Department of Forest Economics

The Department of Forest Economics is engaged in research and education in circular bioeconomy from a business administration, natural resource economics, economics, and policy perspective, focusing on the sustainable development of forest-related natural resources. The Department contributes to education at the Faculty of Forest Sciences, and is responsible for Bachelor and Master degree programs, as well as offering Ph.D. education in applied economics, business administration, and economics. The Department is located at two campuses: Uppsala and Umeå. Among many others, we are a key partner in the joint SLU and Umeå University - CERE; we host the head office of European Forest Institute’s Forest Bioeconomy Network. The Department has strong domestic and international research connections, and is home to the Journal of Forest Economics

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Forest biodiversity credits: Advancing societal goals across managed Swedish forests

Research subject: Applied Economics

Description:

Forests support humanity when they provide critical biodiversity habitat, contribute to climate roles and supply vital wood products, among many benefits. But compared to forest products such as timber, biodiversity does not have a defined value in markets and forest landowners are not compensated for this critical service to society. In this project we will study the prospect of financially compensating private landowners for more biodiverse Swedish forests. There are several tools that could help compensate landowners and we focus on forest biodiversity credits (FBCs) to represent measurable units of biodiversity that can express long-term improvements for which landowners could get financial compensation.

We have four specific goals:

• Identify evidence-based opportunities and challenges to the practice of payments for biodiversity, and forest ecosystem trade-offs

• Assess landowners' and investors' perceived barriers and preferences toward FBCs

• Explore organizational structures to efficiently broker and monitor FBCs

• Generate a Blueprint for societally-desirable Swedish FBCs.

The profile of the student is of a person fully committed to forest economics research with foundational training in research methods. The candidate will be responsible for: integrating economics and natural resource management knowledge into relevant research designs; developing research questions; applying appropriate econometric and qualitative analytical tools; writing scientific manuscripts and compile a Ph.D. thesis suitable for examination. The Ph.D. program consists of 4-year full-time studies with the position contracted based on annual evaluations. Coursework is included in the Ph.D. program.

Qualifications:

To be eligible, the candidate should hold a Master’s or equivalent degree in economics, or related field (e.g. agricultural economics, agribusiness, natural resource economics, forest economics) or a strong quantitative interdisciplinary program.

Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required. Demonstrated capacity to integrate forestry and economics concepts, experience writing scientific manuscripts, and advanced documented knowledge in the use of R, Stata or other analytical software are considered extra merit. Working knowledge of Swedish is preferable but not mandatory.

Place of work:      

Umeå, Sweden

Forms for funding or employment:

Employment up to 4 years as Ph.D. student, with yearly evaluations.

Starting date:

As soon as possible, negotiable, upon agreement.  

Application:

We welcome applications until September 19 2025 using the button below. Candidates are encouraged to review research by Francisco X. Aguilar, Professor, available here and on Google Scholar before applying.

To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master’s) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.

Applicants must submit:

• a CV

• a two-page proposed research statement

• copies of degrees and transcripts of all academic records

• copy of the MS thesis

• at least two referees familiar with the applicant's qualifications

• certified knowledge of the English language

• if relevant, copies of scholarly publications

More information about the English language requirements can be found here: https://www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/application-admission-doctoral-studies/

Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, or equivalent, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport’s information page containing their photograph and personal details.

Read about the PhD education at SLU at www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/

Academic union representatives:

are found here.

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) has a key role in the development for sustainable life, based on science and education. Through our focus on the interaction between humans, animals and ecosystems and the responsible use of natural resources, we contribute to sustainable societal development and good living conditions on our planet. Our main campuses are located in Alnarp, Umeå and Uppsala, however, the university also operates at research stations, experimental forests and teaching sites throughout Sweden.

SLU has around 3,000 employees, 5,000 students and doctoral students and a turnover of over SEK 3 billion. We are investing in attractive environments on all of our campuses. We strive to provide a work environment characterised by inclusivity and gender equality, where different experiences generate conversations between people and pave the way for science, creativity and development. Therefore, we welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.