PhD positions in Economics

The Department of Economics at Umeå School of Business, Economics and Statistics, Umeå University is seeking to appoint PhD students in the areas of Public Economics and Industrial Organization. We welcome your application no later than May 2, 2025.

The PhD students will be part of a research project dealing with efficiency aspects of public sector choices, such as redistributive taxation, public good provision, policy coordination (or lack thereof) across different levels of government (local, regional, and national), and externality correction. It also includes examining how to organize the provision of public services to improve economic efficiency through effective public procurement, contract design, and related questions of market regulation. The objective is to take a broad perspective on public sector tasks and procedures to improve the allocation of resources.

Specifically, the research project on which this recruitment is based comprises three interrelated research areas with the overarching aim of further developing research on economic efficiency in contexts where the public sector plays a major role. One such area refers to interactions between different levels of decision making - the national government, regional policy makers, and local policy makers. A key issue here is the inefficiencies that such interaction may generate due to lack of coordination across public sector entities and the broad implications thereof for policy design. 

A second research area refers to the pros and cons of public procurement versus choice systems (e.g., where the public sector pays for elderly care but users can choose the provider). It also includes potential problems facing procuring entities such as collusion across bidders and how collusion can be prevented with market regulations. 

The third area, focuses on secondary objectives often attached to public procurement by examining the possible use of procurement for achieving environmental and social objectives (in addition to achieving the primary objectives behind the procurement). Note that these specific areas are not mutually exclusive, a PhD project can be based either on a specific area or a mix between them.

Research environment
The Department of Economics has about 30 employees, including eight professors, eight associate professors, two assistant professors, and five post-doctoral researchers. The department has a broad research tradition, where the main research areas are Public Economics, Labor Economics, Environmental Economics, and Industrial Organization. Five themes are central to our research: (i) economic policy and behavioral economics; (ii) economic policy and the labor market; (iii) sustainable development; (iv) economic policy and fiscal federalism; and (v) competition and procurement. This research addresses a broad set of topics including optimal taxation and public expenditure, income formation, household responses to taxation and other economic policy, social accounting, environmental policy, local public economics, public procurement, collusion, and the functioning of pharmaceutical markets. From a methodological perspective, the department’s research reflects a mix of theoretical and empirical contributions. The department is also the host institution of the Erik Kempe Award in Environmental and Resource Economics. The research environment is open and friendly, and doctoral students are fully integrated into the department’s activities as staff members.

Work description
As a PhD student in the Department of Economics, you are expected to take courses specified in your study plan, to work independently on your PhD project as well as collaborate within the research group, and to participate in seminars and other department activities.

Requirements and qualifications

• The general requirement for admission is a degree on advanced level, or the applicant having a total of 240 ECT credits of which 60 credits are at the advanced level.
• The specific requirement for admission is that the applicant has at least 90 ECT credits in Economics.
• The main qualifications are proven analytical skills, a strong interest in research, and the ability to work independently as well as in teams to accomplish the required tasks.
• Applicants must be proficient in both oral and written English.
• Applicants with a degree from a non-Swedish university are encouraged to provide their results from the GMAT (and/or GRE) and TOEFL tests if available.
• Documented skills in using quantitative methods such as Mathematics and Econometrics is a merit.  

Application
The application shall contain the following documents:

• A cover letter summarizing your qualifications, scientific interests, and motives for applying (max 2 pages).
• Curriculum Vitae.
• Degree certificates.
• Bachelor- and Master theses or similar documentation of research skills.
• Name and contact information of two references.

The application should be written in English and submitted on Umeå University´s recruiting system no later than May 2, 2025.  

Additional information
Normally, the PhD program amounts to four years of full-time studies. This PhD position consists of a two-year scholarship followed by a two-year PhD student employment. The PhD position may also include part-time teaching and/ or other departmental work up to 20% of the time, thereby prolonging the duration of the program to guarantee four years of graduate studies.

The location of the position is Umeå. Participation in the department's activities is expected. Information about the PhD program and general study plan can be found here: https://www.umu.se/en/usbe/education/doctoral-studies/economics/

For further information please contact David Granlund, Head of research, david.granlund@umu.se, or Giovanni Forchini, Director of doctoral studies, giovanni.forchini@umu.se.

More about USBE
As an internationally respected, nationally influential, and regionally rooted part of Umeå University, Umeå School of Business, Economics, and Statistics contributes to societal development through education and research of a high international standard.

Through interplay with surrounding society, we provide education and research that contributes to the understanding, ability, and responsibility of individuals in relation to societal challenges and the importance of sustainable development.

In collaboration with our surrounding society, we provide education and research that contributes to individuals' understanding, ability and responsibility in relation to societal challenges and the importance of sustainable development. We are AACSB-accredited and sustainability certified according to the environmental management standard ISO14001.

The Department of Business Administration, the Department of Economics, the Department of Statistics and The USBE office form USBE, with about 150 employees. About 4000 students follow our programs every year and we offer education from the undergraduate to the doctoral program level in all of our main disciplines – Business Administration, Economics and Statistics.

Read more about USBE here: https://www.umu.se/en/usbe/

We look forward to receiving your application!