About the position

A PhD Research Fellowship is available at the Department of Mathematics in the research group of Prof. Andreas Carlson at the University of Oslo (UiO).

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

Starting date as soon as possible and preferably by October 1st, 2025. 

The fellowship period is 3 years.

The position is part of the HAIRY project funded by the Research Council of Norway.

The project aims to provide a fundamental understanding of the physical processes involved as droplets interact with soft, hairy surfaces. Essential to the project is the development of a new understanding of elastocapillary flow, which refers to the interaction between capillary forces and the elastic deformations of the soft, hair-like structures covering surfaces.

The PhD research fellow will conduct fluid mechanics experiments and develop methodologies for manufacturing soft, hairy surfaces.

Surfaces densely covered with soft, slender fibers, akin to a shag carpet, that come into contact with a liquid interface are abundant in biology and relevant for a wide range of engineering processes. These hairy surfaces exhibit unique properties and can: enable the removal of particles and pathogens when raindrops slide on plant leaves, produce cilia-driven liquid or cellular transport in our bodies, facilitate drinking in animals, assist in the removal of water drops on insects, provide liquid and thermal transport on feathers, and give fur drag-reducing properties, to name just a few examples.

The project aspires to generate a new fundamental understanding of droplet flow on hairy surfaces and create pathways for engineering these surfaces for droplet flow control, both through passive designs and active surface reorganization.

You will work with

The PhD student will: 

• Develop droplet flow experiments
• Develop a methodology for making soft hairy surfaces
• Be directly involved in integrating experiments and theoretical prediction
• Develop independence and be self-driven to advance with their research project 
• Work in an interdisciplinary team with expertise in mechanics, complex fluids, physics and biophysics and sustainability thinking
• Follow our PhD program that include an educational component

This is the right position if you are highly motivated about fundamental science and excited about questions related to fluid flows, droplets, wetting and interfacial fluid mechanics.

The PhD research fellow will join an international and interdisciplinary research group lead by Prof. Andreas Carlson.

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 mechanics, fluid mechanics, physics or applied mathematics. 
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English 
• A strong theoretical educational background in mathematics, continuum mechanics and fluid mechanics

Candidates without a master’s degree have until August 15th 2025 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Earlier involvement in research projects in fluid mechanics or droplets will also be considered positively, as well as experience with programming or experiments

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
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• 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

• Self-driven and highly motivated about fundamental science.
• Very good communication and collaboration skills.
• Want to contribute to good social environment at the workplace. 
• Pro-active, result oriented and high performance capabilities.

We offer

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Good welfare schemes.
• Career development programmes.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK 536 200 - 575 400, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

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:

• A brief cover letter including a description of scientific interests and the motivation for applying for the position
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of educational certificates and transcript of records 
• Documentation of English proficiency if needed (please see admission criteria)
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

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 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), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

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

Contact persons:

• Professor Andreas Carlson, phone: +47 22857223, web, e-mail : acarlson@math.uio.no

For technical questions related to the application portal please contact HR officer Ole Rustad, e-mail: ole.rustad@mn.uio.no 

Apply for the position