Postdoctoral scholarships

We welcome your application!

Postdoctoral scholarship in cognitive neuroscience of aging – with focus on structural and functional connectome – 2024-04-19

The Department of Medical and Translational Biology at Umeå University announces a postdoctoral scholarship in cognitive neuroscience of aging with focus on structural and functional connectome. The Department offers an active and creative research and educational environment for both employees and students.

Application deadline: 19 April 2024

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Postdoctoral Fellowship (2 years) in Regenerative Endodontics, focusing on omics-analysis – 2024-04-29

The Department of Odontology offers a postdoctoral scholarship within the project "Future directions in regenerative endodontics". The scholarship refers to full-time studies for two years with entry on 1 August 2024, or as agreed.

Application deadline: 29 April 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship, 2 years, in Biophysics/Synthetic Biology with a Focus on Plant Cell Wall Dynamics – 2024-04-30

Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is one of the strongest research environments for basic plant research in Europe. Research at UPSC covers a wide range of disciplines in plant biology including ecology, genetics, physiology, biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology (see www.upsc.se). The postdoctoral scholarship is going to be placed at the Department of Plant Physiology, which is part of Umeå Plant Science Centre.

Application deadline: 30 April 2024

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Post doctoral scholarship (two years) in design and characterization of plasmon-enhanced light-emitting electrochemical cells – 2024-04-30

The Department of Physics at Umeå University is offering a postdoctoral scholarship in the design and characterization of plasmon-enhanced light-emitting electrochemical cells. The scholarship is full-time for two years and the start date is 1 September 2024 or by agreement.

Application deadline: 30 April 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship (two years) in physicochemical characterization of bacterial adhesion – 2024-05-02

The Department of Physics at Umeå University invites applications for a full-time, two-year postdoctoral scholarship focused on the physicochemical characterization of bacterial adhesion. The intended start date is 1 June 2024, although there is flexibility to begin at a mutually agreed upon date.

Application deadline: 2 May 2024

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Postdoctoral fellowship 6 months, at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology – 2024-05-02

The Department of Medical and Translational Biology is looking for a postdoctoral fellow in our Laboratory for Experimental Ophthalmology. The fellowship is for 6 months, starting 1st of June 2024.

Application deadline: 2 May 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within industrial chemistry for the understanding of yellowing of cellulose acetate – 2024-05-06

The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within industrial chemistry for the understanding of yellowing of cellulose acetate. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access September 1, 2024, or by agreement.

Application deadline: 6 May 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within polymer synthesis for separation and energy applications – 2024-05-06

The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project focused on synthesizing polymers for separation and energy applications. The postdoctoral project involves the synthesis of homo- and block-copolymers tailored for use in separation and energy applications. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access according to mutual agreement.

Application deadline: 6 May 2024

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Post doctoral scholarship (two years) in Design and Synthesis of Sustainable Luminescent Materials from Biomass – 2024-05-08

The Department of Physics at Umeå University is offering a postdoctoral scholarship in design, production and development of sustainable luminescent materials based on biomass. The scholarship is full-time for two years and the start date is 1 September 2024 or by agreement.

Application deadline: 8 May 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship in Integrative Neurophysiology – with a focus on physiological recordings of brain activity in rodent models of Parkinson’s disease – 2024-05-08

We are announcing a two-year full-time postdoc position in Integrative Neurophysiology at the Department of Medical and Translational Biology at Umeå University, Sweden. For two years from 1 April 2024.

Application deadline: 8 May 2024

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Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) in Optical Frequency Comb Spectroscopy – 2024-05-20

Department of Physics at Umeå University is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within the project aimed at high-precision broadband mid-infrared spectroscopy of molecules relevant to astrophysics. The scholarship is full-time for two years and the start date is Jan 1, 2025, or by agreement.

Application deadline: 20 May 2024

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1–2 Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTIC WITH THE HELP OF MICROALGAE – 2024-05-21

The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF BIOPLASTIC WITH THE HELP OF MICROALGAE. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access 1 August, 2024 or by agreement.

