Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA
Deadline: 12.05.2026
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.
Department of Biosciences (IBV) is one of nine departments at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Research in the department is organised in five sections covering topics within biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, cell biology, genetics, aquatic biology, toxicology, ecology, and evolutionary biology. The Department also operates Finse research station, the Biological research station in Drøbak and UiO's research vessel. Education across these topics is offered for around 300 bachelor, 170 master, and 75 PhD students. With 48 permanent professors/associate professors, post-docs, researchers, technical, and administrative personnel, the Department has a total staff of 260 from more than 30 different countries. The Department aims to maintain high international standards within both research and teaching. The new bachelor program in bioscience is the first of its kind to include programming and computational modelling as core elements.
About the position
We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA, available at the the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences.
Starting date no later than 01.10.2026.
The fellowship period is three years. A fourth year may be considered with a work-load of 25 % which is devoted to other career promoting work, usually in the form of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
Place of work is the Department of Biosciences at Blindern, Oslo.
Project description
The position is part of the project Ecological Archaeologies of the Afrotropics (EcoArch), funded by the European Research Council (ERC Synergy Grant 101224871). The appointed candidate will work within the overarching goal of the project EcoArch to disentangle the drivers of landscape and climate change in the Afrotropics since the introduction of domesticated food economies. The project will collect and analyse diverse types of data for the reconstruction of changes in climate, biodiversity and wildfires across different biomes and examine the role of human activities in shaping the landscape. The postdoctoral fellow will investigate palaeoecological changes using sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA), focusing on several key sites. The successful candidate will join fieldwork, generate and analyse sedaDNA metagenomic data, and prepare results for publication and dissemination. In addition to this postdoctoral fellowship we are filling three other positions to work in our group on the EcoArch project. Close collaboration with the other members of EcoArch and interdisciplinary interpretation of the data are key aspects of the position.
The successful candidate will join our Biodiversity & Palaeogenomics research group with master students, PhD fellows and postdocs. The group is part of the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences.
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.
Required qualifications:
Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in evolutionary biology, ecology, palaeoecology, biomolecular archaeology or a similar subject. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment
Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
Hands-on experience with bioinformatics and the analysis of high-throughput ancient DNA sequencing data
Strong statistical skills
The candidate must demonstrate an interest in and be comfortable with doing fieldwork in remote locations in the Afrotropics with very basic amenities
Desired qualifications:
Experience with DNA laboratory methods, preferably in working with ancient DNA
Experience with sedimentary ancient DNA analyses
Knowledge of plant systematics
A background in evolutionary ecology
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?
We seek a highly motivated, enthusiastic person with the ambition to gain insight and publish papers in leading, international journals. The candidate should have strong interpersonal and communication skills and the competence to work in close collaboration across disciplines and cultures. The candidate must have a strong interest in working in an interdisciplinary environment and experience working in such environments is considered an advantage.
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 NOK 595 000 - 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. 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:
Cover letter (statement of motivation and personal suitability summarizing scientific work and research interest)
CV (summarizing education, previous positions and academic work, pedagogical and administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including scientific publications)
A project proposal presenting the central research objectives and methodologies the candidate would like to pursue (800-1200 words)
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.
