Doctoral Student in Medical Radiation Physics – Tritium in Soil and Sediments

About the role

Lund University's Department of Medical Radiation Physics is recruiting a doctoral student to work in the Environmental Radiology group, together with the Biospheric and Anthropogenic Radioactivity group, in offices and laboratories in Lund and Malmö. The project investigates the persistence of tritium in soil and sediments, especially in organic matter where measurement is difficult, and fills a knowledge gap on tritium accumulation near nuclear facilities in Sweden.

Key responsibilities

• Review recent scientific literature on assessing organically bound tritium (OBT) in the environment
• Develop and validate tools and methods to analyse and quantify tritium in soils and sediments
• Apply the new methods near former and current nuclear installation sites in Sweden
• Estimate radiation doses to humans and wildlife from the measured tritium amounts
• Report results in journal articles, reports to the funding organisation and conference contributions, which form part of the doctoral thesis
• Complete third-cycle courses and seminars; up to 20% of working time may be spent on teaching and administration

Required profile

• A second-cycle qualification, or equivalent knowledge, with at least 60 credits in the second cycle
• For medical radiation physics: a degree in medical physics or an equivalent foreign qualification, or another higher education programme (240 credits) with at least 60 credits directly relevant and a 30-credit degree project
• Ability to benefit from the training, with good results and relevant coursework
• Proficiency in spoken and written English; proficiency in Swedish is an advantage

Required skills

• Documented knowledge of radionuclide production in nuclear power plants
• Documented knowledge of environmental monitoring or radioecology
• Documented knowledge of statistics
• Previous experience with radionuclides, analytical method development, laboratory and field work is an advantage

The employment is a full-time fixed-term position starting 1 January 2027 or as agreed, for a 4-year doctoral programme. Applications are submitted in Swedish or English with a CV, personal letter, copies of study certificates and the master's thesis, and interviews of top candidates are held at the end of 2026.