NEWS Jessica Gard Timmerfors, an alumnus of the Industrial Doctoral School for Research and Innovation, is the first laureate to receive the new Young Researcher’s Award, an award presented by the foundation Gunnar Sundblad Research Fund.
Jessica Gard Timmerfors, alumni from the Industrial Doctoral School wins the Young Researcher’s Award, an award presented by the foundation Gunnar Sundblad Research Fund.
ImagePrivatChemist Jessica Gard Timmerfors, who graduated from the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University last year, will receive the Young Researcher's Award for her research connected to the pulp and paper industry and its products and processes.
The jury's motivation for the award reads:
“By studying woodchipping with the help of modern methods and techniques, Jessica Gard Timmerfors lays the foundation for increased opportunities for the efficient use of raw wood materials. At the same time, she has highlighted woodchipping as a relevant and current research area for both industry and academia.”
“I'm extremely happy and proud! I would never have thought that my research would win such a great award when I started my PhD at the Industrial Doctoral School. I am really pleased that woodchipping is getting the attention it deserves and that I can continue working on my research”, says Jessica Gard Timmerfors.
From 2015 to 2020, Jessica was a PhD student at the Department of Chemistry within the Industrial Doctoral School at Umeå University, where she researched the subject of woodchipping.
The main focus of her PhD project was a new type of drum chipper developed by Multi Channel Sweden AB. She has studied the chipper both on a full scale at pulp mills and on a pilot scale at Domsjö development area in Örnsköldsvik. In the pilot testing, she was able to control the choice of raw materials and settings herself.
Jessica Gard Timmerfors' supervisor was Professor Leif Jönsson at Umeå University and her mentor was David Blomberg, an external partner at RISE Processum.
Jessica has been working at MoRe Research (part of RISE) since September 2020. She is sure that the Industrial Doctoral School has had a huge impact on her career.
“Without it, I wouldn’t have ended up in Örnsköldsvik or started my research in woodchipping. And now, that knowledge and my PhD has given me the opportunity to continue my research on woodchipping. Right now, I am taking a closer look at sawmill chipping, which is something that I have been able to do thanks to the scholarship and the funding from the Kempe Foundations.
The award till be presented on the 20th April at the Forum for bioeconomy event, which is a digital part of Skogsnäringsveckan (Forestry week). However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, she won’t be able to receive the award in person. But there will still be a digital award ceremony, where the Jessica Gard Timmerfors and four other laureates will be acknowledged by King Carl XVI Gustaf.
In addition to the honour and a diploma, Jessica will also receive SEK 400,000 towards her research.