About the position

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at Department of Pharmacy, Section of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.

The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of 4 (four) years of which 25 % is devoted to teaching activities given in a Scandinavian language. If no suitable applicants meet the requirement for a Scandinavian language, a three years position (of which 10 % is devoted to required duties) may be considered.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than 01.10.2021.

Job description / Project description / Development plan

Are you the candidate we are looking for in the initial phase of potentially groundbreaking research on the medicinal potential of honey?

The appointed person will work on a new interdisciplinary research project involving the chemical profiling of Norwegian honey in combination with screening for their antimicrobial activity, possibly also including developing and conducting user surveys on honey products. The project will constitute the initial phase in the preparation of a larger project on the medicinal potential of locally produced honey. The position is associated with the pharmacognosy research group BioNatH, and will involve collaboration with groups within Pharmaceutical microbiology and immunology, and Social pharmacy. An associated professor in computational life science that will take part of the pharmacognosy research group during 2021 will become involved in this project as well. Other internal and external collaborating partners may also be included.

The testing will focus on screening of antibacterial activity e.g. by microbroth dilution, whereas the characterization will include analysis of carbohydrates and other relevant components. Methods will include enzymatic methods, HPAEC-PAD, HPLC, and NMR. The appointed person will also be involved in project design and development and in writing grant applications.

Teaching duties include lectures and seminars, supervision and evaluation of mandatory laboratory exercises and written work within pharmacognosy.

Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a four-year position are expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency in the course of their fellowship period within the duty component of 25 %.

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 at UiO 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.

• Applicants must have an MSc degree in Pharmacy and hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in pharmacognosy, pharmaceutical biology or a nearby relevant research area. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation at the latest by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment
• Experience in relevant analytical methods for carbohydrates including those mentioned above is highly desired. The applicant’s overall documented skills in analytical methods relevant for the project will be considered as a whole
• Experience in establishing analytical methods are preferable
• Experience in in vitro antimicrobial testing is desired
• Experience related to conducting user’s surveys is desired
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish or Danish) is required within the project and due to teaching duties to be conducted within the Pharmacy program
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English is generally required

Personal skills

• The person to be appointed must be highly devoted and motivated for an academic career
• Qualities such as curiosity, creativity, enthusiasm and kindness will be appreciated
• Ability to work independently and in teams, structured and efficient are emphasized

We offer

• Salary NOK 526 000 – 608 200 per year 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 activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• A project description draft (2-3 pages) with scientific perspectives and milestones
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records and letters of recommendation
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow 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.

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: Anne Berit C. Samuelsen, phone: +47 228 56568, e-mail: a.b.c.samuelsen@farmasi.uio.no

For technical questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no

Apply for this job