Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics

Umeå University is one of Sweden’s largest higher education institutions with over 37,000 students and about 4,700 employees. The University offers a diversity of high-quality education and world-leading research in several fields. Notably, the groundbreaking discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, which was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was made here. At Umeå University, everything is close. Our cohesive campuses make it easy to meet, work together and exchange knowledge, which promotes a dynamic and open culture.

The ongoing societal transformation and large green investments in northern Sweden create enormous opportunities and complex challenges. For Umeå University, conducting research about – and in the middle of – a society in transition is key. We also take pride in delivering education to enable regions to expand quickly and sustainably. In fact, the future is made here.

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The Department of Economics at Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umeå University, is offering a postdoctoral scholarship. The scholarship is full-time for three years with start date April 1, 2027, or by agreement. Application deadline: January 5, 2027.

Departmental specific information The Department of Economics at Umeå University is part of Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics. The department has around 30 members of staff and has a broad research tradition, where the main research areas are Public Economics, Labor Economics, Environmental Economics, and Industrial Organization. In particular five themes are central to our research: (i) economic policy and behavioral economics; (ii) economic policy and the labor market; (iii) sustainable development; (iv) economic policy and fiscal federalism; and (v) competition and public procurement. The research touches on a broad set of topics including optimal taxation and public expenditure, income formation, household responses to taxation, social accounting, education policy, local public economics, collusion, environmental policy, and interactions between energy and the environment. Other active research areas are Health Economics and Econometrics. The department is also the host institution for the Erik Kempe Award in Environmental and Resource Economics.

Project description
The postdoctoral scholarship is financed by the Tore Browaldh Foundation, Handelsbanken. The stipend on which the scholarship is based will support full-time research activity for at least three years. Most scholarships are extended to an additional three years following an evaluation, which takes place after the first three years. If this second scholarship period is successful, the department’s aim is to offer the scholar permanent employment. The recipient of the scholarship is free to conduct research within the field of economics. The scholar will have the opportunity to:

• present their research at international conferences and submit papers to top-tier journals;
• build international collaborations;
• develop an independent research profile.

Qualifications The applicant shall have a Ph.D. in Economics, or in a related area, 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 above, no more than three years prior. If there are special reasons, candidates who completed their doctoral degree earlier may also be eligible. Special reasons include absence due to illness, parental leave, appointments of trust in trade union organisations, military service or similar circumstances, as well as clinical practice or other forms of appointment or assignment relevant to the subject area.

We appreciate an equal gender balance and particularly welcome female applicants for the position.

Assessment criteria:

• Demonstrated ability to conduct relevant research of high international quality;
• A promising publication record;
• Willingness to collaborate on research activities in economics in an international research environment.

The primary basis for selection will be the ability to carry out and publish high-quality research in economics and to contribute to the research environment of the Department of Economics.

Application The application should include:

• A personal letter that summarizes the applicant’s qualifications, research experience and interest in the position (no more than two pages).
• Description of future research plans (no more than two pages).
• A Curriculum Vitae.
• List of publications and a maximum of five selected publications (including the Ph.D. thesis).
• Copies of relevant degree certificates and other documentation you wish to include in support of your application.
• The names, with contact details and e-mail addresses, of at least two reference persons.

The application should be written in English, and attached documents should be in Word or Pdf format. The application should be registered via Umeå University’s e-recruitment system Varbi and submitted by the deadline January 5, 2027.

Further information For more information about the postdoctoral scholarship, please contact Professor Thomas Aronsson, thomas.aronsson@umu.se, or Professor Tomas Sjögren, tomas.sjogren@umu.se.

We will be present at the virtual European Job Market meeting for Economists, held between December 14 and December 17, 2026.

Read more about Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics here: www.umu.se/en/usbe/

We look forward to receiving your application!