Information about the research/the project/the division
The topic of this PhD position is land-use change, primarily tropical deforestation, and its causes and consequences. Tropical deforestation is a major contributor to climate change and a prime driver of biodiversity loss globally. Increasingly tropical deforestation is driven by large-scale, commercial agricultural production of commodities such as beef, soybeans and palm oil, often destined for export markets and consumers globally. The aim of the PhD project is to contribute to the understanding of how international trade in agricultural and timber products contribute tropical forest loss and associated environmental impacts (e.g. carbon emissions and biodiversity loss). The PhD student will develop methods for linking spatial data on deforestation to commodity production data, attributing deforestation to different products, and using trade-models to trace production to final consumers across the world.
The purpose of this research is to create knowledge that can be used to formulate more effective policies for tropical forest conservation, including demand-side measures such as product certification schemes. The work will be carried out in a research group working on different aspects of sustainable global land use and will contribute to ongoing research projects that feed into policy making in Sweden and elsewhere.

The PhD position is placed at the division of Physical Resource Theory, one of five divisions within the Department of Energy and Environment. All divisions in this department conduct research on potential solutions to the major environmental challenges facing humanity, e.g., global warming and sustainable use of land and other resources. In total, about 200 people work in the department, with 40 in the Physical Resource Theory division (including 15 PhD students).

In the Physical Resource Theory division, we focus our research on technical and socio-economic systems, addressing challenges for a growing global population associated with the transition to a sustainable and low-carbon society. The Physical Resource Theory division offers an interdisciplinary research environment that relies on a range of different scientific methods, from energy system modeling and agent-based modeling, to remote sensing, econometrics and survey methods. Our aim is to advance challenge-driven scientific excellence by crossing traditional disciplinary boundaries and increasing the level of cross-collaboration in environmental research.

Major responsibilities
As a PhD student your main responsibility is to pursue your own doctoral studies, which includes work in the research project but also to undertake doctoral courses. You are expected to work independently, have the ability to plan and organize your work, to work in close collaboration with other group members and partners, and to be able to communicate scientific results, both orally and in written form, in English. The doctoral program is supposed to lead to the doctoral degree, equivalent to four years of full-time studies, which includes research, studies in courses, and participation in seminars and conferences. The position extends over a maximum of five years, 20% of which consists of teaching and other duties at the department.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field. We require a Master's degree in engineering/natural sciences or in social sciences relevant to the research area (e.g. geography or economics), with a thesis project corresponding to at least one half year of study (for students coming from the social sciences a shorter thesis may be accepted). Courses and/or a Master thesis projects in environmental science or other areas of direct relevance for the reseach project are meritorious, as is experience of working with spatial data (i.e.GIS).

We look for a student with a genuine interest and curiosity in the subject matter. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills are required. Good communication skills in English, especially in writing, are also needed. We expect the applicant to have the ambition to take on responsibility and ability to work independently towards set goals.

For further information and how to apply, please visit: 
http://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=2728…