Faculty of Science is recruiting Assistant Professors in Biodiversity

Students and professors assessing plant diversity after a forest fire. Photo: Kristoffer Hylander

One of the greatest challenges facing our planet is how to halt biodiversity loss driven by multiple, combined anthropogenic stressors such as climate change, habitat transformations and pollution. At a global level, an important milestone was taken at the UN biodiversity conference COP15 in Montreal, where new targets for global biodiversity conservation were established. 

To address these challenges, Stockholm University is announcing up to three assistant lecture positions in the broad field of biodiversity. Each position comes with a generous package of around 1,6 million euros, providing the successful candidates with the opportunity to recruit personnel and to develop a strong, independent research programme. 

The topic deals with biodiversity in a wide sense, including variation and evolution within species, between species and among communities across space and time. It includes the study of molecules, genes, individuals, species and their life conditions, evolution and interactions in the environment. The focus should be on patterns and processes that previously have been difficult to study, but now are possible, due to recent advances in areas such as sequencing, AI, imaging, mass spectrometry, tomography and exposomics. 

The sucesssful candidates will be linked to SciLifeLab and are expected to utilize and develop its state-of-the-art infrastructure. Each position will be formally placed within one of five departments at Stockholm University, depending on the applicant's skill sets and interests: 

1. Department for Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences;
2. Department of Environmental Science;
3. Department of Geological Sciences;
4. Department of Physical Geography;
5. Department of Zoology

No department will recruit more than one person. 

We encourage each applicant to visit the websites of the different departments and familiarize themselves with each department's profile. In your application, please explain how your research could benefit from and compliment the environment at Stockholm University and SciLifeLab. The candidates will be evaluated primarily on their research skills. However, since some teaching is part of the positions, teaching skills will also be evaluated. Examples of teaching subjects at the different departments are provided below. 

Please read the announcement carefully, as it includes instructions on how to apply. 

The application deadline is 20 January 2025. 

Please visit this webpage to apply. 

Puffball mushroom, spider and aquatic microbes. Photo: Kristoffer Hylander, Rachel Foster.

Below are the research areas and examples of teaching subjects for each department.

Department for Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences

Studies of biodiversity in marine and terrestrial ecosystems from an ecological, systematic, evolutionary, ecophysiological or environmental perspective. Teaching might include basic and advanced levels in ecology, marine biology, plant systematics or plant physiology. 

Department of Environmental Science
Studies of microbial diversity in environmental processes and anthropogenic impacts, for example degradation or transformation of environmental pollutants within biota and ecosystems, as well as airborne dynamics such as aerosol formation. The position involves participation in research education and teaching in environmental sciences. 

Department of Geological Sciences
Molecular palaeontology reveals hidden perspectives on diversity, evolution and ecology in deep-time geological archives. Important here is reseach that extends beyond the range of DNA preservation (>1 million years), where resistant biomolecules and diagenetic products, together with traditional fossils, trace life processes under the broadest spectrum of earth's environmental extremes. Teaching might include for example basic and advanced level courses in biogeochemistry and palaeobiologic.

Department of Physical Geography
Studies of biodiversity in physical geography can be conducted at micro-scales to global scales, for example focusing on microbial diversity or biogeography. Important aspects are link to biodiversity to different ecosystem function and provisioning of essential services under global change. Teaching might include involvement in for example basic and advanced level courses in soil science. 

Department of Zoology
Studies of biodiversity within and/or across species focusing on animal ecology, behaviour, physiology and genetics. Teaching will be in basic and advanced levels in zoology.