About the position

A position as PhD Research Fellow is available at the Department of Technology Systems (ITS) as part of the FME SOLAR. 

The FME SOLAR is a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research financed by the Research Council of Norway with the intention of studying the manufacturing, production, integration, and long-term strategies of solar power in Norway.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. 

The preferred starting date is January 1, 2025.

The fellowship period is 3 years.

A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

Job description

The person hired in the position will work on theoretical control and optimization methods for photovoltaic (PV) integration into larger energy systems, for example in the form of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), as well as incentive schemes such as prosumer energy markets. 

The research will include graph-based methods for distributed optimization and control, and will employ multi-disciplinary tools from statistics, econometrics, machine learning, and optimization. 

The core activity of the FME shall support Researchers, PhD candidates and Postdocs. They work in close contact with the research and user partners of FME Solar, and with other partners at ITS on the general topics of renewable energy systems. 

The PhD candidate will be part of a team at ITS comprising two other positions funded by the FME Solar project, and in close collaboration with other members of the Energy Systems section.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in cybernetics, intelligent systems, automation, or related fields
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• The topic of the Masters degree must be of relevance to the job description
• Preference will be given to candidates with a multi-disciplinary background consisting of both control theory (or related fields) and economics (or related fields)
• Applicants must have experience in one or more of the topics
  • Model-predictive control
  • Numerical optimization
  • Econometrics
  • Machine learning
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Graph theory
  • Advanced statistics
• The research area for the position can include technologies or information referred to in the Ministry's export control regulations or the Norwegian National Security Act (Lov om Nasjonal Sikkerhet, a.k.a. “Sikkerhetsloven”), and the candidate must be eligible to obtain a security clearance

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. 

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position.

For more information see here.

Personal skills

• Ability to take initiative and come up with new ideas to solve theoretical and practical problems 
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Good personal communication skills

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement 
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes
• 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 and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
• Letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• 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 (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.

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

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.

UiO has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

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.

Contact information

For further information about the position please contact: 

• Associate professor Mathias Hudoba de Badyn, e-mail: mathias.hudoba@its.uio.no

For technical questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact 

• HR Adviser Olga Holmlund, e-mail: olga.holmlund@mn.uio.no

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