PhD student in Marine Geology: Arctic Ocean borealization during past warm climates: signals from planktonic foraminifera

at the Department of Geological Science. Closing date: 31 May 2024

Stockholm University is a leading European university in one of the world’s most dynamic capitals. The University has more than 33,000 students, 1,600 doctoral students and 5,500 staff members active within the natural sciences and humanities.

The Department of Geological Sciences is a department within the Faculty of Science with courses at master's, bachelor's and orientation levels. The department supports a broad range of basic research within marine geology and geophysics, geochemistry and classical geology.

Project description
Arctic Atlantification, involving the increasing intrusion of relatively warm, salty and nutrient rich ocean waters from the Atlantic into the Arctic Ocean, is strengthening under global warming. A still poorly understood aspect of this process is how oceanic ecosystems will transform in the polar basin as lower latitude species invade, ‘following’ their preferred marine habitats northwards or occupying new ‘eco-space’. This is part of a wider process referred to as Arctic Ocean ’borealization’, which involves intrusion of both Atlantic and Pacific-origin waters and biota from boreal latitudes (50-70°N) into the central Arctic Ocean.

The purpose of this PhD project is to gain improved understanding of pelagic changes and plankton migration in the Arctic Ocean in response to Arctic Atlantification and borealization during warmer periods of the past 1-2 million years. The primary tool will be fossil planktonic foraminifera, supported by other sedimentary and geochemical datasets, from across the central Arctic and subpolar seas. The successful candidate will collect original data on foraminifera biodiversity and palaeobiology, shell chemistry and preservability, and use these parameters as tools to gain insight into plankton migration, pelagic evolutionary responses, paleoceanography, ocean geochemistry and climate change, as well as helping improve Arctic geo-chronological frameworks.

The primary materials for this work will be sediment cores obtained during Arctic/Nordic research cruises by Swedish, German and French expeditions, and new and legacy deep sea drill-core samples recovered by the International Ocean Discovery Program (iodp.org) from the North Atlantic, Arctic gateways and Baffin Bay. The selected candidate will be trained in foraminiferal taxonomy, morphometry and biostratigraphy, Quaternary Arctic palaeoceanography, marine sediment sampling methods and geochemical analysis within a network of international collaborators. AI/Machine learning approaches are also possible. The candidate will likely have the opportunity to participate in a 6-8 week expedition to the central Arctic Ocean during the project. The candidate is expected to generate, scrutinize and interpret original scientific data, present results at international conferences and to report these results in published scientific articles.

Qualification requirements
In order to meet the general entry requirements, the applicant must have completed a second-cycle degree, completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

In order to meet the entry requirements, the general syllabus for doctoral studies in the field of Marine Geology stipulates that applicants must normally have:

• At least 90 credits in geosciences
• At least 30 credits in mathematics, physics, chemistry and/or biology depending on the chosen subject area in marine geology.
• In addition, at least 60 credits at the advanced level, including 30 credits of independent work in geosciences.

The qualification requirements must be met before admission to the research education.

Selection
The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The process will prioritize demonstrated academic ability, interest and experience in foraminifera micropaleontology, including taxonomy, stratigraphy, sedimentology, biology/palaeobiology and geochemistry. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity: the candidates documented knowledge in the relevant field of research, written and oral proficiency in English, the capacity for analytical thinking, the ability to collaborate, as well as creativity, initiative, independence and determination.

The assessment will be based on the candidate´s previous studies and grades, quality of independent work, personal references, relevant experience, the applicant´s written motivation for the position, as well as performance in an oral interview. If invited for interview, you will be asked to give a short presentation of yourself, report on the results of your bachelor or masters project and to provide a summary of why you like this PhD topic, and what you could offer it scientifically, starting with a short research proposal (2 pages). 

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University are available at: www.su.se/rules and regulations.

Terms of employment
Only a person who will be or has already been admitted to a third-cycle programme may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.

The term of the initial contract may not exceed one year. The employment may be extended for a maximum of two years at a time. However, the total period of employment may not exceed the equivalent of four years of full-time study. 

Doctoral students should primarily devote themselves to their education, but may engage in teaching, research, and administration corresponding to a maximum of 20% of a full-time position.

Please note that admission decisions cannot be appealed. 

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact
For more information, please contact Professor Helen Coxall, helen.coxall@geo.su.se.

Union representatives
Ingrid Lander (Saco-S), telephone: +46 708 16 26 64, saco@saco.su.se, Alejandra Pizarro Carrasco (Fackförbundet ST/Lärarförbundet), telephone: +46 8 16 34 89, alejandra@st.su.se, seko@seko.su.se (SEKO), and PhD student representative, studentombud@sus.se.

Application
Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following information with your application:

• Your contact details and personal data
• Your highest degree
• Your language skills
• Contact details for 2-3 references

and, in addition, please include the following documents

• Cover letter (maximum 2 pages) where you specify why you are interested in the research area and advertised project, what makes you a suitable candidate for this project including relevant experience
• CV - degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of degree projects/theses
• Degree certificates and grades confirming that you meet the general and specific entry requirements (no more than 6 files)
• Degree projects/theses (minimum 1 file but no more than 3 files).

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.

You are welcome to apply!

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