About the position and research group

We are seeking candidates for a four-year postdoc position at the Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE), Department of Biostatistics, University of Oslo. The candidate will be part of the research group on causal inference and survival analysis led by professor Jon Michael Gran, where they will work on causal inference with applications to longitudinal/time-to-event data from large population-wide registries. The position is connected to the project “Improving causal inference for individual working life trajectories from registry data: studying interventions, estimands and heterogeneity”, recently funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN). The project is a close collaboration with research groups at the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) and Oslo University Hospital (OUS). The position is fully funded for 4 years.

The research group on causal inference and survival analysis is part of the Oslo Centre for Biostatistics and Epidemiology (OCBE). OCBE is one of Europe's most active biostatistics groups with currently about 75 researchers. OCBE is internationally recognized, with interests spanning a broad range of areas - including causal inference and time-to-event analysis, computationally intensive inference, high-dimensional and big data, machine learning, measurement uncertainty and research for clinical trials and observational studies - and has numerous collaborations with leading biomedical research groups internationally and in Norway.

Main task for the position

The candidate will pursue research on causal inference for treatment effect estimation in complex longitudinal and time-to-event settings. An emphasis will be made on multi-state modelling of event history data, but various other topics may also be relevant in this context, such as machine learning methods for causal inference.

Methods should be motivated in and applied to answering the subject matter research questions of the project, such as of the effects of interventions for a more inclusive working life (including rehabilitation measures and work place facilitation) or the effects of sustained medical treatments (including use of opioids and other type of pain treatment for patients after traumatic injury). Outcomes of interest will be related to long term health, sick leave and work participation. 

The candidate will work with large and complex datasets with information at individual level, collected from various population wide registries.

The candidate will participate in the project through the design and implementation of studies, development and implementation of statistical methods, data analysis, preparation of manuscripts and communication of research findings. We provide an exciting and friendly research environment for the development and application of new methods in a collaborative and interdisciplinary fashion, with various national and international collaborators. The candidate will work closely with other project members at OCBE, STAMI and OUS, and the broader causal inference and survival analysis group at OCBE. The candidate will participate in regular project meetings and must have the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

 Qualifications

 Qualifications requirements

• To be appointed as a postdoctoral fellow, a doctoral degree is required.
• Applicants must hold a degree corresponding to a Norwegian doctoral degree in biostatistics, statistics, data science or equivalent. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved. 
• Some background knowledge in either causal inference or survival analysis is required. Relevant research experience within these areas will be an advantage

• Strong quantitative and computational skills is required. Applicants should be fluent in R or equivalent software. 
• Experience with management and analysis of large datasets is an advantage. Experience with biomedical applications, and especially the analysis of data from health records or other registries, is also an advantage.
• Candidates must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Experience with interdisciplinary collaborations is an advantage.
• Personal suitability will be emphasized.
• Working language in the group and at OCBE is English, hence fluency in English is required.

 Why should you choose us?

• Exciting and meaningful organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Committed colleagues in a good working environment. 
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours.
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities. 
• Membership in the State Pension Found, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK from 579 700 - 615 700 to, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter
• CV
• A complete list of publications
• Project description
• Transcripts and certificates
• Contact information for 3 references
• Description of the candidate’s relevant experience and training
• Documentation of the candidate’s experience with statistical software and data analysis
• Description of the candidate’s experience with biostatistical or epidemiological applications

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will be invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian).

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Apply for the position

Questions about the position

• Jon Michael Gran, j.m.gran@medisin.uio.no