1- Phd student in Biology or Animal Science – Reindeer husbandry:
Ref SLU.ua.2022.2.5.1-2293
Department of Animal nutrition and management: The Department of Animal nutrition and management (HUV) offers an inspiring research environment where we conduct basic and applied research on feed, animal metabolism, handling and management in various animal production systems from extensive (pastoral) systems to precision livestock farming. HUV is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate education in the areas of nutritional physiology, feed science, management issues and aquaculture.
Within the topic Reindeer husbandry our goal is to develop knowledge that strengthens the long-term sustainability of reindeer husbandry and provides tools that help the industry to cope with external stress from natural factors as well as other land uses. We perform research and education within the topic reindeer husbandry and reindeer biology. The research focuses on production conditions of the reindeer husbandry and interaction with the surrounding world. Reinforcing the reindeer husbandry facing increasing external stress
Description:
Reindeer husbandry is a pastoral production system where the reindeer herders make use of animals’ natural adaptation to the environment and their ability to transfer otherwise underutilised resources into meat and other products. Reindeer husbandry is a vital part of Sami culture and society and important for many local communities as well as a number of other indigenous peoples throughout the Arctic. Rapid and pronounced climate change in the Arctic causes distress, challenges and economic uncertainty in the pastoral reindeer herding system of indigenous Sami. Furthermore, competing anthropogenic activities continuously increases and inhibits the flexibility of the system. In this project we will investigate the possibilities and limitations for herders in a northern pastoral system facing increasing external stress to adapt to the effects of climate change.
In this PhD-project the graduate student will use 25 years records of reindeer numbers and slaughter from the 51 herding communities in Sweden, and a unique 40-year set of records from 20,000 individually marked calves and their mothers collected from one herding community. Weather events, access to pasture, external land use and herders’ management strategies will be related to reindeer performance and herd productivity over time.
The project will be based on a co-production of knowledge approach together with reindeer husbandry. The graduate student will be partly responsible for collecting experience-based knowledge from reindeer herders in Sweden and Norway regarding strategies and selection in reindeer husbandry work and the possibilities for a more developed individual marking system of reindeer.
Qualifications:
A master degree in Biology, Animal Science or Animal agronomy, or similar is suitable. Good ability to communicate in oral and written English is a requirement, as is good computer skills. Good knowledge in speaking and writing in the Scandinavian languages is a merit. Knowledge of scientific work, population biology, statistics, remote sensing, field work is a merit as well as knowledge of reindeer husbandry. You should have a driving license (B). Furthermore, great emphasis is put on personal and communiticative skills such as good collaboration and the ability to work independently.
The application can be written in Swedish or English and must contain a maximum of one A4 page where you describe why you want to work with research in general and this project in particular. Enter the names and contact details of two reference persons in your application.
Place of work:
Uppsala
Forms for funding or employment:
Employment as a doctoral student for 4 years
Starting date:
1 October 2022 or according to agreement.
Application:
Click the “Apply” button to submit your application. The deadline is 2022-08-15.
To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.
Applicants will be selected based on their written application and CV, degree project, copies of their degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution, two personal references, and knowledge of English.
Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport’s information page containing their photograph and personal details.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.
SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.
Contact person
Anna Skarin
Professor
+46 (0)18 671954
anna.skarin@slu.se
2- PhD position in Animal Science [Poultry ]:
Ref SLU.ua.2022.2.5.1-2349
The Department of Animal Nutrition and Management (HUV) conduct basic and applied research focused on feed, nutrition and management of production animals. The goal is to create a sustainable and profitable production with good animal care that provides high quality food. Our department is responsible for undergraduate education, research and postgraduate education in the subject areas of nutritional physiology, feed science, management issues and aquaculture. HUV offers an inspiring research environment where we study metabolic processes and nutrient utilization in animals, management in various animal production systems.
Our research in poultry focuses on broiler chickens and laying hens with a focus on nutrition, housing and management. Our goal is to conduct need-driven research that generate new knowledge that combines improved animal welfare, high competitiveness and low environmental cost. The food should have high quality and be safe for consumers. Our research comprises both conventional and alternative production systems for layers and broiler chickens.
PhD student for a project on laying hens and reduction of ammonia emission
Project description:
In Sweden, the majority of laying hens is housed in cage-free environments with access to littered floor areas. The littered area increases the behavioural repertoire of the laying hen in a positive way. However, manure accumulating in the litter will increase the ammonia concentration in the indoor air, as nitrogen in the manure is converted to ammonia by bacteria and in chemical processes.
The gas ammonia is detrimental for the respiratory tract of both poultry and humans, and ammonia ventilated from barns contributes to acidification and eutrophication. Agriculture accounts for almost 90 percent of the total ammonia emissions to air in Sweden, and it is urgent to find measures to reduce the emissions from animal stables. The present project aims at investigating alternative litter materials and feed compositions with potential to reduce ammonia emission in laying hen facilities.
Work tasks:
The project involves experiments with laying hens at SLU:s research facility outside Uppsala. The work tasks include planning of trials, practical work at the research facility when trials are running, data collection, laboratory work, statistical analyses and scientific publication. The student is expected to participate in teaching at BSc and MSc level.
Qualifications:
A university degree of at least 240 higher education credits is required, see below. We are looking for a candidate who have a degree in Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Biology or in an equivalent subject. You must have a proven ability to communicate in written and oral English. Therefore, upper secondary school grade equivalents to English B/English 6 are required.
Experience of laboratory work, molecular methods, and a general knowledge about poultry and their nutrition is a merit. You should have driving license (Swedish, class B). Personal suitability for the work tasks, such as good collaboration skills, ability to work independently, flexibility and good analytic and problem solving capacity, will be of great importance in the assessment of candidates.
The application, written in Swedish or in English, should include a description of why this research project is of interest to you (max one A4-page).
Place of work:
Uppsala
Forms for funding or employment:
Employment 4 years
Starting date:
According to agreement.
Application:
Click the “Apply” button to submit your application. The deadline is 2022-08-15.
To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.
Applicants will be selected based on their written application and CV, degree project, copies of their degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution, two personal references, and knowledge of English.
Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport’s information page containing their photograph and personal details.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is a world-class international university with research, education and environmental assessment within the sciences for sustainable life. Its principal sites are in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, but activities are also conducted at research stations, experimental parks and educational establishments throughout Sweden. We bring together people who have different perspectives, but they all have one and the same goal: to create the best conditions for a sustainable, thriving and better world.
SLU has just over 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and a turnover of SEK 3 billion. The university has invested heavily in a modern, attractive environment on its campuses.
Contact person
Helena Wall
Professor
+4618671670
helena.wall@slu.se