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PhD Research Fellowship within cloud-climate interactions
Deadline: 02.06.2023
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.
The geosciences are the studies of the planet Earth and its comparative planetology; the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and cryosphere, the Earth's surface and its interior. The Department of Geosciences conducts research and teaching in most of the domains of geoscience; geology, geophysics, physical geography, geomatics, hydrology, meteorology and oceanography. The Department is the broadest geoscience research and education environment in Norway. The Department encompasses five sections; Meteorology and Oceanography, Geography and Hydrology, Study of sedimentary basins, Environmental geosciences and Crustal Processes. We also hosts one Centre of Excellence CEED - Centre of Earth Evolution and Dynamics.
The Department aims to contribute to the new and important UN Sustainability Development Goals, and are important contributors to IPCC (UN’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change). The staff consists of 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, researchers, technical- and administrative staff. The Department has more than 200 employees.
Job description
A PhD Research Fellowship position in the general research area of cloud-climate interactions is available at the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo.
The PhD research fellowships will focus on mixed-phase cloud processes in three distinct cloud regimes (the Arctic, the Tropics and the Southern Ocean), and will involve a combination of aircraft-based field measurements, remote sensing and numerical modelling. The preferred starting date for the position is no later than 1 October 2023.
The fellowship period is 3 years. The position has no teaching duties, but additional teaching time and corresponding extension of the PhD position of up to 1 year (for a total of four years) can be applied for at a later point.
Note that no one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
About the position:
The PhD position is part of the European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Grant project STEP-CHANGE (“State-dependent cloud feedbacks: enhancing understanding and assessing Global Effects”). The overall STEP-CHANGE objective is to understand and quantify climate feedbacks associated with cloud phase changes, including their dependence on climate state. The project will utilize a combination of research tools/approaches (field/lab measurements, remote sensing, and numerical modeling of cloud processes using a range of modelling tools). The successful applicant will join the STEP-CHANGE team, which when complete will consist of 7-8 researchers at different career levels and with different and complementary expertise. The STEP-CHANGE project is embedded in the larger aerosol-cloud-climate research group (currently consisting of ~15 members, including MSc and PhD students, postdocs and researchers), led by Prof. Trude Storelvmo.
Candidates with relevant prior research experience will be given preference. A detailed project plan, which fits within the broader goals of the STEP-CHANGE project, will be developed together with the successful candidates.
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.
- The applicant must hold a Master’s degree in atmospheric/climate science or a related field.
- Applicants must demonstrate a strong background and interest in cloud processes and/or related atmospheric phenomena, and a motivation for team work and collaboration.
- Applicants should ideally have prior experience with one or more of the relevant research tools for the position (e.g., conducting field measurements or working in the laboratory, experience with running or analyzing output from cloud-resolving models or Earth System Models, or experience with remote sensing techniques and analysis). This includes experience with programming (e.g., Python, MATLAB, Linux environment).
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English are required.
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 EU/EEA countries and exemptions from these may be found here.
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:
We offer
- Salary NOK 532 200 –575 400 per year depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017).
- Opportunities for an extended (3-6 month) stay abroad, visiting international collaborators within the STEP-CHANGE project.
- Opportunities to participate in the STEP-CHANGE measurement campaign focusing on tropical clouds, tentatively taking place in 2024 or 2025.
- Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.
- Vibrant international academic environment through the aerosol-cloud-climate research group and the MetOs research community in particular, and the department of Geoscience and the faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in general.
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 educational certificates and transcripts
- 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. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.
Contact information
For further information please contact:
For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Ole Rustad, e-mail ole.rustad@mn.uio.no
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