Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellow in copepod parasite interactions available at the Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology (AQUA), Department of Biosciences.

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, or for a period of 4 years with 25 % compulsory work (e.g. teaching responsibilities at the department) contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department.

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

The PhD project will focus on copepods, key components in the pelagic food web, and their parasitic and nonparasitic symbionts to quantify the role and effect of parasites on their hosts. The PhD project is part of a new RCN project POICE: “The structuring role of parasite disease on zooplankton in coastal ecosystems”.

The role of parasites and disease in the structuring and functioning of pelagic communities remains poorly understood, despite the general acceptance of disease and parasites as drivers of ecological processes in all ecosystems. The PhD project bridges field and laboratory work with theoretical work. The project aims to quantify i) the prevalence and distribution of parasites in copepod populations by field sampling and mining of published sequence data bases ii) the consequences of infection for copepod fitness by controlled experiments, and iii) the implications of parasitism for pelagic food web structure by dynamical and statistical modelling.

The research topic sits at the intersection between marine plankton ecology, parasitology, molecular biology and bioinformatics/biostatistics. Approaches include field sampling of plankton and their environment, microscopy, metabarcoding and high-throughput sequencing, experiments, bioinformatics and biostatistics. The PhD will be supervised by prof. Josefin Titelman (IBV), Prof. Tom Andersen (IBV) and Prof. Lasse Riemann (University of Copenhagen).

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.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in biology relevant to this PhD project (e.g. marine biology, biological oceanography, marine parasitology, molecular biology, plankton ecology)
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and a Scandinavian language.

The following qualifications are desired:

• A solid background in one or preferably several of the following topics: i) plankton ecology, ii) marine parasitology, iii) molecular biology or iv) biostatistics
• Strong practical and analytical skills, and experience with both molecular methods and zooplankton ecology. A documented ability to perform extensive field and laboratory work, as well as experience with bioinformatical workflows and statistical data analysis with R.
• Pedagogic experience is an asset.

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

Personal suitability and motivation for the position. We seek a highly motivated candidate with excellent communication skills. Social and collaborative skills are important, as the suitable candidate must be able to work both independently and in collaborative settings within an interdisciplinary and international scientific environment.

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
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• A 2-page account, as a separate file of the applicant’s research interests related to the project and motivation for applying for the position
• 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:

• Josefin Titelman, phone: +47 228 54501, e-mail: josefin.titelman@ibv.uio.no or
  
• Tom Andersen, phone: +47 228 54519, e-mail: tom.andersen@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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