The Department of Chemistry at Umeå University offers a postdoctoral scholarship within the project " Environmental assessment of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)" The project will focus on environmental pollution in wastewater. The scholarship refers to full-time studies for two years with a preliminary start date, 1 October 2026. Application deadline is 30 June 2026
Project description
We are currently seeking an excellent postdoctoral researcher for a project aimed at investigating the occurrence of PFAS in surface water and drinking water. This project is part of an ongoing international collaboration with the University of KwaZulu‑Natal in South Africa and Sher‑e‑Bangla Agricultural University in Bangladesh. The overarching project aims to:
conduct multiple regional investigations of PFAS contamination in South Africa, Bangladesh, and Sweden;
increase the mechanistic understanding of PFAS transfer and potential degradation from sewage through selected treatment processes, including anaerobic digestion of sludge, LaPeDa treatment, and air‑drying of pit latrine waste, to final disposal at landfills or application on agricultural land;
investigate PFAS concentrations in final effluents from wastewater treatment plants and their presence in water sources in the vicinity of landfills;
assess the occurrence of PFAS in drinking water and evaluate removal efficiencies at drinking water treatment plants.
The postdoctoral researcher will collaborate closely with researchers from South Africa and Bangladesh and actively participate in the planning of investigations and experiments. All sampling will be conducted by local personnel, and no sampling-related travel will be required.
This fellowship is supported by Kempe foundations and provides 360,000 SEK per year, fully tax-free for two years.
Qualifications
The post-doctoral fellow is required to have completed a doctoral degree or a foreign degree deemed equivalent to a doctoral degree in environmental chemistry/analytical chemistry or equivalent. This qualification requirement must be fulfilled no later than at the time of the decision about scholarship recipient.
Priority should be given to candidates who completed their doctoral degree, according to what is stipulated in the paragraph above, no later than three years before the application deadline. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree before that may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organizations, military service, or similar circumstances, or other forms of appointment/assignment relevant to the subject area.
The applicant must have previous experience in both sampling and analyzes based on LC-MS/MS. Good communication skills in English, both oral and written, are a requirement. Previous experience in analyzing PFAS is meritorious.
Application
A complete application must contain;
Personal letter summarizing your qualifications and explaining why you are applying for the position
Curriculum Vitae - CV with list of publications
Certified copy of doctoral degree certificate or documentation that clarifies when the doctoral degree is expected to be obtained
Certified copies of other diplomas, academic course certificates and/or grades
Copy of/link to doctoral thesis and 3 relevant articles
Other documents that the applicant wishes to rely on
References are provided in connection with interviews.
The application should be written in English and attached documents should be in PDF format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and submitted by the deadline 30 June, 2026.
