SLU researchers among recipients of prestigious Swedish Research Council career grants

Chuxian Li and Leonie Schönbeck are becoming assistant professors with funding from the Swedish Research Council for five years. Through the Swedish Research Council’s initiative, the researchers awarded funding are given the opportunity to receive financing at assistant professor level for five years, with the possibility of additional funding at associate professor level following evaluation.

A total of 109 applications were submitted to the Swedish Research Council, of which 22 were granted funding. SLU was allowed to nominate six individuals, three of whom had to be external candidates. Of SLU’s nominations, two internal candidates were awarded the grants.

– Passing through the Swedish Research Council’s needle’s eye for excellence is difficult, so this is a strong confirmation that we are on the right track in our quality work at SLU, says Pro Vice-chancellor Dirk-Jan de Koning.

Chuxian Li, Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, will in the VR project EcoBird use her novel methodology to decipher the role of seabirds in the nutrient cycling of the Southern Ocean, with implications on the global carbon cycle and biodiversity.  

– I´m very honoured that the Swedish Research Council has granted me this opportunity, says Chuxian Li and Leonie Schönbeck (Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre) concurs:

– I’m grateful for this opportunity to build my research group, and to deepen and extend my research in tree water use. I’m very excited to launch the funded project ThirsTree, in which I will set out to resolve the mechanisms of tree hydraulic function under climate stress.