NILU

NILU – Norwegian Institute for Air Research (165 employees) aims to increase the understanding of processes and effects of climate change, of the composition of the atmosphere, of air quality and of hazardous substances.

The institute holds a strong position both on the national and international level within its core fields of research.

Applications are invited for a 3-year PhD research fellowship position on transport modelling at the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) in association with the Department of Geosciences at the University of Oslo (Norway).

About the position

The chemical/physical composition of the atmosphere is driven by transport processes. Long-range atmospheric transport brings emissions from either natural or anthropogenic sources to near and remote regions. Such emissions could have impact on air composition thousands of kilometers away.

The FLEXPART group is part of the Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research (ATMOS) of NILU and focuses on the development and maintenance of the Lagrangian Transport Model FLEXPART (flexpart.eu).

Our research leverages on the transport modeling capabilities in order to understand phenomena including the effect of emissions from wildfires on the Arctic, the distribution of greenhouse gases, volcanic ash and dust, and emerging pollutants such as microplastics. In addition, we are addressing the transport of physical properties such as moisture and water content in air.

Duties of the position

The successful candidate will contribute to the following activities, although the precise tasks can be discussed further depending on the candidate’s interests:

• Establishing climatologies of atmospheric transport of pollutants
• Investigate in case studies of transport events seen in observations
• Investigating of heat or moisture transport into high latitudes and the Arctic
• Modelling and model development with FLEXPART
• Scientific data analysis, interpretation and publication of results

Qualifications

The following requirements of the applicant are essential:

• MSc degree or equivalent in geoscience, physics, or environmental sciences
• Strong programming skills (Fortran, Unix-like platforms)
• Data analysis skills (Python, R, Matlab)
• Excellent knowledge of English

We offer

What we offer:

• International environment with professional and friendly colleagues from all over the world, and broad experience and complementary competence
• Access to a wide network of national and international collaborators
• A constantly learning environment with participation in conferences, workshops, and international training events
• Flexible working hours
• Open source and open access philosophy regarding software and data
• Excellent pension, welfare, and insurance schemes, and a competitive salary
• Easy access to the greater Oslo region with plenty of opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities

The candidate’s research activities will be based at NILU in Kjeller, about 20 km outside Oslo. As the fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at a Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the formal PhD program will be appointed to the University of Oslo.

Application process

The application must include:

• Application letter including a statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• Copies of educational certificates including grades
• Names and contact details of 3 referees

We advise foreign applicants to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.

For more information about the available position please contact Sabine Eckhardt (sec@nilu.no).

Applications should be submitted no later than 19.06.2021.

Apply for position