About the position

Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is available at the Mechanics Division, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oslo.

Starting date no later than August 1, 2025.

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

A three-year postdoctoral research fellowship is available at the Department of Mathematics in the research group of Prof. Andreas Carlson at the University of Oslo (UiO).

The position is part of a project funded by the Research Council of Norway for the development of a new vibration-based soft robot. The project has an ambitious aim to demonstrate the feasibility and longevity of the production of vibration-based soft robots.

The project will provide a fundamental understanding of the physical processes at play when actively driving a soft sheet next to a solid surface. Essential to the project is developing a new understanding of the fluid-structure interactions, that is to say, the coupling between the sheet’s elastic deformations and the fluid flow between the sheet and the solid surface. The vibrations make the sheet levitate above the solid surfaces, which provides pathways for designing both adhesion and locomotion of contactless robots.

The project aims to develop a contactless soft robot relying on these operating principles (guided by our physical understanding of the processes). The project requires detailed measurements of the dynamic soft elastic interface and the fluid flow, as well as exploring use of complex materials and actuation principles. The project provides opportunities to collaborate with both national and international collaborators, as well as exploring sustainability aspects of the technology. 

This is the right position if you are highly motivated about fundamental science and excited about questions related to fluid-structure interactions (elastohydrodynamics) and interfacial fluid mechanics in the context of soft robotics. The postdoctoral fellow will join an international and interdisciplinary research group lead by Prof. Andreas Carlson, which hosts other projects including an ERC Consolidator Grant.

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.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

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 mechanics, physics or applied mathematics or similar. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• A strong track record in fundamental research in soft matter physics or robotics or mechanics/physics.
• Experience within fluid mechanics, elastohydrodynamics and/or complex materials will also be considered beneficial.
• A strong experimental background in developing and performing experiments in soft matter physics, elastohydrodynamics, robotics, solid mechanics or fluid mechanics.

Personal skills

• Self-driven and highly motivated about fundamental science.
• Very good communication and collaboration skills
• Want to contribute to good social environment at the workplace 
• Pro-active, result oriented and high performance capabilities

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.
• Vibrant international academic environment.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Postdoctoral development programmes.
• 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 579 700 – 657 300, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

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.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

Application

Your application should include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation and research interest)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, research background and other qualifying activity) 
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records 
• A separate complete list of publications 
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number) to be contacted for letters of recommendation

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 can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian).

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Contact persons:

• Professor Andreas Carlson, phone: +47 22857223, web: acarlson-uio.github.io, email : acarlson@math.uio.no
• For technical questions related to the application portal please contact HR officer Ole Rustad, e-mail: ole.rustad@mn.uio.no 

Apply for the position