Mature somatic embryos of Norway Spruce (photo: Izabela Dobrowolska)
Are you getting close to the end of your PhD or have you recently completed it? Are you looking to continue in academia and want to shape your future postdoctoral project? Apply for the UPSC Symposium for Early Career Plant Scientists!
We invite talented young scientists to participate in this upcoming symposium at the Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC). As selected candidate you will present your research in an international forum, meet UPSC group leaders, and explore potential collaborative projects. You will also attend a workshop on EU funding opportunities and tour UPSC’s excellent research facilities.
Find and design your own exciting postdoctoral project
The two-day symposium will take place on April 28-29, 2026, in Umeå, a dynamic and rapidly growing city in Northern Sweden. The programme will include besides scientific sessions also social activities, offering you opportunities to network with the UPSC community and learn more about the work environment at UPSC. All costs associated with the symposium will be covered by UPSC.
Who can apply?
To be eligible, you must have published at least one manuscript as first author in a peer-reviewed journal or as preprint and your PhD defence date should be between January 2024 and June 2026. Special reasons like e.g. absence due to illness, parental leave, military service, or similar circumstances may be considered.
How to apply:
Send in your application to
- A one-page motivation letter outlining your research interests and reasons for wanting to participate in the symposium
- A max. three-page CV that includes your relevant information, a list of your publications, and the names and contact details of 2-3 references.
If you have additional questions regarding the application, please contact
What happens after your application?
The following steps will take place after the application is closed:
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Pre-selection and interviews
An evaluation committee will review all application and pre-select the most promising candidates. These candidates will be invited to a short online interview scheduled for January 27, 2026. -
Final selection
The final decision will be based on:
• The candidate’s qualifications and eligibility to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship (e.g. EMBO, Marie Curie, Human Frontiers).
• Performance during the online interview
All applicants will be notified at the beginning of February 2026. -
Symposium preparation
Travel arrangement for selected candidates who accept the invitation to the symposium will be organized in February. The symposium programme will also be finalised at this time.The symposium, including discussions with group leaders will take place on April 28-29, 2026.
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Next steps after the symposium
Based on the visit and discussions during the symposium, the postdoctoral candidate and the PI will be encouraged to begin preparing a fellowship application with support from the local grants office. Important: Many fellowship applications (e.g., EMBO, Marie Curie or Human Frontiers) fall in August/September, so early preparation is essential.
Why joining UPSC?
Umeå Plant Science Centre (UPSC) is a centre of excellence for experimental plant research and forest biotechnology in Northern Sweden. Our mission is to perform excellent and innovative basic research and generate knowledge that benefits forestry, agriculture, environment and society. We work across a wide range of disciplines in plant science reaching from cell biology to ecophysiology and from basic research to industrial applications. Our common goal is to understand the plants’ ability to grow, adapt and acclimate to a changing world and how we can breed better plants.
UPSC belongs to two universities, Umeå University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). About 200 people from more than 40 different nationalities work here. We host some 30 principal investigators, and our researchers have access to state-of-the-art analytical platforms, unique tree germplasm resources and plant growth facilities. We strive for a collaborative work environment and support our scientists throughout all career stages by providing professional training opportunities and individual career mentoring.
Umeå has a strong postdoc community organised in the Umeå Postdoc Society (UPS). UPS fosters networking amongst postdocs, organises social and career development events and works towards improving the postdoc experience in Umeå. Check out their website: https://umeapostdocs.com/ and do not hesitate to get in contact with them!