Job description

Applications are invited for a 3 year position as a PhD Research Fellow in Evolutionary Genomics at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo. The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. The fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Appointment to a research fellowship is conditional upon admission to the Faculty’s research training program.

Starting date as soon as possible.

More about the position

The position is placed in the “Sex and Evolution Research Group” (SERG). The research group is broadly interested in understanding evolutionary processes such as speciation, hybridization, diversification and adaptation with a particular focus on the role of sex and sexual conflict, and the evolution of male gametes. These processes are studied at different levels of organization, like genes, genomes, gametes, individuals, populations and species.

This PhD fellow will be working in a team investigating the diversity of sperm cells in birds. There is tremendous variability in sperm phenotypes, particularly with respect to overall size, shape and relative size of various components. The team seeks to understand this diversity in an evolutionary context using comparative, phylogenetic methods, and the selective forces shaping the variation in and among populations.

The PhD fellow will work specifically on genes involved in spermatogenesis in selected species of passerine birds, and reveal how these genes are organized in the genome and how they are expressed in testicular tissue.

We are therefore looking for a highly motivated PhD student with a strong interest in evolutionary questions and with a curiosity for the genetics of phenotypic variation. The successful candidate must have strong computational and analytical skills.

The research group has access to large museum collections in ornithology, including a DNA bank of more than 60 000 tissue samples, and a unique collection of formalin-preserved sperm cells from more than 500 species with an associated database of sperm morphology measurements. We have accumulated genomic resources including whole genomes, transcriptomes, and proteomes from a variety of species, but there will be further field sampling of targeted species in Norway and abroad, through a network of collaborating scientists. The museum has access to relevant research infrastructures, such as a DNA laboratory, computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), microscopes with imaging software, and electron microscopes.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in biology or related disciplines like bioinformatics.
• Good communication skills (including written and spoken English)
• Experience in relevant wet laboratory practices, such as DNA/RNA extraction
• Experience in the application of genomics and bioinformatics to address evolutionary questions
• Computational skills including experience with UNIX and programming (e.g. in Python or R)

Preferred experience (experience with one or more of these would be beneficial)

• Quantitative PCR
• Library preparation for NextGen Sequencing
• RNAseq analysis
• Genome/transcriptome de novo assembly
• Sequence evolution analysis (e.g. multiple sequence alignment, dN/dS analysis)
• Histology/microscopy/cell disassociation/cell staining

We offer

• Salary NOK 482 200 – 526 000 per year depending on qualification and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Challenging research questions and a friendly working environment
• A beautiful campus located in the Botanical Gardens, which is close to the city center of Oslo, but also not far from the fjord and the woodlands surrounding the city
• Full funding of the project research-related activities, including field work, lab work and presentation of results at international conferences
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include

• Application letter
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work, scientific publications and other relevant experience)
• Copies of educational certificates
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluating committee
• A one-page statement explaining how a PhD in the actual research field will fit into the applicant’s career plan
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, affiliation, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). The references will be contacted if necessary. Letters of recommendation are therefore not required for the initial application.

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.

In the assessment of applications, particular emphasis will be placed upon the academic merits and personal ability of the candidate to complete the project successfully within the given timeframe and write a PhD thesis under supervision. Interviews with selected 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 appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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

Questions regarding the position:

• Professor Arild Johnsen: arild.johnsen@nhm.uio.no and
  
• Professor Jan T. Lifjeld: j.t.lifjeld@nhm.uio.no

Questions regarding the recruiting system and the application procedure: HR-adviser Anita Marie Hansen: a.m.hansen@nhm.uio.no.

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