About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Climate Science available in the Section for Meteorology and Oceanography, Department of Geoscience, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo.

The fellowship period is 3 years.

Starting date no later than October 1st 2025.

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.

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

Job description

Investigating Climate Change Reversibility with Earth System Models and Machine Learning.

Tackling climate change is a major challenge. One key mitigation strategy involves the removal of gigaton-scale amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce the effects of climate change. However, introducing carbon capture and storage (CCS) as a mitigation approach raises important questions about the reversibility of the climate system.The project will focus on investigating thresholds of irreversible changes in the context of overshoot pathways, exploring the timescales and processes that govern long-term irreversibility of the climate system, and understanding how interlinked climate cycles, such as the energy and carbon cycles, influence system responses to greenhouse gas emissions and carbon removal. The successful candidate will analyze large datasets from Earth system models using machine learning techniques, and develop and apply emulators to assess hysteresis in Earth system model response.

The PhD fellow will be part of the NorESM4CMIP7 project team, which will prepare the next generation of the NorESM model for CMIP7 to significantly enhance our understanding of climate and the Earth system. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to critical climate science questions and advance understanding of the nonlinear dynamics of the Earth system under climate change scenarios.

Qualifications 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.

We seek a highly motivated candidate for a PhD-project in all relevant fields of Geosciences, which include geology/geophysics, geomorphology/geomatics and meteorology/oceanography/glaciology/hydrology.

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Meteorology, Climate Science or a related field
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system 

Desired qualifications

• Prior experience with Earth system modelling and/or analysis of Earth system model data, e.g. CMIP6 data.
• Strong computational skills, and idelly experience with commonly used programming languages in the field (Python, Fortran, etc).
• The NorESM4CMIP7 team consists of several PhD students, postdocs and researchers. The PhD fellow would be expected to become an active and engaged member of the NorESM4CMIP7 research group and collaborate closely with the other project members. 

Language requirement

• Fluent 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

Candidates without a master’s degree have until 30 June 2025 to complete the final exam.

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

We offer

• Vibrant international academic environment
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• 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 from 536 200 - 575 400, 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

The application must be submitted as a single PDF and 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, transcripts of records and 
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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. Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.

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), 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

• For further information please contact Ada Gjermundsen, ada.gjermundsen@geo.uio.no
• For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Ørjan Pretorius, orjan.pretorius@mn.uio.no