Doctoral student in Environmental and Energy Systems

Sapere Aude—dare to be wise—is our motto. Our students and employees develop knowledge and expertise that enrich both people and the world around them. Our academic environment is characterised by curiosity, courage and perseverance. Gender equality, diversity and a democratic approach form the foundation of our organisation. We are located in an active and scenic region and we promote sustainable development in close collaboration with the wider society.
 
Karlstad University has a total of approximately 1,400 employees and 17,300 students spread across two inspiring campus environments in Karlstad and Arvika.
 
More information at: kau.se/en/work-with-us

This doctoral student recruitment is a unique opportunity to start your research career with an established network from the start. If you, like us, are passionate about developing sustainable solutions to maximise resource efficiency in biorefinery plants, we encourage you to apply for the position!

Description

The Faculty of Health, Science and Technology invites applications for a doctoral studentship in Environmental and Energy Systems at The Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences. The Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences has around 65 staff members and offers courses as part of four engineering study programmes as well as the teachers training programmes. The department comprises the four subjects, building and construction engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, and environmental and energy systems, as well as a research group Pro2BE (Processes and Products for a Circular Bio-economy).

In the subject of environmental and energy systems, and in collaboration with the research group Pro2BE, the project WoodVALOR is now searching for a doctoral student. This is an innovative bio-economy project with 11 partners across six European countries. The project focuses on developing and optimising advanced purification and fractionation processes to maximise resource efficiency, aiming for the complete reuse of the contaminated wood waste. Karlstad University is a part of this consortium and we are now looking for a motivated doctoral student to contribute significantly to the project. The doctoral project attempts to develop a decision platform based on a superstructure/mathematical modeling to determine the most sustainable biorefining pathway of contaminated wood waste for chemicals, nutrients and material recovery. Different methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA), and Social-LCA will be taken into account to evaluate environmental performance, techno-economic capacity and societal acceptance of the developed scenarios. Basic inventory data for supply chain analysis at the pilot scale will be provided by project partners through experimental studies. One of these studies, planned at Karlstad University as part of this doctoral project, will apply advanced chemical pulping methodologies to decontaminated wood to achieve hemicellulose of high yield, cellulosic fibers and lignin.

Duties

As a doctoral student, you will primarily dedicate time to your own studies. The doctoral programme, comprising 240 credits for a Degree of Doctor, is an opportunity to study in combination with work and provides a stepping stone for a career in academia. The doctoral student is expected to work independently and be prepared to contribute to the activities and development of the subject and the department. The research project for which this position will work within is one of the sub-projects in the final phase and will be extremely important for the final delivery of the whole.

Work as a doctoral student allows for great freedom and flexibility in terms of how you structure your day. It takes commitment, discipline and a structured approach in order to successfully complete a doctoral thesis. Experienced supervisors offer guidance and support along the way. To contribute to a positive work environment and further the department’s activities, we expect you to be a present and active part of the day-to-day operations and workplace community.

Qualification requirements

To be eligible for a doctoral studentship, the applicant must meet the general and specific entry requirements (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35).

To meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 39).

For special eligibility to be admitted to the doctoral program in Environmental and Energy Systems, knowledge equivalent to a degree at the advanced level within the subject area is required. Those who do not meet the specific eligibility requirement but have acquired equivalent knowledge in another way may be declared eligible.

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

Admission and assessment criteria

To be eligible for doctoral studies, the applicant must be considered to have the ability required to benefit from the programme (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 7, Sect. 35). Admission is based on individual assessment.

Special weight will be given to study experience in the following areas related to the project:

• Process simulation in a biorefinery context
• Life cycle assessment
• Techno-economic analysis
• Social life cycle assessment

Special weight will be given to experience with programming languages (e.g. Python or MATLAB), and considerable weight will be given to lab experience as well as to applicants’ academic merits.  It is meritorious with publications in peer-reviewed journals relevant to the project.

We seek a structured and flexible person with good written and verbal communication skills. As a doctoral student you need to be good at taking initiatives and work independently. Since the sub-project for this position will have great importance for the final delivery, you are required to appreciate working in a goal-oriented manner and delivering with high quality.

Terms

Upon admission to doctoral studies, the person will be offered the appointment of doctoral student (Higher Education Ordinance, Chap. 5, Sect. 3). The position comprises four years of full-time studies, or five years at a study rate of 80% with 20% teaching or other departmental duties. The position is fixed-term — one year initially, followed by possible extensions by a maximum of two years at a time. Start date by agreement, but with the latest start date being September 1, 2025.

The salary for the doctoral studentship corresponds to the standard level of salary for doctoral students and progresses in accordance with a local collective agreement.

Application

Submit the application via the University’s web-based recruitment tool, Varbi. Applicants are responsible for submitting a complete application in accordance with the advertisement, for providing translations of any documents written in a language other than Swedish, Norwegian, Danish or English, and for ensuring that the documentation allows for objective and qualitative assessments. A complete application should be submitted by the application deadline. An incomplete application may jeopardise a fair assessment of qualifications.

The application should include:

• a cover letter where the applicant details the reasons behind their interest in the position
• a list of qualifications (CV)
• degree certificate with a complete transcript of the courses included, or a certified list of completed courses with grades and dates
• copy of Master’s thesis or equivalent
• where applicable, copies of publications or certificates for other qualifications
• a brief research plan (1,000–2,500 words)
• any letters of recommendation
• two references, such as a teacher, supervisor, or previous or current superior.

Attach all the documents and publications you wish to be considered to the electronic application (do not just provide links). Name each uploaded document to clearly indicate its content. Documents that cannot be submitted electronically should be sent to the following address:

Karlstads universitet
Hanna Ljungdahl
651 88 KARLSTAD
Sweden

Application deadline: 2025-05-04
State the reference number: REK 2025/18

Applicants with qualifications from abroad

If you have qualifications from a university outside Sweden or if they have not been recognised by a Swedish authority before, it is important that you attach degree certificates and official transcripts to facilitate the recognition of foreign qualifications.
Provide a contact for the degree-awarding institution (phone number or email) who can verify your qualifications.

We look forward to your application!

Karlstad University has chosen advertising channels for this recruitment and firmly declines any contact with advertising or recruitment agencies.

HR Excellence in Research
Karlstad University received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research award September 2020. The award is issued to employers with a stimulating work environment and good conditions for researchers and its continuous improvement. The award also conveys the university’s commitment to fair and transparent recruitment as well as favorable professional development for researchers. Read more: kau.se/hrs4r

1. Stefan Frodeson, Head of department, +46547002081
2. Ali Mohammadi, Associate professor, +46733016759

1. Thomas Bragefors, SACO, 054-7001714
2. Denita Gustavsson, OFR, 054-7001434