The project is a collaboration between the Agricultural University of Iceland, Soil Conservation Service of Iceland, University of Iceland, Iceland University of the Arts and Icelandic Forest Service together with other institutes, start-up companies and NGOs.

Two PhD positions (36 months each) in the Faculty of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI) and six MS projects (5-10 months stipend) at AUI (2) and at the Faculty of Life and Environmental sciences at the University of Iceland (4).

PhD project 1 is on regeneration of birch, including dispersal establishment and modelling on speed and pattern of birch recruitment. PhD project 2 is on changes in hydrology, carbon cycle and other soil variables when birch woodland develops where no trees grew before. The MSc projects vary greatly and cover ecology, landscape, biodiversity, policy and governance of ecological restoration. More detail on the projects is available here.

Applications are welcome the earliest possible. Applications that are received by March 25 will be given priority, but it is open for applications until students have been found for all projects.  Students should preferably start not later than June 2021.

Applicants for PhD should have completed MSc in restoration ecology, ecology, environmental science or related topics. Applicants for the MSc project should have completed BSc or BA in relevant topics.

Further information on the BirkiVist project, the student projects, responsible personnel for each one and the application process can be found here. For general inquiries, please contact Ása L. Aradóttir: asa@lbhi.is.