PhD position in Economics, focusing on Environmental Economics and Gender

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 Economics at Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics (USBE), together with Umeå Centre for Gender Studies (UCGS), is looking for a PhD student in Environmental Economics and Gender. We welcome your application no later than February 2, 2024.

Gender aspects are largely absent in the design and evaluation of environmental, climate and energy policies. For policies to be deemed economically efficient and fair, it is important that policy makers acknowledge that behaviors and preferences may differ between gender groups. If such differences are not accounted for, a proposed policy may be designed in a way which does not maximize the probability to reach a given target at the lowest possible cost. Furthermore, the burden of this cost may be distributed unfairly, thereby perpetuating inequalities and reducing people’s acceptance for environmental policies.

This doctoral project sets out to analyze economic behaviors within environmental, climate and energy domains, from a gender perspective. It further aims to investigate if/to which extent policies in these domains can be deemed economically unfair from a gender perspective, and whether the effectiveness of the policies can be increased while striving for inequalities not being perpetuated.

As a doctoral student you will have a large influence over the project's direction, and thus use your creativity and your intellect to develop it further. If you are interested in environmental economics, and have a strong interest in gender issues, then this is the project for you! 

Research environment
The Department of Economics has around 30 employees and teaches about 240 students per year (full time equivalents). The dominating research areas are Environmental Economics, Labor Economics and Public Economics. Other active areas of research are Behavioral Economics, Economics of Education, Econometrics, Health Economics, Industrial Organization and Welfare Economics.

Currently, there are six professors and four associate professors active at the department, providing young scholars with excellent opportunities for supervision and personal development. The research environment is open and friendly, and doctoral students are fully integrated into the department’s activities as staff members.

The doctoral student will work within the Department of Economics at USBE and will also belong to the Graduate School of Gender Studies at UCGS. A PhD student at the Graduate School of Gender Studies will take part in a unique and dynamic research environment, in which about 25 PhD students are participating. For more information on the Graduate School of Gender Studies, see: www.umu.se/en/umea-centre-for-gender-studies/doctoral-studies/the-graduate-school-of-gender-studies/ .

Work description
As a PhD student in the Department of Economics, you are expected to take courses specified by your study plan, to work independently on your PhD project as well as collaborate within the research group, and to participate in seminars and other department activities. You are also expected to participate in activities within the Graduate School of Gender Studies, for example seminars, workshops and termly away-days. 

Requirements and qualifications

• The general requirement for admission is a degree on advanced level, or the applicant having a total of 240 ECT credits of which 60 credits are at the advanced level.
• The specific requirement for admission is that the applicant has at least 90 ECT credits in Economics.
• The main qualifications are scientific skills, a strong interest in research, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team to accomplish the required tasks.
• Applicants must be proficient in both oral and written English.
• Applicants with a degree from a non-Swedish university are encouraged to provide their results from the GMAT (and/or GRE) and TOEFL tests if available
• Documented skills in using quantitative methods such as Mathematics and Econometrics is a merit.
• Documented knowledge and qualifications with a focus on gender issues/gender studies is a merit.

Application
The application shall contain the following documents:

• A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, scientific interests and motives for applying (max 2 pages).
• Curriculum Vitae.
• A research proposal (max 2 pages) which outlines suggested research questions, data and methods aligned with the research project presented above, and which describes how the proposal contributes to the current literature in environmental economics. The research proposal will play an important role for the selection of candidates.
• Degree certificates.
• Bachelor- and/or Master theses or similar documentation of research skills.
• Name and contact information of two references.

The application should be written in Swedish or English (preferably) and submitted via the University recruiting system. The last day to apply is February 2, 2024. USBE strives for an even gender distribution and we particularly welcome female applicants.

The evaluation will be based on the cover letter, the research proposal, the quality of degree theses at Bachelor and/or Master’s level, scientific publications and the interview. To be able to separate candidates with comparable merits we may choose to evaluate the candidate’s performance in a writing assignment, carried out after the interview.

Additional information
Normally, the PhD program amounts to four years of full-time studies. The PhD position may also include part-time teaching (up to 20%). If so, the total time for the position is extended corresponding to the teaching time.

The location of the position is Umeå. Participation in the department's activities is expected. Information about the PhD program and general study plan can be found here: https://www.umu.se/en/usbe/education/doctoral-studies/economics/

For further information contact the director of doctoral studies, Professor Tomas Sjögren, [email protected] , and the project leader, Associate Professor Göran Bostedt, [email protected] .

Umeå University will offer a salary according to the current salary order for doctoral studies.

More about USBE
As an internationally respected, nationally influential, and regionally rooted part of Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, Economics, and Statistics contributes to societal development through education and research of a high international standard.

Through interplay with surrounding society, we provide education and research that contributes to the understanding, ability, and responsibility of individuals in relation to societal challenges and the importance of sustainable development.

The Department of Business Administration, the Department of Economics, the Department of Statistics and The USBE office form USBE, with about 150 employees. About 3800 students study in our programs every year and we offer education from the undergraduate to the doctoral program level in all our main disciplines – Business Administration, Economics and Statistics.

USBE is an AACSB and ISO 14001 accredited business school. Read more about USBE here: https://www.umu.se/en/usbe/

We look forward to receiving your application!