Ledig stilling på Universitetet i Oslo

Blindern og Urbygningen (Foto: Wikimedia og Colourbox)

Researcher position in Inorganic materials chemistry (battery materials)

Deadline: 10.06.2019

Job description

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) is an interdisciplinary focus field for material and energy research at the University of Oslo. SMN has focused on basic research in renewable energy and environmentally friendly use of fossil energy sources. The center consists of research groups from the Department of Physics (Fi) and Chemistry (Ki), has about 100 employees from around the world and manages more than 80 projects funded by the EU, the RCN and others.

Flere stillinger fra Universitetet i Oslo

A two years position as researcher within the field of Inorganic materials chemistry (battery materials) is available at the Department of Chemistry/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN), research group NAFUMA - nanostructures and functional materials. Starting date no later than 01.10.2019.

More about the position

The researcher will work on the project NanoName: Improving sodium ion battery performance with Nanostructured Na-metallate anodes, funded by the Research Council of Norway. A PhD fellow will be hired on the same project and it is intended that the researcher will work closely with the PhD fellow. Furthermore, the NanoName project involves collaborations with researcher staff in the NAFUMA group. The final selection of candidates will consider the need for complementary expertise between the temporary co-workers to be hired.

We are searching for a creative, skilled and ambitious researcher for our activities on battery materials. The researcher will work in a team of some 6-8 PhD and post doctoral fellows /researchers. External collaboration with other academic research groups and industry will take place via the FME center MoZEES. The main topic for the work is synthesis of metallate anode materials for Na-ion batteries in the form of nanocomposites, supplemented by detailed electrochemical, structural and physical characterization.

The research focus is to develop high performance metallate based anode materials for Na-ion batteries. In this work detailed characterization by electrochemical methods in-house, combined with studies of cycling mechanism and stability by means of synchrotron based tools, involving diffraction, spectroscopy, tomography and other imaging techniques, is essential. The researcher will interact with DFT/MD modelling activates within the project and benefit from results and predictions on stability, redox properties and interface reactions to improve materials through optimized synthesis/fabrication. Other characterization methods will also be applied, e.g. NMR, IR/Raman spectroscopy, XPS, SEM and TEM.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. Candidates for these positions will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

  • Applicants must hold a Mater degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in Chemistry or a related field. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

The following requirements on qualifications will be given major weight in the evaluation of the candidates. In the cover letter, as well in the CV, the applicant must describe his/her experience (expertise) within the following areas:

  • Inorganic materials synthesis
  • Electrochemical characterization of solids and battery materials
  • Crystal structure determination and refinements
  • Operando studies of materials under working conditions
  • DFT modelling of inorganic materials and their stability and properties

We offer

  • salary NOK 515 200 – 565 500 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Researcher (position code 1109)
  • a professionally stimulating working environment
  • attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
  • CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
  • Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records and letters of recommendation
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

For question regarding our application system, please contact HR Officer, Ørjan Pretorius, orjan.pretorius@mn.uio.no

Apply for this job

Powered by Labrador CMS