Universitetet i Oslo
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.
The Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics is part of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. It presently has 15 permanent professors/associate professors. The Institute employs about 15 postdoctoral and senior research fellows and has about 25 Ph.D. students. The research activity of the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics is concentrated around solar physics, cosmology and extragalactic astrophysics.
About the position
One or two positions as Postdoctoral Research Fellow are available at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics.
Starting date as soon as possible.
The appointments are full time positions. The first position is funded by an ERC StG project called Origins (PI: Duncan Watts), with a duration of four years (25% of which is devoted to required duties, usually in the form of teaching activities). The second position is co-funded by an RCN project called CosmoglobeHD (PI: Duncan Watts) and ERC AdG project called Commander (PI: Hans Kristian Eriksen), with a duration of three years (10% of which is devoted to required duties). Whether both positions will be filled depends on both final funding constraints and available applicants.
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
Job/ Project description / Development plan:
The successful candidates will join the CMB&CO group at ITA, currently composed of two professors, four researchers, three PhD candidates, and three master’s students. The candidates will be able to participate in the larger Cosmoglobe project, including analysis on archival data such as Planck, WMAP, and DIRBE, as well as ongoing projects (COMAP and PASIPHAE) and future projects, including the LiteBIRD satellite mission. In addition to the group at ITA, the candidates will participate in research in an international context, representing Origins, Cosmoglobe and UiO at meetings and conferences.
Position 1 – Origins: Constraining the cosmic infrared background and interplanetary dust emission using multi-generational data, supervised by Dr. Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no) and Prof. Ingunn Wehus (i.k.wehus@astro.uio.no).
The ERC-funded Origins project has the goal of modeling the diffuse sky from 1 micron to 1 GHz, including contributions from the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) monopole and fluctuations, zodiacal dust, and dust emission in the Milky Way. A primary goal of Origins is to create full-sky maps of the CIB as a function of redshift using IRAS, AKARI, DIRBE, Planck, and upcoming SPHEREx data. The candidate will perform all levels of data analysis, from the processing of raw data to maps to power spectrum estimation of resulting CIB maps. The candidate will also have the opportunity to develop a computational theoretical framework for predicting CIB fluctuations as a function of cosmological parameters.
The candidate will work with time-ordered data from each of the above experiments. The first project will entail detailed interplanetary dust modeling, imperative for robust detection of CIB fluctuations. The analysis of data collected over four decades will allow for direct testing and modeling of the time variability of zodiacal light emission. The second project will focus on the theoretical predictions of the CIB fluctuation power spectrum, building upon existing theoretical and computational frameworks.
Position 2 – CosmoglobeHD and Commander: Analysis of FIRAS and Simons Observatory data, supervised by Dr. Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no) and Prof. Hans Kristian Eriksen (h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no)
The main goal of this position is to analyze observations from the COBE/FIRAS and Simons Observatory experiments within the Cosmoglobe framework. For FIRAS, a primary challenge will be to develop and implement a new data model for raw interferograms suitable for Commander, and use this to constrain the energy history of the universe through CMB spectral distortions. This work will rely on archival data, and be performed in close collaboration with members from the original FIRAS team. For the Simons Observatory analysis, the main goals are to constrain primordial gravitational waves through CMB B-modes with the Small Aperture Telescope, as well as gravitational lensing, Sunyaev-Zeldovich and CIB fluctuations with the Large Aperture Telescope. This work will be done as part of the Simons Observatory collaboration.
As both positions will require a significant amount of programming, we request a self-written code sample to be submitted with the application.
Unless explicitly noted in the application material, all candidates will be considered for both positions.
Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a period of four years are expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency in the course of their fellowship period within the duty component of 25 %.
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.
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.
- Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in astrophysics, physics, or a related field. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense at the employment date are eligible for appointment.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
Personal skills:
As a postdoctoral fellow in one of these positions, much of your job will consist of independent problem solving in collaboration with the rest of the group. You will be working on problem solving, programming, data modeling and analysis, scientific writing, and public presentation. Specific technologies that are commonly used in the group include Python, Fortran, high-performance computing, MPI, OpenMP, Commander, Git, and Latex. Familiarity with some of these concepts will be an asset, but are not required at the time of application.
We offer:
- Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per year depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
- Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
- Professionally stimulating working environment
- Vibrant international academic environment
- Postdoctoral development programmes
- Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
The application must include:
- Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
- CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative 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
- A code sample, for instance in the form of a GitHub repository. This should be related to your most recent academic work.
- Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). Please arrange for letters to be sent directly to Dr. Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no).
The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).
In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, as well as the candidate’s motivation and personal suitability.
Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.
It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.
Formal regulations:
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)
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.
The University of Oslo 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, and women are particularly encouraged to apply. 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 persons:
For general information, please contact:
For project specific information, please contact the project supervisors: Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no)
Ingunn Wehus (i.k.wehus@astro.uio.no) or Hans Kristian Eriksen (h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no).
For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, email: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no.
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