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PhD position in Geography or Tourism Studies

A full-time PhD student position in Geography or Tourism Studies is open for applications at the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland. The position is a temporary appointment for two years.

Field of work

The position is a part of the doctoral network Visitor monitoring and management in protected and recreational areas: new challenges, novel solutions for the Anthropocene - VIMAS. The two-year position is funded through the EU Horizon Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action. Ten doctoral candidates are recruited for the project.

The position may be in either Geography or Tourism Studies and will focus on sustainable management for future recreational opportunities in and surrounded protected areas, with particular emphasis on improving visitor monitoring and promoting social inclusion. The PhD candidate will examine how nature-based tourism shapes and commodifies nature in protected areas, through the lenses of neoliberalism and environmental justice. Furthermore, how tourism growth challenges the Nordic right of public access and impacts equality, land use, and local communities. The PhD candidate is expected to participate in a training school emphasizing scientific and transferable skills development. In addition, the PhD student will take part in various activities related to the VIMAS network and conduct fieldwork to collect essential data for the project.

The VIMAS collaboration network consists of seven universities across six Northern European countries and is supported by fourteen partners from industry, public agencies, and applied research institutions in Europe and North America. Further information can be found on the VIMAS website.

Qualification requirements

M.Sc. degree in Geography, Tourism Studies, or related fields
Ability to work independently, and as part of a team
Skills to communicate research outcomes in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international conferences
Proficiency in written and spoken English
Proficiency in statistics, ArcGIS, PPGIS and system dynamics is desirable

The applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (e.g., work, studies) in Iceland for more than 12 months in the last 36 months immediately before their recruitment date (requirements from the EU Horizon funder, mobility rule).

Application process

The following documents must accompany the application:

Curriculum vitae
Cover letter describing how the applicant meets the qualification requirements stated in the advertisement and what they consider they can contribute to the position
Certified copies of diplomas and Master thesis
Contact information for referees

The selected candidate must send a formal application for PhD studentship at the University of Iceland, and the position is contingent on acceptance into the PhD program.

The position is located at the University of Iceland, Reykjavík. It is expected that the PhD candidate will be physically present on-site in the area.

All applications will be answered, and applicants will be informed of the outcome once a decision has been made. Applications may remain valid for six months after the application deadline.

In hiring for positions at the University of Iceland, the University's equality policy is taken into account. Attention is also drawn to the University of Iceland's language policy.

Since 1911, the University of Iceland has been a leading institution for business and societal progress in Iceland. It is a forward-looking research university and an active participant in international scientific collaboration.

The University of Iceland is the largest university in the country, offering nearly 400 programs at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. Approximately 14,000 students are enrolled, including over 2,000 international students.

More than 1,800 staff members work at the University of Iceland. The university emphasizes attracting a diverse community of employees and students to an international academic environment, where academic freedom, professionalism, equality, diversity, and inclusion are prioritized.

About the University of Iceland

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Application deadline

Application deadline is 01.12.2025

For further information contact

Rannveig Ólafsdóttir

ranny@hi.is

Apply now

PhD student in a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Project at the Faculty of Environmental and Civil Engineering

A full time PhD student position is available at the The Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iceland. The position is for three years and the PhD student will work on the project "Recycling wastewater by direct membrane filtration with waste-derived membranes for irrigation", funded by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) EU Project.

Field of work

Development of advanced pressure-driven and gravity-driven direct membrane filtration systems for simultaneous wastewater treatment and liquid fertilizer recovery
Optimization of operational conditions to enhance filtration performance and investigation of the transport behaviors and mitigation mechanisms of emerging micropollutants (such as microplastics and personal care product residues) to improve treated water quality
Cultivation of plants with treated water to examine its safety and suitability for irrigation
Performing technical, economic, and environmental assessments on the designed processes

Qualification requirements

Master degree in environmental engineering, chemical engineering, or related disciplines
Experience with membrane applications for water and wastewater treatment an advantage
Skills in micropollutant analysis are an advantage
Ability to work independently and strong communication skills
Good skills in written and spoken English

Employment is contingent upon the applicant formally applying for doctoral studies at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Iceland, and that the application is approved by the Faculty.

Special requirements for applicants associated with HORIZON-MSCA-2024-DN-01-01 are:

Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Iceland for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment.
The applicants must be in the first four years of his/her research career calculated from the date of obtaining the Master's degree and have not yet been awarded with a doctoral degree at the time of recruitment.

Further information concerning eligibility criteria can be found here.