About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in formal methods for data protection in digital twins is available at the Department of Informatics.

Starting date no later than December 1, 2025. The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year maybe considered and it will involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

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

Job description

This position is funded by the Department of Informatics and will be part of the collaboration between the Reliable Systems (PSY) research group, which works in formal methods, programming language theory and digital twins, and the Data and Knowledge Management (DKM) research group, which works in sematic technologies. Both groups have a dynamic and interactive working environment with good gender balance, consisting of full-time professors, researchers, and many postdocs and PhD candidates.

The planned PhD research topic will explore techniques to handle protected data in digital twin architectures. To explore and investigate this topic, the project will combine formal methods, programming language theory and semantic technologies, aiming to develop systematic techniques for handling protected data. The planned topic aims to develop methods that can be integrated within a digital twin framework. The PhD project aims at demonstrating the results by either a theoretical framework or in an experimental proof of concept that can be integrated to the existing digital twin framework SMOL.

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a system that is continuously updated with real-time data to simulate, predict, or analyse the performance or behaviour of the twinned system. Digital twins rely heavily on data to maintain their operations, which includes both real-time data and historical data, some of which can be highly sensitive and need to be protected. Access to such data and further processing should be guaranteed to happen according to some established policy or contract, and it should prevent any other unauthorised access or usage since sensitive data that is disclosure, or misuse could potentially lead to risks such as identity theft, financial loss, reputational damage, or legal consequences.

What skills are important in this role?

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.

Qualification requirements:

• Master’s degree or equivalence in a relevant field of computer science or informatics for this position, such as programming language theory, for-mal methods or semantic technology
• A solid documented background in theoretical computer science is required
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written English communication skills
• Applicants must submit a statement of research interests indicating why this PhD topic fits their interest/background. This statement of research interest should not exceed one page

Desired qualifications:

• Good knowledge in programming language theory, algorithms, distributed systems and logic
• Experience with language-based techniques for information-flow analysis or access control, formal methods or semantic technologies will be considered an advantage when candidates are ranked

Language requirement:

• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements

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

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see here.

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• Strong analytical skills
• Independent thinking, creativity, and good at taking initiative
• Good communication and interpersonal skills

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We can offer you

• A pleasant and stimulating work 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
• Career development programmes
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, 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. 

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• A statement of research interests indicating why this PhD topic fits their interest/background is required. The statement should not exceed one page
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor’s and Master’s degree diploma (see below)
• 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)

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.

Apply for the position

Questions about the position

• Silvia Lizeth Tapia Tarifa (Associate Professor), sltarifa@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, contact:

• Therese Ringvold (HR Adviser at the Faculty), therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no