Postdoctoral Research Fellow in advanced STEM and EELS of exsolution materials
Deadline: 31.07.2026
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.
The research at the Department of Physics covers a broad range of subfields within physics and technology: From space research to medical physics. A good proportion of the research is interdisciplinary, and conducted in close cooperation with collaborators in Norway and abroad. Education and teaching are other essential activities. We offer a broad range of courses, and the Department is involved in several study programmes at bachelor’s and master’s level. Some of the best lecturers in Norway are amongst our employees, and we are proud of our prizewinning teaching and learning environment. The Department has 200 employees, of which 50 are permanent scientific positions. On a yearly basis 20 students complete their Ph.D. and 50 finish their M.Sc. degree.
About the position
Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowis available at the Department of Physics/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology.
Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.
The appointment is a full-time position and is for a period of four years, 25 % of which is dedicated to teaching activities.
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a period of four years are expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency during their fellowship period within the duty component of 25 %.
Project description and work tasks
The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will broadly address exsolution of metal nanoparticles from oxide materials, which show great promise as electrocatalyst for energy conversion technologies. The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will design and characterize materials to elucidate the fundamentals of the exsolution process, including the role of point defects and their interactions, extended defects, strain and more. The primary technique will be scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), using a newly installed state-of-the-art JEOL Mono ARM instrument. The research activities will also include the use of complimentary macroscopic techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS at synchrotron beam-line facilities.
The Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be part of a team of experienced researchers working on related themes within the sections Semiconductor Physics and Quantum Technologies, and Electrochemistry, at the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN).
The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.
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.
We are seeking a candidate with extensive experience in utilizing (S)TEM and EELS for studies of the structure and properties of inorganic materials. The successful candidate should have a background in physics, and hold a PhD in solid state physics, materials science, or similar with a preferred expertise in metal oxides. Previous experience with writing custom code for data analysis, data acquisition, or simulation of experiments is a requirement. A good track record in cross-disciplinary research and collaboration will be positively evaluated, in particular if the candidate has shown an ability to combine experiments with theory/modeling. Good communication skills are a prerequisite.
Required qualifications:
A degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in (Solid State) Physics or Materials Science or equivalent. If the degree is not yet formally received, the doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the application date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
Experience with utilizing (S)TEM and EELS for studies of inorganic materials
Experience with writing custom code for data acquisition, data analysis, or simulations
Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
Desired qualifications:
Experience with and deep understanding of synthesis and characterization of exsolution systems
Experience with advanced characterization using synchrotron beam-line facilities, e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)
Fluent oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language
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:
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Ability to work precisely in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
Good communication and collaboration skills
Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal skills.
We can offer you
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
Committed colleagues in a good working environment
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 NOK595 000 - 690 000, 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.
We especially encourage women to apply. 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:
A cover letter describing the motivation for applying for the position, the aspects of the project that the applicant considers most important, and ideas on how to address the proposed research topics over the course of the project (maximum 2 pages)
CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, and other qualifying activity)
Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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 be invited for interviews.
Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.
If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)
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.
