LEDIG STILLING VED UIT NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET
PhD Fellow in stochastic modelling and statistical analysis
Deadline: 07.04.2021
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.
Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.
The main task of the Faculty of Science and Technology is to conduct research and teaching at high national and international level. Prioritized research areas include energy, climate, environment, maritime, marine, nano-, space-, and information technology; addressing both general topics and topics relevant for the High North.
Faculty of Science and Technology
The position
The Department of Physics and Technology announces a vacant PhD fellow position in the area of stochastic modelling and analysis of fluctuations in interplanetary dust fluxes at UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology.
The position is available for commencement from summer 2021, and the appointment is for a period of three years.
The position is a part of the project “Intermittent fluctuations in physical systems” which is a project funded by the Tromsø Research Foundation. The candidate will work in a large, international and interdisciplinary team and will have possibilities for research stays abroad. The position will be supervised by the Department of Physics and Technology as well as the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and/or international project collaborators.
This position will be associated with the Complex Systems Modelling (CSM) group at the Department of Physics and Technology. This group consists of three permanent academic staffs and several postdoctoral and PhD fellows. The position is also associated with the Space Physics group at the Department of Physics and Technology and the Complex Systems Modelling group at Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.
The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.
The position’s field of research
The interplanetary medium is far from empty. The surrounding of the sun is filled with both the solar wind and cosmic dust particles, fragments of asteroids and comets. Space probes investigating the solar wind are also affected by collisions with cosmic dust particles, and the plasma clouds produced by such impacts. In order to understand the interplanetary medium and its effect on the Earth’s atmosphere, the properties of the cosmic dust must be understood.
The dust observations appear highly intermittent, having sudden and large-amplitude waveforms with a characteristic shape exceeding the background fluctuations. Such observations demand a statistical approach, and a candidate model is the filtered Poisson process (FPP). It is a linear model for investigating and describing the statistical properties of intermittent, non-linear systems. The UiT CSM research group has used the FPP for pioneering analysis of plasma turbulence in magnetically confined plasmas, explaining several well-established experimental observations.
This PhD project is dedicated to stochastic modelling and time series analysis of measurements from space probes such as STEREO, the NASA Solar Probe Plus and the ESA Solar Orbiter.
Contact
Further information about the position, UiT, and project details is available by contacting associate professor and project manager Audun Theodorsen:
This position requires a Norwegian Master’s degree within space or plasma physics, fluid dynamics, climate dynamics or similar, or a corresponding foreign Master’s degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian Master’s degree within the same areas.
The suitable candidate must have a background in physics or applied mathematics and should have excellent skills in programming. Knowledge of stochastic processes and/or time series analysis is considered an advantage.
Other required qualification skills include:
Excellence in master thesis work and from grade transcripts
Independence and self-motivation
Creativity and ability to think outside the box
Excellent work ethic and commitment to the job
Applicants must document fluency of in English and be able to work in an international environment. International experience is an advantage. The assessment will emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position.
In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme may be given consideration.
As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.
Admission to the PhD programme
For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.
Admission normally requires:
A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
In order to gain admission to the programme, the applicant must have a grade point average of C or better for the master’s degree and for relevant subjects of the bachelor’s degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.
Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from NOKUT.
If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position.
Inclusion and diversity
UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.
If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.
Application
Your application must include:
Application and motivation letter (max 1 page)
CV (max 2 pages)
Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
Three references, preferably including the master’s thesis supervisor
Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must document completion of your degree before commencement in the position. You must still submit your transcripts for the master’s degree with your application.
All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.
We offer
Involvement in an interesting research project
Good career opportunities
A large degree of independence in work
Opportunities to travel and meet other leading scientists within the field
Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
The UiT campus is located near the centre of Tromsø, a vibrant city located in Northern Norway with approximately 75 000 inhabitants. The city is surrounded by the stunning landscape of Northern Scandinavia. The location also offers ample opportunities for e.g., sighting aurora, hiking, and skiing.
General information
The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.
A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.
Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.
