Doctoral student in Risk and Safety with a focus on Critical Infrastructure and Security of Supply

Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, Building & Environmental Technology

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 47 000 students and more than 8 800 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Description of the workplace

The Department of Building & Environmental Engineering consist of nine divisions, ranging from building physics, fire engineering, water resource management to risk management and societal safety, and employs about 150 people in a stimulating and international environment consisting of PhD students, postdocs, teachers and researcher from many parts of the world. The work environment is characterized by commitment, collaboration, creativity and personal responsibility and that all shall be given the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.

The doctoral position is at the Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, conducting research and education in areas such as critical infrastructure, societal safety, and crisis management. The division has more than 20 researchers/teachers and doctoral students employed, with a diversity of disciplinary backgrounds. The doctoral position will be part of the newly formed Centre for Security of Supply Research (CenSSUR) at Lund University. The centre focuses on research related to security of supply, critical infrastructure and supply chains from a resilience, governance, and interdependency perspective.

Being a doctoral student 

As a doctoral student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. 

As a doctoral student, you will be trained scientifiically. In short, you will be trained to think critically and analytically, to solve problems independently using the right methods, and to develop an awareness of research ethics. In addition, you will be given the opportunity to work on projects, to develop your leadership and pedagogical skills. Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. Doctoral studies end with a thesis and a doctoral degree.

More about being a doctoral student at LTH on lth.se.

Subject and project description

The research area is Critical Infrastructure Resilience and Security of Supply, which includes understanding, analysing, and managing resilience in the intersection of infrastructures and society from a cross-sector and cross-actor perspective. This includes qualitative and quantitative aspects of modelling, data gathering, confidentiality concerns, and analysis in relation to theoretical and conceptual themes such as critical infrastructure, supply chains, spatial thinking, governance, complexity, security, systemic risks, organizations, and decision making. 

The partners in CenSSUR consists of Lund University, RISE and Stockholm University in collaboration with many societal actors such as authorities, critical infrastructure operators and consultant companies. Focus sectors are energy, food, drinking water and transport, taking into account dependence to other sectors. It is a centre-of-excellence financed by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Director for the centre, and main supervisor for the doctoral position, is Jonas Johansson, Faculty of Engineering. The doctoral research under the position will be conducted in close collaboration with the Department of Human Geography at the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Work duties

You will primarily devote yourself to your doctoral programme, which includes active participation in CenSSUR and related research projects as well as third cycle courses, seminars and conferences. 

The work duties include:

• You will work with various projects in a research environment focused on resilience of interdependent vital societal functions and society’s dependence on the services these provide.
• You will work with both qualitative (e.g. interviews, surveys) and quantitative (e.g. modelling, statistics, geographical information systems) methods.
• You will have the oppurtunity to travel abroad to present research findings at scientific conferences and for international collaborations.
• The duties may also include participation in teaching and other departmental work (however, a maximum of 20% of working hours).

Qualifications 

To be eligible for admission and employment as a doctoral student, you must fulfil the requirements below.

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or 
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Risk and Safety (TEVBRF11) if the applicant has: 

• at least 90 credits in subjects of relevance to the field, including at least 60 second cycle credits, or
• a BSc in Fire Protection Engineering amounting to 210 credits.

Additional requirements

In order to complete the doctoral programme in question, the following are also required: 

• good knowledge in critical infrastructure, supply system, emergency preparedness and/or crisis management contexts
• good ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems. 
• good ability to solve research challenges with drive and creativity.
• good ability to conduct research work in a collaborative and inter-disciplinary environment.
• good written and oral communication skills
• good ability to cooperate
• very good knowledge of English, spoken and written 

 Other qualifications 

For the doctoral programme in question, the following are considered as other qualifications: 

• knowledge of critical infrastructures and supply systems, such as electric, water, transport or food systems. 
• knowledge and experience of analysis and management of critical infrastructures, supply chains and/or security of supply.
• knowledge of cross-sectoral and cross-actor issues, such as interdependencies, cascading effects, and governance of complex systems.
• skills in relevant software and programming environments, such as Matlab, Python or ArcGIS.
• skills relating to relevant qualitiative research methods, such as interviews and surveys.
• experience of crisis and disaster risk management at local, regional, national or international levels and methods for analysis of cross-sector and cross-actor issues.
• academic and/or professional experience of the policy and practical contexts in Europe and the Nordics linked to critical infrastructure and security of supply.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme.

More about working at Lund University on lu.se.

About the employment 

The employment is a fixed-term employment at full time, starting as soon as possible. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. In the case of teaching and other departmental duties, the employment is extended accordingly. Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

More about terms of employment for doctoral students on Lund University’s Staffpages.

Other

The recruitment process will include interviews and your reflections on work samples. Interviews will be conducted either online or in person at Lund university. 

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include: 

• CV and a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the doctoral programme/employment and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. 
• Copies of issued study certificates and/or awarded degree certificates. These must confirm that you meet the general and specific admission requirements for the doctoral programme and show that you have the subject knowledge required for the doctoral programme project. 
• Other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.)

We welcome your application.

LTH is Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering. At LTH we educate people, build knowledge for the future and work hard for the development of society. We create space for brilliant research and inspire creative advancements in technology, architecture and design. We have nearly 10,000 students. Every year, our researchers – many of whom work in world-leading profile areas – publish around 100 theses and 2 000 scientific findings. In addition, many of our research and degree projects are transformed into innovations. Together we explore and create – to benefit the world.

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