research areas: Biological Chemistry, IBEAM, Organic chemistry and Technical Chemistry. We are also a strong partner in the KBC, Chemical-Biological Center. For more information about working at Umeå University, https://www.umu.se/en/work-with-us/ .