Programme

Soil scientists are integrating interdisciplinary research into a holistic soil system view, recognizing it as a complex, adaptive, and structured system with macroscopic properties and processes dependent on smaller spatial scale interactions.

Modern technologies such as X-ray tomography, XANES spectroscopy, planar optode imaging systems; in situ microsensors, hydrogel beads and microfluidic chips have transformed our understanding of small-scale soil interactions, enabling visualization, quantification, and spatial analysis of soil components, interfaces and functions. At the same time, new knowledge about microscale processes is shaping how we manage soils.

Questions to be addressed:

• What does that mean and why does it matter to study soils as complex, adaptive and structured systems?
• What opportunities and challenges do recent micro-analytical methods give for understanding chemical and biophysical interactions in soils?
• How to use these approaches to inform larger scale soil management, policy and decision making?

Details:

• Course organizer: Elsa Coucheney (elsa.coucheney@slu.se)
• Dates: 3 November 2025 – 2 December 2025
• Points: 3 ECTs
• Application: sign up before September 30 by emailing elsa.coucheney@slu.se with your name and affiliation.
• Location: Uppsala
• Course code: P000134

Focussing on ecosystem functioning in inland waters (lakes and streams) and terrestrial ecosystems (soils, riparian habitats, agricultural and forest landscapes), this course covered basic definitions, the relationship between ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services, and several currently topical themes in ecosystem functioning research. These include the roles of functional traits and calculation of functional diversity (including practical exercises in R), multifunctionality, and an overview of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning research.

• Contact & registration: Brendan Mckie (brendan.mckie@slu.se)
• PNG0057
• 3 ECTS
• September 2025

Aim: To illustrate the application of number of multivariate methods on ecological data. Ordination and classification procedures will be demonstrated in lectures and exercises. The course is given in two parts. Part 1 consists of lectures and calculation exercises, and part 2 is a supervised project on your own data. You can take either only part 1, or the full course.

• Part 1 (no project)
  • PNS0190
  • 3 ECTS
  • October (TBA)
• Part 2 (project, non-obligatory)
  
  • PNS0074
  • 4.5 ECTS
  • October (TBA)
• Course organizer: Ulf Grandin (ulf.grandin@slu.se) and research schools FoSW and Ecology

See this link for more information on the course and how to apply: Multivariate methods for ecologists

Would you like to know more about how to communicate your science to the general public? To communicate science teaches how to plan and perform communication work and what measures and channels that can be used to reach different target groups.

This course is organised jointly by the NJ Research Schools (Ecology - basics and applications, Focus on Food and Biomaterials, Focus on Soils and Water, Organism biology, People, Society and Sustainability, Sustainable systems for food, energy and biomaterials) and the divisions of Planning and Communication.

The course will be in hybrid format, with two physical meetings in Ultuna and some Zoom lectures in between the physical meetings. For more information about the course, and to apply, follow the link below. 

• Planned for Autumn 2025
• Course website: To communicate science, 2 ECTS (previous course occasion 2023)
• 2 ECTS
• POG0086
• For questions please contact galia.zamaratskaia@slu.se

Aim: to help each student overcome the initial steep learning curve that is associated with learning R, and how to think in a structured and logical way to make programming using base R coding easier (includes data structures, base graphics, indexing information, loops and how to predict and extract information from statistical objects). This is a joint course from the Ecology + FoSW and Organism Biology research schools.

• Course organiser: Matt Low (matt.low@slu.se )
• Date: 1 week course in November (TBA)
• Points: 3 ECTS
• Location: in Uppsala (or you can do the course in your own time using online materials)
• Course code: PNG0088

Have you ever asked yourself what possibilities you, as a PhD, have in the labour market outside of the university? Do you want to improve your chances of finding your dream job? Then join our one-day seminar (TBA) hosted by all the NJ-faculty research schools, to get different perspectives on career choices, finding your “dream job”, self-employment possibilities, prospects and possibilities in the current labour market, etc.

The aim of the workshop is to give insights and inspiration on how to write a thesis summary. The topics covered are legal issues concerning the thesis summary writing process, writing inspiration, and discussions on “best practices” for writing a thesis summary. Organizer: Philip Jacobson (TBA)

Welcome to the workshop: ‘How to become a post doc” that we are organizing in collaboration with several research schools at SLU. Full day (week 9, TBA), incl. presentations from funders in Sweden (VR & Formas), a session on writing applications, and opportunities to interact with and learn from other postdocs. Organizer: Research School (FFB) (Ali Moazzami).