PhD Research Fellow in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA
Deadline: 06.02.2026
Publisert
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.
Department of Biosciences (IBV) is one of nine departments at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Research in the department is organised in five sections covering topics within biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, cell biology, genetics, aquatic biology, toxicology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The Department also operates Finse research station, the Biological research station in Drøbak and UiO's research vessel. Education across these topics is offered for around 300 bachelor, 170 master, and 75 PhD students. With 48 permanent professors/associate professors, post-docs, researchers, technical, and administrative personnel, the Department has a total staff of 260 from more than 30 different countries. The Department aims to maintain high international standards within both research and teaching. The new bachelor program in bioscience is the first of its kind to include programming and computational modelling as core elements.
About the position
Position as PhD Research Fellow in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA available at the Department of Biosciences.
Starting date no later than 01.07.2026.The fellowship period is three years.
A fourth year may be 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.
Place of work is the Department of Biosciences at Blindern, Oslo.
Job description
The interdisciplinary ERC-Synergy project “EcoArch: Ecological archaeologies of the Afrotropics”, funded by the European Research Council H2020 scheme, seeks to understand the drivers of landscape change across the Afrotropics over the last 6000 years.
The project will collect and analyse diverse types of data for the reconstruction of changes in climate, biodiversity and wildfires across different biomes and examine the role of human activities in shaping the landscape.
The PhD fellow will analyse palaeoecological change using sedimentary ancient DNA, focusing on several key sites. The successful candidate will travel and join fieldwork in up to three of these locations, perform laboratory analyses together with a research technician, and perform the bioinformatic and statistical analyses of the genomic data.
In addition to the PhD fellow we will be hiring two postdoctoral fellows and a research technician to work in our group on the EcoArch project. Close collaboration with the other members of EcoArch and interdisciplinary interpretation of the data are key aspects of the position.
The successful candidate will be based at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences.
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.
Required qualifications:
Master’s degree or equivalent in evolutionary biology, ecology, palaeoecology, biomolecular archaeology or a similar subject.
A foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) must correspond to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
Hands-on experience with bioinformatics and analysing high-throughput sequencing data
Experience with DNA laboratory methods, preferably ancient DNA
The candidate must demonstrate an interest in and be comfortable with doing fieldwork in remote locations with very basic amenities. The first fieldwork will start mid July 2026
Desired qualifications:
Strong statistical skills and knowledge of plant systematics are considered an advantage
Language requirement:
Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
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:http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/
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:
We seek a highly motivated, enthusiastic person with the ambition to gain insight and publish papers in leading, international journals
The candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and the competence to work in close collaboration across disciplines and cultures
The candidate must have a strong interest in working interdisciplinary and experience herein is considered an advantage
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including skills.
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
We need different perspectives in our work
UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.
We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?
We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.
If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).
The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. We hope you will apply for the position with us.
How to apply
The application must include:
Cover letter – demonstrating personal suitability, research interests and motivation for the position
CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
A brief project proposal presenting the central research objectives and methodologies the candidate would like to pursue (400-600 words)
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 this job".
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.
