Vacant job

Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare

The goal at our institution is to promote good animal husbandry and animal welfare as well as sustainable food production with high product quality. We do this through research and education on animals with a focus on feed and nutrition, management and the environment, ethology, animal ethics and animal welfare. We are about 125 employees working in Uppsala, Skara, Umeå and Gothenburg.

More information about the department: https://www.slu.se/en/departments/department-of-applied-animal-science-and-welfare

As a PhD student, you will be in a creative and stimulating environment with the opportunity to network with both the business community and international contacts.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/

Research project: Sleep and welfare – with focus on the interpretation of low-arousal states in pigs

Research subject: Animal Science

Description:

Sleep is a crucial, yet almost unexplored, natural behaviour in the domestic pig. This project investigates whether pigs—kept in large numbers worldwide and for extended periods of time in low-arousal states—can be reliably distinguished as being in healthy sleep versus in drowsiness, boredom, or depression-like states. We aim to explore novel methods, successfully applied in humans, to monitor wake-sleep stages in mobile pigs. By integrating sensor data and behaviour observation, we aim to establish signatures and indicators of sleep and wakefulness in domestic pigs during passive periods.

We are now looking for a PhD student who, within the project, will investigate:

• sleep behaviour and circadian rhythms in growing pigs kept for slaughter.
• the ability of pigs to habituate and be actively trained for wearing sensor devices adapted from human to pig ears.
• wake-sleep stages using behaviour and sensor data in mobile pigs, under low-stress conditions.
• influence of barren vs. enriched housing on the sleep and welfare of pigs.

You will gain hands-on experience in behavioural studies, animal welfare science, and innovative data collection methods, all within a supportive, collaborative research team.

You will be based at the Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare (THV) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in Uppsala. Practical experiments on pigs will take place at the SLU Lövsta Research Farm, a SLU livestock research facility, supplemented by data from other places.

Join us in pioneering research into understanding animals. Your research can assist in promoting welfare and healthier conditions, contributing to a more ethical and sustainable farming of pigs worldwide.

Qualifications:

You should have:

• a degree in biology, veterinary science, agronomy, animal science (or related fields) with a focus on farm animal behaviour and welfare.
• interest and/or experience in animal behaviour, experimental studies, statistics, and computer-based data analysis.
• strong communication skills in English (spoken and written).

Experience with animals and sensor data is considered a strong merit.

As a person, we want you to be:

• curious, driven, resourceful and excited to tackle real-world animal welfare challenges.
• proactive and practical – comfortable working with animals and equipment in research settings.
• analytical and detail-oriented – ready to dive into data, patterns, and problem-solving.
• collaborative and adaptable – able to work with colleagues in Sweden and internationally, and willing to travel for research purposes.

Place of work:

Uppsala

Forms for funding or employment:

Employment as a PhD student (4 years)

Scope:

100%

Starting date:

As soon as possible or according to agreement.

Application:

Click the "Apply" button to submit your application. The deadline is 2026-04-13.

To qualify for third-cycle (Doctoral) courses and study programmes, you must have a second-cycle (Master's) qualification. Alternatively, you must have conducted a minimum of four years of full-time study, of which a minimum of one year at second-cycle level.

Applicants will be selected based on their written application and CV, degree project, copies of their degree certificate and transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution, two personal references, and knowledge of English. More information about the English language requirements can be found here: https://www.slu.se/en/education/programmes-courses/doctoral-studies/application-admission-doctoral-studies/

Please note that applicants invited to interview must submit attested copies of their degree certificate, or equivalent, a transcript of records from previous first and second-cycle studies at a university or higher education institution. Applicants who are not Swedish citizens need to submit an attested copy of their passport's information page containing their photograph and personal details.

Read about the PhD education at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/study/programmes-courses/doctoral-education/

Academic union representatives:

https://internt.slu.se/en/my-employment/employee-associations/kontaktpersoner-vid-rekrytering/