About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Theoretical/Computational Physics is available at the Department of Physics.

The fellowship period is 3 years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that normally consists of teaching. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2025. 

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

Job description

Searches for physics beyond the Standard Model (BSM) in realistic scenarios is today heavily limited by the speed of precision theory calculations. The investigation of BSM theories is also significantly hampered by the computational expense of evaluating likelihood functions that require substantial Monte Carlo simulations, such as likelihoods for collider experiments. One of the main research directions in the Section for Theoretical Physics at the Department of Physics is on these computational aspects of high-energy physics. Through this work, we are heavily involved in the development of state-of-the-art tools such as DarkSUSY and GAMBIT (gambitbsm.org).

The successful applicant will join the interdisciplinary research project "Developing solvents for unclogging the calculational bottleneck in high-energy physics (‘PLUMBIN’)", financed by the Research Council of Norway (2022-2029). This project is a collaboration between members of the research group in Statistics and Data Science at the Department of Mathematics and the Section for Theoretical Physics at the Department of Physics. It is aimed at tackling these computational challenges through the development of new tools, using advanced methods in computational physics and statistical learning. 

The research to be carried out in the announced PhD fellowship will focus on extending the GAMBIT ColliderBit module, using it for large-scale global fit studies of BSM theories, and contributing to the development of fast tools for precision calculations in quantum field theory (QFT). In particular, the work might include:

- automating the generation of amplitudes for BSM theories, including procedures for merging and matching within ColliderBit- higher-order QFT calculations for BSM theories- improving ColliderBit's handling of externally computed cross-sections- updating the ColliderBit parallelisation scheme- implementing new LHC analyses- performing global fits that apply these developments to explore new BSM theories 

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.

Required:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in theoretical physics or computational physics
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Strong interest in working on the computational aspects of high-energy physics
• Working knowledge of quantum field theory
• Significant experience with programming in C++

Desired:

• Experience with higher-order quantum field theory calculations
• Experience with high performance computing (HPC)
• Programming skills in Python or other languages besides C++
• For candidates who would like to apply for a fourth year including teaching, good knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is strongly preferred.

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

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

Language requirements:

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

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

Personal skills

Good collaboration skills, and the ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary research environment.

We offer

• Salary NOK Salary NOK 536 200 – 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, previous positions and academic work)
• Copies of the original Bachelor’s and Master’s degree diplomas and transcripts of records 
•  Documentation of English proficiency· List of any 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)
• Applicants who are interested in teaching need to add to this application a description of their motivation for and (if any) experience with teaching.

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 original 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.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). 

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

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.

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 please contact:

•  Dr. Anders Kvellestad, phone: +47 98452516, email: anders.kvellestad@fys.uio.no
•  Prof. Are Raklev, phone: +47 41452597, email: ahye@fys.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, email: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no

Apply for this job