PhD Student in Energy and Environmental Engineering

Employment: Temporary employment
Period of employment/Start date: By agreement
Scope: Full time
Number of positions: 1
Closing date for application: 2026-01-27
Campus location: Västerås
School: Faculty of Engineering and Health Sciences
Third-cycle subject: Energy and Environmental Engineering

Admission to third-cycle (doctoral) education is regulated by Mälardalen University’s admission regulations, which compile national and local rules governing eligibility and admission to doctoral studies at Mälardalen University.
More information about doctoral studies at MDU is available on the university website.

The doctoral position is combined with full-time employment as a doctoral student for the duration of the education, corresponding to four years, More information about third-cycle studies at MDU.

The doctoral student will be admitted to the third-cycle subject area Energy and Environmental Engineering and will be part of the national graduate school FOFOS – The Graduate School for the Transformation of the Public Sector
(https://www.mdu.se/research/graduate-schools/graduate-school-fofos ).

FOFOS is coordinated by Mälardalen University and is part of SustainGov
(https://www.sustaingov.se/ ), one of Sweden’s five Impact Innovation programmes.
The initiative is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas, and Vinnova.
FOFOS also includes KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm University, University of Gothenburg, Lund University, Luleå University of Technology, as well as several public-sector needs owners and network partners.

The graduate school functions as a national knowledge hub for the development of new, action-oriented knowledge supporting the transformation of the public sector.

The doctoral student is expected to actively engage in the activities of FOFOS and SustainGov, such as doctoral courses, conferences, seminars, and webinars. The research is conducted in close collaboration with needs owners (public-sector organisations) and, where applicable, network partners (organisations with specialist expertise in innovation, change management, and sustainability). The doctoral student is expected to contribute knowledge and insights as the research develops.

The doctoral student will be supported by a transdisciplinary supervisory team.

Research project

As a doctoral student in Energy and Environmental Engineering, you will work within the project “From Barriers to Leverage: Public Procurement for Circular and Citizen-Centred Food Production”.

The project aims to develop new knowledge about the role that public procurement can play in circular food production and to create models and tools that support municipalities and other public-sector actors in conducting smarter procurement – for the climate, the local community, and long-term sustainability. The project applies a range of research methods, such as mapping, interviews, and case studies.

Departmental duties (such as teaching or administrative tasks) may be included.

To be admitted to doctoral studies, the applicant must meet both the general entry requirements and the specific entry requirements for the subject, and must be assessed as having the ability required to successfully complete the education.

General entry requirements (according to the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 39)

General eligibility for third-cycle education is met by an applicant who has been awarded a second-cycle degree, or has completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 credits are at second-cycle level, or has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in Sweden or abroad.

Specific eligibility for admission to the third-cycle subject Energy and Environmental Engineering is met by an applicant who holds a second-cycle degree, or equivalent qualifications, in an engineering or natural science field that is sufficiently relevant to the research project.

Only applicants who are admitted to doctoral studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship.                       

Selection among applicants who meet the general and specific entry requirements will be made on the basis of their ability to benefit from doctoral studies (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 7, Section 41).

Assessment will be based on relevant prior knowledge for the research project, ability to collaborate and take initiative, and good ability to present and communicate research, both in writing and orally.

For this position, it is also desirable to have experience of collaborating with individuals from different backgrounds, knowledge of and interest in the challenges faced by the public sector, good ability to communicate in both Swedish and English with different target groups, knowledge of or familiarity with environmental engineering solutions for resource-efficient cultivation of locally produced food, and knowledge of or familiarity with the energy–water–food NEXUS.

In the overall assessment of suitability, personal abilities will also be given weight. All employees at Mälardalen University are expected to collaborate and treat colleagues and students with respect, take responsibility for the organisation and their own work tasks, and contribute to a good working environment.

Mälardalen University values the qualities that a balanced age and gender distribution, as well as ethnic and cultural diversity, bring to the organisation.

The application is to be completed online. Please submit your application by clicking on the "Apply" button below.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete in accordance with the advertisement and will reach the university no later than closing date for application. The application should include the required documents to confirm eligibility and provide grounds for merit assessment. Degree certificates and/or transcripts must always be included and must be officially issued by the degree-awarding institution.

Documents may be submitted in Swedish or English. Supporting documents in other languages must be translated into Swedish or English by an authorized translator. Copies of the original documents in the original language must also be included.

If the admitted candidate requires a residence permit to stay in Sweden and pursue their studies, and if the studies require physical presence at Mälardalen University, the university reserves the right to withdraw the admission decision if a valid residence permit cannot be presented by the start date of the studies.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Union representatives:

Saco-S saco-s@mdu.se
Susanne Meijer ST-OFR/S, tel: +46 21-10 14 89

We decline all contact with recruiters and salespersons of advertisements. We have made our strategic choices for this recruitment.

https://web103.reachmee.com/ext/I018/1151/main?site=8&validator=2efd9e54ee423d53334ac7960e3b4e03〈UK&rmpage=job&rmjob=3572&rmlang=UK