PhD in Social Dimensions of Ecosystem Restoration at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden

PhD Position in Social Dimensions of Ecosystem Restoration at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Umeå, Sweden.

This doctoral project sits at the intersection of environmental science, sociology, geography, and political science, with a strong focus on forest management, ecosystem restoration, forest policy, and the social dimensions of implementing the EU’s Nature Restoration Law/Regulation in Sweden. The project examines the needs, values, aspirations, and decision-making of individual private forest owners, and how restoration can support both biodiversity and human well-being across rural landscapes.

The PhD student will work with Harry Fischer (main supervisor), Irina Mancheva (co-supervisor), Eliza Maher Hasselquist, and others, and will be part of a broader research effort including Restoration Futures in Sweden’s forests for biodiversity & human well-being, the WIFORCE program, and interdisciplinary collaboration with ecological research in the Blue Leads Green project.

The project is explicitly social scientific, but interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged. Possible research directions include stakeholder values and perceptions, governance and policy implementation, alternative forest management strategies, knowledge extension for forest owners, and broader visions for sustainable rural landscapes. The student will join a collaborative and inclusive research environment and may also engage with seminars and intellectual life at Umeå University’s Environmental and Natural Resource Politics Research Group.

Funding: 4-year PhD employment at 100% with salary according to the local collective agreement. The position is time-limited and may be extended if departmental teaching/administration duties are assigned (up to 20%).

Eligibility highlights: Master’s degree or equivalent (240 credits with 60 at second-cycle level), qualitative social science research experience, strong English skills, very high Swedish proficiency, valid driver’s license, and ability to conduct extended fieldwork in remote locations.

Application deadline: 18 May 2026. Apply online and upload the required CV, cover letter, research idea, degree documents, thesis, relevant manuscripts, language certificate if needed, and two references.