Job description

A three-year postdoctoral research fellowship in Experimental Nuclear Physics is available at The Department of Physics.

The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council project “Nuclear shapes and resonances”. Starting date as soon as possible.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than twelve months (thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years).

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

More about the position

The research of the Nuclear Physics group is focused on the study of atomic nuclei under extreme conditions, e.g. nuclei at high excitation energy at the transition from quantum order to chaos, exotic nuclei with an unusual ratio of protons and neutrons, and nuclear reactions in astrophysical environments. To obtain experimental information under such conditions is crucial in order to constrain and improve theoretical nuclear structure models, and to understand how elements heavier than iron are formed in explosive stellar environments.

The current project aims at studying nuclear level densities and photon strength functions. These are fundamental properties of the nucleus and can also be used as input into for example TALYS to calculate neutron capture cross sections. This project also aims at further developing the Oslo method to study the spin dependence of the nuclear level density. The experiments will be run at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory using the OSCAR array of 30 large volume LaBr detectors and complementary experiments will be run abroad at for example iThemba LABS or MSU.

The successful applicant will be in charge of setting up the experiments and analyze the data obtained using the Oslo method software. So prior experience analysing data with the Oslo method will be a huge advantage. The candidate is expected to help supervise students and contribute to the further development of the Oslo method data analysis software frameworks.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition is 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.

Required qualifications:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in physics, with specialization in experimental nuclear physics. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
• A scientific profile relevant for the nuclear structure research program as outlined above
• A solid background in scientific computing, including proficiency in Python programming

In addition, several qualifications are considered strongly desirable and will be used in the ranking of the candidates, these are:

• Experience with setting up experiments and working with scintillator gamma detectors and silicon particle detectors
• Experience with relevant data analysis techniques (the Oslo method software and TALYS)
• Experience with supervision of master students
• Experience with Monte Carlo simulations and familiarity with the GEANT4 simulation framework
• Familiarity with data analysis tools such as ROOT

Personal skills:

• Good communication skills
• Ability to work in an international research environment
• Ability to work both in a team and independently

Language requirements:

• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

We offer

• Salary NOK 544 400 – 604 400 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activitiesOslo’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 educational certificates, transcript of records and letters of recommendation
• 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 Postdoctoral fellowships 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 a.o.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Professor Sunniva Siem, e-mail: [email protected]

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, e-mail: [email protected], phone +47 22 85 71 96.

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