PhD student within sustainable and climate friendly cattle production

Publiceringsdatum: 2025-11-04

Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet söker just nu efter en doktorand och du kan vara den de letar efter. Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet behöver någon som vill arbeta heltid. Om du är tillgänglig för 6 månader eller längre, ta en titt på denna jobbannons. Uppsala är platsen där denna position är ledig.

Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet har just nu en ledig tjänst som doktorand. Om du vill ta din karriär till nästa nivå, ta en titt på deras jobbannons och se om jobbet passar dig! Söker du efter en spännande karriär som doktorand? Sök jobbet hos Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet senast lördag den tjugonde december 2025 och bli en del av deras team.

Jobbannons

Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare

The goal at our institution is to promote good animal husbandry and animal welfare as well as sustainable food production with high product quality. We do this through research and education on animals with a focus on feed and nutrition, management and the environment, ethology, animal ethics and animal welfare. We are about 125 employees working in Uppsala, Skara, Umeå and Gothenburg.

As a PhD student, you will be in a creative and stimulating environment with the opportunity to network with both the business community and international contacts.

More information about the department: Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Evaluating Swedish feed additives for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in sustainable cattle production systems

Research subject: Animal Science

Description

Global warming is one of the greatest challenges of our time, with agriculture contributing significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Among agricultural sources, cattle production is a major emitter of methane, a potent greenhouse gas produced during rumen fermentation. In Sweden, new feed additives are currently being developed to reduce enteric methane emissions from cattle and promote sustainable and climate friendly livestock production.

This PhD project will focus on evaluating the potential of these Swedish feed additives through a combination of in vitro and in vivo studies. A series of in vitro gas production experiments will be conducted to screen and identify the most promising additives. The best-performing feed additives will then be tested in vivo using the GreenFeed system to measure methane emissions and calculate feed efficiency based on collected gas data. The in vivo experiments will be carried out at the Röbäcksdalen dairy research facility in Umeå and includes a long-term study in which high-quality forage will be utilized as feed source.

The PhD student will be responsible for designing and conducting the in vitro experiment, conducting two in vivo experiments with dairy cattle, analyzing collected data, as well as conducting a life-cycle assessment and publishing findings in international scientific journals. The candidate is also expected to present research findings at national and international conferences, write popular science summaries, and participate in teaching and supervision of Master students.

Qualifications

We are looking for a motivated candidate with documented experience in animal science related studies, ruminant nutrition, in vitro gas production techniques, and work involving cattle, including in vivo measurements of greenhouse gas emissions (e.g., using GreenFeed).

At the time of employment, a completed Master’s degree is required. Excellent written and spoken English skills are required, as the working environment is highly international. Knowledge of Swedish or another Nordic language is considered a strong merit.

The position also requires a category B driver’s license.

Place of work:      

Umeå

Forms for funding or employment:

Employment as a doctoral student, 100% (4 years of education)

Starting date:

1st of February or according to agreement. 

Application

Click the “Apply” button to submit your application. The deadline is 2025-12-20.

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. More information about the English language requirements can be found here: https://www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/application-admission-doctoral-studies/

Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, or equivalent, 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.

Read about the PhD education at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/study/programmes-courses/doctoral-education/

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.