The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Department of Psychology is one of seven units of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and has 75 permanent and 70 temporary members of scientific staff. Degrees are offered at bachelor and master level, plus a clinical training programme, and the PhD programme has 140 students.
About the position
A postdoctoral fellowship is available at the PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. The postdoctoral fellow will be working in the project Genomics and Life Paths: Unravelling the genetic and social interactions shaping social, economic and health inequalities funded by a infrastructure grant from the Swedish Research Council.
The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of three years with 20 % teaching and administrative duties.
More about the project and the PROMENTA Research Center
The purpose of the project is to increase our knowledge of the complex interplay between genes and environments in shaping our health and the position we occupy on the social and economic ladder. More specifically, we use the quickly increasing availability of large-scale genotype data across Europe, along with detailed register and survey data from several countries, to map out how specific genetic factors covary with and interact with our environmental exposures in producing variation in outcomes like mental health and health behaviours, education, income, political participation, social trust and other prosocial behaviours. The project aims at continuing to develop a world-class interdisciplinary research environment at the forefront of social science genomics.
The project is now searching for three new postdoctoral fellows across three different research nodes - one at Uppsala university, one at the University of Oslo and one at Amsterdam UMC. The three postdoctoral fellows will work closely in collaboration with each other as well as with other project members across all three nodes. A full description of the project can be found here.
The successful candidates are expected to conduct research with a focus on one or more of the core questions of the project. To facilitate research collaboration, the candidates will also spend some amount of time at the other two nodes.
Genomics and Life Paths have three overall objectives: 1: Conducting several comprehensive Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) focusing on various life-course outcomes, with corresponding follow-ups and independent replications.2: Cultivating and enhancing an international and interdisciplinary research setting by offering opportunities for a number of postdoctoral researchers to establish themselves in the field of social science genomics.3: Lowering barriers of entry for researchers in the broader social science domain who are interested in integrating genomic data into their research endeavours.
Genomics and Life Paths will integrate temporal, spatial, social, genetic, and individual levels of inference. Studying individuals with similar genetic profiles will allow to uncover the influences of time periods, places, schools, and families. This will allow us to jointly evaluate hypotheses on direct and indirect pathways into poor mental health, academic challenges, and workforce exclusion.
With Norwegian national registries giving full genealogy and year-by-year event data on place of residence, SES, mental health, and educational performance, the project will be in the position to consider the entire country since 1940. A population-based cohort study comprising 100 000 genotyped families with a wide array of survey data is nested within the population registry data. This investigation of the interplay between extended social arenas and family factors will help to grasp inequity in mental health and educational outcomes.
The PROMENTA Research Center carries out interdisciplinary research on mental health and well-being in a bioecological perspective - from genetics and biology to local communities and policy. We are concerned with examining determinants of good and poor mental health, understanding how social inequalities emerge, and designing and evaluating effective interventions to promote well-being.
We strive to provide our candidates with opportunities to develop high-quality research competence, across disciplines, working alongside leading experts in our fields. While working for us, you will be part of a dynamic and interdisciplinary work environment, with ample opportunities for scientific and social input throughout the academic year. This includes training in both social science and genetic methods, and the possibility teaching and educational courses.
The PROMENTA Research Center with about 50 scientific staff is funded by the Research Council of Norway, and hosted by the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo (UiO). Read more about working at PROMENTA.
The postdoctoral fellow in Oslo will be based in the GeoGen workgroup at PROMENTA lead by Professor Eivind Ystrøm. The goal of the GeoGen workgroup is to study the interplay between genetic and contextual factors in families, schools, and wider contexts by integrating genotyped family trios into population-based registries on family structure, residence, schools, health, and education.
The postdoctoral fellow will be working with GeoGen Team members from Psychology, Economics, Sociology, and Educational Sciences. The fellowships are planned to begin in the third quarter of 2026.
For more information about the positions please see contact information below.
Qualifications
Qualification requirements
The applicant must have submitted their PhD thesis for evaluation by the closing date and be approved by the time the appointing authority reaches a decision. The PhD degree (120 ECTS) or equivalent should be in in psychology, genetics, political science, sociology, epidemiology, economics, demography or other related fields.
Skills in relevant molecular genetic data analyses such as GWAS, polygenic scores, and GCTA.
Proficient oral and written communication skills in English.
Plans for excellent research within the project, as evidenced by the required one-page letter of application, explaining the motivation for applying and how own qualifications are suitable for the announced position.
Favourable qualifications (not requirements, but give applicants an advantage)
Motivation for teaching within the teaching portfolio of the Department of Psychology.
Strong interest in the potential of integrating mental health research, social science, and genetics.
Publication record on the genetics of mental health, educational, or demographical outcomes.
Familiarity with R, Python, Julia, or other relevant computing languages.
Experience with register data or other types of big data.
Training in application of genetic data.
Experience with multilevel modelling or structural equation modeling.
Experience with geocode data.
Personal qualities
Motivation for and ability to work within an interdisciplinary team.
Ability to work independently and drive research projects forward.
Structured and reliable work style, with ability to meet deadlines.
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.
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, 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.
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.
A professionally stimulating work environment and collaboration with researchers at PROMENTA at the Department of Psychology.
A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
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 Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352, in salary range NOK from 610 000 - to 690 000, 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.
Application
Your application should include:
Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
Complete CV
Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Diploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master and PhD courses). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in a Scandinavian language or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
Copies of any publications that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee.
Names and contact details for two references. One of them must be a PhD supervisor. Also preferably including the supervisors on master thesis.
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 cannot, you will hear from us.