Application deadline: 21 May 2024

Link to page

Postdoctoral scholarship (2 years) within mass spectrometry – 2024-05-24

The Department of Chemistry is offering a postdoctoral scholarship within “Identification of Biomarkers Using Mass Spectrometry for the Diagnosis of Hyperemesis Gravidarum”. The scholarship is full-time for two years with access 1 September, 2024 or by agreement.

Application deadline: 24 May 2024

Link to page

Please note that this is a scholarship and not an employment. For more information about terms and conditions, please contact the person specified in the advertisement.

Information about scholarships

The purpose of a postdoctoral scholarship is to enable researchers to visit Umeå University and carry out independent research in order to qualify for further training and academic positions. There are certain conditions for scholarships in Sweden.

Internal and external scholarships

In Sweden, scholarships are tax free as long as they are given for educational purposes and not compensation for work. 

There are two different kinds of scholarships at Umeå University:

• Internal - scholarship paid to you via Umeå University, regulated in Rule for scholarships at Umeå University
• External - scholarship paid directly to you from the funding body. Each funding body decides about the conditions and routines (for example Kempestiftelserna, Carl Tryggers Stiftelse)

There are differences between internal and external scholarship when it comes to conditions, payment routines e.g.

Scholarship conditions

The following applies for all scholarships (both internal and external)

• You cannot work when you have a tax free scholarship. Teaching and supervising students is regarded as work and therefore not allowed.
• You are not employed and do not have access to employment benefits such as fitness reimbursement.
• You cannot receive any taxed payments during your time as a scholarship holders. If so, you might have to pay tax for all your income.
• You cannot receive any unemployment benefits after the scholarship ends.
• You do not have any official parental leave, but instead the scholarship normally continues to be paid out - this can vary depending on research group, department and scholarship foundation.
• You do not receive any payments into any pension scheme.
• In case you turn ill, no sick deduction is made on your scholarship. If you are on long-term sick leave, you and your supervisor must agree together on how you will solve your research assignment. No sickness benefit is paid from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency.
• You are encouraged to take at least 25 days of vacation each year. There will be no deduction of your scholarship. We recommend that you plan your vacation in discussion with your supervisor.
• You have access to certain parts of the occupational healthcare supply. 
• You might have access to national health benefits based on "living in Sweden" from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency. 
• You can be a member with the local union SULF and get some support and have access to some of their member benefits.

Development plan

To make it clear that the scholarship is intended for further qualifications and does not constitute compensation for work, the head of department is responsible for making sure that a professional development plan is drawn up and a supervisor is appointed. The aim of the plan is to guarantee that the scholarship holder will receive high-quality training, as well as to show that the scholarship is awarded for educational purposes and not as compensation for work.

Taxation rules

The rules for scholarships are regulated in the Income Tax Act (1999:1229). The Swedish Tax Agency states that:

A scholarship is tax exempt if

• it is intended for the education of the recipient or the recipient receives the scholarship for other reasons than the recipient's education such as research
• disbursements are not made periodically, i.e. disbursed over a period exceeding three years, or monthly exceeding one year
• the condition that a scholarship does not constitute compensation for work carried out or to be carried out on the disburser's behalf.
• The principle is that a scholarship is always taxable if it is tied to the performance of some service in return.

Scholarships paid via Umeå University (internal) are limited to two years.

Scholarships paid by external funders might sometimes continue for a longer time period, make sure that the total time will not exceed the three year rule. If so, your scholarship might be come an object to taxation.

Payment routines

Make sure to get information about the payment routines for your specific scholarship. Ask your PI or HR support at the department.

• For scholarships disbursed from Umeå University we are responsible for the disbursement process.
• For scholarships disbursed directly from a foundation etc. the funding body to the scholarship holder they are responsible for the disbursement process. Some funding organisation will only disburse the scholarship to a Swedish bank account.