A veterinarian or an agronomist for a position as PhD-student - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The National Veterinary Institute, SVA, is a Swedish national authority that strives for good animal and human health, a good environment and sustainable food production. SVA has around 370 employees and is situated at the Ultuna campus in Uppsala.

The Department of Animal Health and Antimicrobial Strategies, DOA, has expertise in antibiotics and endemic animal diseases. We are looking for a student with an interest in ruminants and food production.

Our new research project ”Ruminants in a flexible food chain” focuses on food security and animal health from a preparedness perspective. Food production in Sweden needs to continue even during times of change. Fluctuating weather, climate change, crises and changed political landscapes all require flexible solutions to ensure continued production of safe and highly quality food using effective and environmentally friendly methods. Sweden is a long country, which means that both changes and mitigation measures can differ in different parts of the country. We may need to adapt our food production to new systems, new animal species and new products. To do this, our animals need to be healthy and raised sustainably, with little negative impact on the environment and climate and a positive impact on biodiversity. We can not risk that changes in food production leads to decreased biosecurity, animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance.

Responsibilites of the position

Your task, together with a group of supervisors, will be to survey current food production using ruminants in Sweden and investigate how it could change in different scenarios, both nationally and regionally. Using modelling and risk analyses you will map how different situations may affect animal health and spread of infections and what type of actions will be needed. Moreover, you will explore farmers’ perception of shifts in food production. Your employment will involve collaboration with many different groups as well as oral presentations and publishing in scientific journals.

Do you have the skills we need?

You are required to be able to express yourself well in Swedish and English, both orally and written. We value good interpersonal skills and seek someone who thrives working in a group and with people of different backgrounds, ethnicity, and gender. The work requires extensive data modelling and experience and interest in mathematical analyses is therefore desirable. Employment will begin as soon as the suitable candidate is found.

The project is a transdisciplinary cooperation between SVA and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SLU, and several partners within the Formas granted food consortium SustAinimal. If you are selected for the position, you will be registered as a PhD-student at SLU, with the goal to finish your dissertation within four years.

SustAinimal (www.sustainimal.se) is a research center composed of academia, research institutes and stakeholders from the whole food production value chain in Sweden that through a transdisciplinary approach will increase our knowledge on the role of livestock in future food production.  SustAinimal considers environmental, social, and economic aspects and follows cutting-edge research. SustAinimal postulates that change, development, and innovation are necessary to accomplish the required change in society for competitive agriculture and future food production that are both resilient and sustainable. Our goal is to provide society with the opportunity to make informed, conscious, and independent decisions to produce and consume responsibly. All PhD students in SustAinimal are expected to actively participate in ‘SustAinimal Academy’. SustAinimal Academy is a meeting platform for young researchers in SustAinimal with its own Summer School, courses, and other activities.