Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor – data-driven evolution and biodiversity

A position as Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor (tenure track) within the area Data-Driven Evolution and Biodiversity in aquatic or terrestrial environments is open at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Sweden. The candidate can select to place the position within any of the following strong research environments: fish genomics, ecology and sustainable management (Dept. Aquatic Resources), fungal ecology (Dept. Soil and Environment), forest landscape use and management (Dept of Forest Ecology and Management), terrestrial microbiology and plant pathology (Dept. Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology), inventory and analysis of terrestrial resources and the environment (Dept. of Forest Resource Management), aquatic biodiversity, microbial ecology and environmental genomics (Dept. Aquatic Sciences and Assessment), terrestrial and aquatic ecology (Dept. of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies), plant genomics and plant cell and molecular biology (Dept. Plant Biology). For more information about the environments, please read here.

Through research, education, environmental assessment, and collaboration within the land-based sectors, SLU advances knowledge for the sustainable use of natural resources, sustainable societal development, and improved quality of life on our planet.

Working at SLU you will have ample access to world-class infrastructures for life science research. The university is fully committed to and make use of national molecular bioscience infrastructures, including SciLifeLab platforms for genomics, proteomics, imaging, bioinformatics, and high-performance computing. SLU provides access to extensive datasets that can be used to develop machine learning methods and automated analyses relevant to the position. Long-term datasets are available from, i.a. field experiments and research stations across the country, as well as from environmental monitoring programs with associated national data hosting. SLU also engages in the Swedish Biodiversity Data Infrastructure (SBDI) and maintains the Swedish Species Observation System.

Data-driven life science (DDLS) uses data, computational methods and artificial intelligence to study biological systems and processes at all levels, from molecular structures and cellular processes to human health and global ecosystems. The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS), coordinated by SciLifeLab, aims to recruit and train the next-generation of data-driven life scientists and to create globally leading computational and data science capabilities in Sweden. The program is funded with a total of 3.3 billion SEK (about 350 MUSD) over 12 years from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg (KAW) Foundation.

The DDLS program funds 50 high-profile young group leaders (“Fellows”), over 210 postdoctoral positions and has established a research school for 260 PhDs, including industry PhDs and postdocs. Fellows are recruited to the 11 participating host universities/organizations, but brought together under the DDLS program, which has four strategic areas: cell and molecular biology, evolution and biodiversity, precision medicine and diagnostics, epidemiology and biology of infection. For more information, please see www.scilifelab.se/data-driven.

During 2022-2024, the first and second round of 39 Fellows joined and now we are looking to recruit an additional group of 11 Fellows. Each DDLS Fellow will receive a recruitment package of 17 MSEK (about 1.6 MUSD) for a 5-year period, covering their own salary and other resources, such as salaries for PhD students and postdoc positions. The Fellowships are tenure-track positions with the host organizations, which assume the responsibility for the long-term faculty appointments following a tenure evaluation.

The future of life science is data-driven. Will you be leading the change with us? Then join us in this unique program!

At the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, we are looking to fill the position as DDLS fellow in Data driven evolution and biodiversity.

Subject area

Data-driven evolution and biodiversity concerns research that takes advantage of the massive data streams offered by techniques such as high-throughput sequencing of genomes and biomes, continuous recording of video and audio in the wild, high-throughput imaging of biological specimens, and large-scale remote monitoring of organisms or habitats. The applicant is expected to have a strong computational focus on innovative development and application of novel data-driven methods relying on machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other computational techniques.

The subject area concerns research in the general area of evolution and biodiversity with a strong computational profile. This research subject area aims to lead to innovative development and/or application of novel data-driven methods relying on machine learning, artificial intelligence, or other computational techniques. The specific subject area is focused on the ecological and evolutionary processes generating and shaping the diversity of plants, animals and/or microorganisms and how these influence ecosystems. Diversity should be interpreted in the broad sense and include taxonomic, genomic, and functional aspects. The subject area can encompass variable scales of biological inquiry, from molecules and genes to populations, communities, ecosystems, landscapes, and biomes in aquatic or terrestrial environments.

Duties

The Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor is expected to develop her/his own research line in the subject area. Research should be carried out in close collaboration with colleagues at the department and SLU, as well as through national and international collaborations.

In addition, the holder of the position is also expected to:

• apply for external research funding in competition and publish scientific articles
• initiate the development of their own research group within the subject area
• participate in postgraduate education as a co-supervisor
• teach at first, second and third cycle level
• receive training in higher education pedagogy
• collaborate with relevant stakeholders in the industry and surrounding society.

Swedish and English are used in parallel at the departments. The holder of the position should be able to perform most of their tasks in English. However, as a public authority, the university has Swedish as its main language according to the requirements of the Language Act. Non-Swedish-speaking staff members are expected to, within four years of first being employed, have sufficient knowledge of Swedish to understand information in Swedish. The department will support the holder of the position to achieve this.

Qualifications

Eligible for employment as Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor are candidates who hold a PhD or have equivalent academic qualifications. Priority will be given to candidates who have received a PhD or equivalent qualifications no longer than seven years before the application deadline. Other candidates may also be considered if there are extraordinary grounds for doing so. Extraordinary grounds refer to illness, parental leave or similar circumstances.

For employment as Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor, the candidate must demonstrate research expertise in the subject area.

Good ability to communicate in written and spoken English is required.

Assessment criteria

The assessment criteria for appointment as an Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor will primarily be based on the degree to which the applicant possesses the required qualifications specified for the position.

The assessment criteria for appointment as an Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor shall be the degree of the research expertise required as a qualification for employment.

Furthermore, the assessment includes evaluating the applicant’s ability to independently develop a line of research within the subject area, and to qualify for promotion to Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor during the employment period.

The position will be offered to the eligible candidate who, following a qualitative comprehensive assessment is deemed to have the best qualifications set to conduct and develop the duties in question, and contribute to the positive development of the organisation.

Additional information

Swedish “biträdande universitetslektor”, a tenured position approximately equivalent to Associate senior lecturer (UK) or Assistant professor (US). The applicant who is offered this employment at SLU will be employed as Associate senior lecturer.

This position offers the vibrant research climate at SLU. The benefits of the position include Swedish family health care provisions, parenting support including generous paid leave of absence policies that allow both parents to care for newborns and toddlers. Additionally, Sweden has a well-established pre-school structure as well as an educational system that provides no-cost education through university studies. Uppsala has a rich history and culture and is located in the greater Stockholm region, which is an academic and cultural hub. Find out more facts and stories about Sweden at www.sweden.se

Application deadline:

2026-04-17

Place of work:

Umeå or Uppsala

Extent of employment:

100% 

Form of employment

The employment is time limited in accordance with the Higher Education Act. A position as Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor is a qualifying employment that constitutes the first step in an academic career at SLU. An Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor has the right during their employment to apply for promotion to Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor on the basis of criteria established when the position as Associate Senior Lecturer/Assistant Professor was announced.

Starting date:

By agreement.

Application:

It is desirable that the application is written in English, because the applications will be evaluated by expert advisers both in Sweden and abroad.

For the guidance of your application, there is SLU's appointment procedure for teachers at SLU and General assessment criteria for the appointment of teachers, which you can read here.

Please apply by clicking on the apply-button below.

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 4,000 employees, 6,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 4,5 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.