Forests are under threat of the climate change and we need to find alternatives to our coniferous forests. We now offer you a fantastic opportunity to join a new Centre of Excellence in fast growing broadleaf trees for sustainable forests, materials and energy.

‘Trees For Me’ centre is an internationally leading, interdisciplinary, science-based platform that collaborates with stakeholders representing the whole forest-based value chain, and aims to build research excellence and knowledge for Swedish forest, wood and energy sectors.

We are accepting applications for PhD student in the new Centre of Excellence in Fast Growing Broadleaves (TREES FOR ME) at the Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre at SLU. The centre works in close collaboration with the forestry sector and other stakeholders.

TREES FOR ME Competence Centre

Climate change puts our forests at risk and currently, the forest biomass production is neither secure, sustainable nor sufficient to meet the future demands of both the energy and process industry sector. 

‘TREES FOR ME’ is a centre of excellence on fast growing broadleaves, i.e. poplar, aspen, hybrid aspen and birch, for sustainable forests, materials and energy. Fifty partner organizations representing academic and research institutes, and the enterprise and public sectors will collaborate in TREES FOR ME working together to find solutions to mitigate some of these future risks to forest health.

The centre’s goal is to develop science-based, innovative solutions for, and build future competence in, a new forest biomass supply system for conversion to high-value material and energy products. In total, 13 PhD students will be recruited to the centre and will collaborate with stakeholders representing the whole forest-based value chain, to build research excellence and knowledge for Swedish energy and forest sectors and society in general.

Apply for doctoral positions

We are currently welcoming applications for 13 doctoral positions for several multidisciplinary projects:

• PhD student position in population genomics (Uppsala University)
• PhD student position in forest genetics with focus on silver birch flowering and seed production (Skogforsk, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in silviculture with focus on management of planted birch (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in forest pathology with focus on fast growing broadleaves (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in ecology with focus on biodiversity implications of short-rotation broadleaf production forests (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in forest policy with focus on system innovation to promote fast growing broadleaves in Swedish forestry (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in silviculture with focus on regeneration of birch (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in human geography (Umeå University)
• PhD student position in technology, with focus on climate effects of biomass supply systems based on fast-growing broadleaves (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences)
• PhD student position in machine design in the area of autonomous forest vehicles (Luleå University of Technology)
• PhD student position in energy engineering with special emphasis on thermochemical conversion of fast-growing broadleaves trees – ash forming processes (Luleå University of Technology)
• PhD student position in energy engineering with special emphasis on thermochemical conversion of fast-growing broadleaf trees (Luleå University of Technology)
• PhD student position in energy engineering with special emphasis on systems analysis of value chains based on fast growing broadleaf trees (Luleå University of Technology)

You are very welcome to apply to more than one doctoral position! Trees For Me is funded by Energimyndigheten, the universities, Skogforsk, public as well as private stakeholders.