This is the NJ Faculty

Page reviewed:  12/02/2025

At the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Science (NJ) we work with what is the prerequisite for life: soil, water and biodiversity - with focus on agricultural issues.

The mission of the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences is to advance and impart knowledge that will lead to management of our natural resources in an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable manner.

The faculty encompasses a wide range of disciplines and is divided into 12 departments. Alongside the departments are a number of collaborative centres and research platforms.

Most of our deparments and units, as well as the faculty office, are located in Uppsala, although important work is also done at Umeå, Öregrund, Drottningholm, Karlskrona, Skara, Lysekil and Grimsö.

Short facts about the NJ faculty

Students: 1044
Employees: 1060
Professors: 60
Doctoral students: 200
Turnover: SEK 1673 million, external finansing degree 61% (EMA 73%)

(From the annual report of 2023.)

The Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NJ) is responsible for many of the educational programmes at SLU.

Welcome to #studysustainably with us at our Master´s programmes!

Our master programmes

  • Agricultural Economics and Management
  • EnvEuro
  • Sustainable Food Systems
  • Sustainable Development (in cooperation with Uppsala University)
  • Rural Development and Natural Resource Management
  • Soil, Water and Environment
  • Environmental Economics and Management
  • Environmental Communication and Management
  • Agricultural, Food and Environmental Policy Analysis
  • Plant Biology for Sustainable Production

More information about education at SLU

The NJ Faculty runs seven research schools:

  • Society and Landscape
  • Sustainable Biomass Systems
  • Ecology- basics and applications
  • Focus on food and biomaterials
  • Focus on Soils and Water
  • Organism Biology
  • Social Science Perspectives on Sustainable Development

All research schools at SLU

Doctoral education at SLU

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is one of Sweden’s top research universities, with an extensive range of research degrees on offer.  As a doctoral candidate, you will be a part of a supportive research community and an exciting and challenging research culture.

Read more about doctoral education at SLU.

At the NJ Faculty, we carry out research within Natural Sciences as well as within Social Sciences and the Humanities. More information can be found at each Department's webpage.

Strong Basic Research

Basic research is a prerequisite of innovative and powerful applications. Below follows some examples of our strong basic research programmes.

  • The ecology of nitrogen cycling communities with emphasis on denitrifying organisms
  • Effect of plant oils on fish metabolism and the significance of the fatty acid composition
  • Environmental chemistry focusing on fate and exposure of persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
  • Significance of species diversity for ecosystem function

Sector Related Research

The researchers of the NJ Faculty formulate, in dialogue with industry and authorities, important issues that have bearing on sustainable agriculture and forestry, for example:

  • Carbohydrate quality in cereals
  • Biological methods of pest control
  • Sustainable biofuel production
  • Plant breeding of Salix
  • Stump harvest for climate benefit

Peak Research

According to the evaluation of our university in 2009, Quality and Impact Opens in new window, there are several internationally competitive and excellent research groups among the departments of the NJ Faculty. The highest ranked areas are:

  • Ecology
  • Plant Biology
  • Plant Protection

Collaboration with industry, authorities and organisations is a natural part of SLU activities. The university contributes with knowledge and competence in various collaboration projects.

The Faculty's experts in different subjects combine proficiency in research with extension activities in their subject areas. Please, contact them if you have any questions.

SLU's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment (EMA) meets society's need for decision support, including support for Sweden's national environmental objectives and international environmental cooperation.

EMA works in twelve programmes. Seven of them are organized within the NJ Faculty:

  • Biodiversity
  • Alpine/Arctic landscapes
  • Acidification
  • Coastal and sea areas
  • Agricultural landscapes
  • Lakes and watercourses
  • Eutrophication

We have many unique resources at the NJ faculty. Plant cultivation facility, greenhouses, NMR-instrumnets, Mass Spectrometry and Lysimeter are examples of available, expensive equipment. 

Here you can find a lits of available faciliteis.