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PhD Research Fellow in Bioinformatics

Deadline: 24.10.2021

Job description

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.


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.


Education across these topics is offered for around 380 bachelor, 170 master, and 75 PhD students. With 52 permanent professors/associate professors, post-docs, researchers, technical, and administrative personnel, the Department has a total staff of 340 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.

Fully funded position as PhD Research Fellow in bioinformatics available at the Genetics and Evolutionary Biology (EVOGENE) at the Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo.

The fellowship period is 3 years and devoted to carrying out a project entitled URGE-3D, funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

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

The DNA in the nucleus is folded in three dimensions (3D). This folding is critical for the orchestration of gene expression during development, differentiation and tissue homeostasis, and for the balance between healthy and pathological states. However, most genomic information is only represented linearly on the chromosomes, limiting our ability to understand and ultimately treat diseases like cancer.

The URGE-3D project aims at unraveling new links between 3D genome reorganization and cancer development and progression. Specifically, the successful candidate will develop new computational tools to study 3D genome organization at unforeseen resolution and accuracy. Further, the candidate will analyze already generated in-house datasets from Hi-C and related high-throughput genomics experiments to shed new light on how the 3D genome is altered and reorganized in cancer cells.

The candidate will be supervised within the recently established research group of Associate Professor Jonas Paulsen, the group consists of a postdoc, two PhD students, and three master students. An additional postdoc will also be recruited as part of the same project. The candidate will take part in further developing the bioinformatics software developed in the group [Nature Protoc. 2018; Nature Genetics 2019]. The focus of the group is to understand how the 3D organization of DNA inside the nucleus relates to critical functions in the eukaryotic cell, such as gene expression regulation and the cell cycle. We use computational modeling, statistical analyses and machine learning to elucidate evolutionary trajectories and functional relationships across cell-types, tissues and species.

The Department of Biosciences has access to state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a High-throughput sequencing facility (Norwegian Sequencing Centre), as well as an imaging facility (NorMIC), and dedicated resources for high-performance computing (HPC).

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.

We seek a highly motivated candidate, with the following formal qualifications:

  • Master’s degree (or equivalent) in bioinformatics, computational biology, genomics or a related field
  • Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
  • Proficiency in performing bioinformatics analyses
  • Proficiency in programming (Preferably Python and/or C++)
  • Experience with analysis of genomics and multiomics data, including data from high-throughput sequencing techniques
  • Excellent English written and verbal communication skills

The following qualifications will be considered desirable:

  • Experience with Hi-C, ChIP-seq and/or ATAC-seq data analysis
  • Experience with UNIX/Linux and Bash/Shell scripting
  • Knowledge of statistical data analysis and/or machine learning, including the use of R
  • Experience with the use of high-performance computing (HPC) systems

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

  • the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/ and http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

Personal skills

  • Highly motivated and ambitious
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Passion for interdisciplinary science
  • Strong motivation to acquire new knowledge and skills

Personal skills for the position will be emphasized.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 491 200 – 534 400 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Career development programmes
  • Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
  • Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records
  • Documentation of English proficiency
  • List of publications and academic work 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)

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.

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

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

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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 etc.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives. We will make adjustments for employees who require this.

If there are qualified applicants with special needs, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant in each of these groups to an interview.

Contact information

For further information please contact: Jonas Paulsen, phone: +47 41147241, e-mail: jonas.paulsen@ibv.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system please contact: HR adviser Nina Holtan, e-mail: nina.holtan@mn.uio.no.

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