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 Arctic University Museum of Norway and Academy of Fine Arts

The position

A position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in bioinformatics of eDNA is available at the Arctic University Museum of Norway, UiT. The appointment is for two years. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position no later than 6 months after receiving the offer. You will conduct research as a part of the newly established Norwegian Centre for Arctic Ecosystem Genomics (ArcEcoGen) and will be part of the methodological development working group.

Research at ArcEcoGen focuses on the combined effect of humans, climate, and biota on northern ecosystem dynamics in the past, present, and future using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques. A key goal of ArcEcoGen is to build up a diverse, rigorous, and internationally leading research group in ecosystem genomics. Norway has among the world’s best coverage of local flora and fauna in DNA reference libraries, with nearly 20,000 species barcoded. In addition, the large natural history collections at The Museum will be available for creating complementary reference libraries. Our collections also include sediment samples from arctic and alpine lakes as well as DNA extracts from sediments and organisms. We also have fully equipped laboratories and infrastructure for recovery and analyses of modern, ancient, and eDNA, as well as field equipment for sediment coring. We are currently recruiting PhDs, Post Docs, and associate professors as a part of a recent Aurora Centre funding award.

Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

The position's field of research

The position will focus on developing new methods for processing and annotating DNA metabarcoding data, simultaneously taking into account each dataset already generated to take advantage of data redundancy to improve the quality of annotations. Our group has been analysing modern and ancient environmental samples using DNA metabarcoding for many years. We have a large collection of datasets corresponding to these samples, and a great deal of expertise on how to process them modularly. While the architecture of the system remains to be defined in collaboration with the person recruited, it should be based on a database that can archive all the raw data and the annotations produced by the developed system. The position holder will also participate in teaching, outreach, and assistance to the ArcEcoGen members. It is expected that the position holder will participate in research group collaboration and professional networks nationally and internationally and will also be encouraged to obtain external funding from national and international funding agencies (e.g. RCN/EU).

You must submit a research plan that describes how you scientifically can contribute to the described field of research.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact:

Professor Inger Greve Alsos:

• phone: +47 77620796
• email: inger.g.alsos@uit.no

or museum director Dr Geir Rudolfsen:

• phone: +47 77646881
• email: geir.rudolfsen@uit.no

Qualifications

We are looking for a candidate with a strong interest in developing bioinformatics methods for sequence analysis in close collaboration with researchers in biology. A Norwegian PhD degree in computer science, bioinformatics or other relevant field or a corresponding foreign PhD degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD degree is required. In addition to skills in data management and machine learning systems, skills in statistics, DNA metabarcoding, and/or next generation sequencing are advantageous. Excellent English language skills are required. Other advantages include fluency in Norwegian/another Scandinavian language, the ability to secure external funding for research, and experience in teaching and outreach. Personal suitability to the team and the ability to work in a team are important.

Required qualifications:

• A PhD or an equivalent doctoral degree in computer science, bioinformatics, or other subject relevant to the research description
• A research profile with relevant experience in machine learning or other relevant algorithms, and biological sequence analysis.
• Good knowledge of database development and statistics
• An upward academic trajectory and strong potential to execute competitive research projects at a high international level
• A relevant and strong publication record, and with a clear vision for further research development
• Excellent English language skills (written and spoken)

Desirable qualifications

• Knowledge in DNA metabarcoding and next generation sequencing.
• Teaching and supervision skills of master’s and PhD students
• Track record of disseminating research through a variety of media to scientific and public audiences
• Command of a Scandinavian language

Personal qualities

• Ability to create and contribute to a well-functioning, inclusive and productive research environment
• Networking skills
• Ability to collaborate
• Ability to cooperate and communicate well with other members of staff

Qualification with a PhD is required before commencement in the position. If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. You must have dissertated before the start-up date of the position.

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

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.

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project
• A highly competent research environment
• Good career opportunities
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues 
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement 
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here.

Application

Your application must include:

• Application letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position
• CV containing a complete overview of experience, professional work and references
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees, in original language and translated)
• Two references with contact details
• A list of your academic production
• Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important
• Description of your most relevant academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work
• An outline of a research plan and how your skills align with the aim of the Aurora Centre (1-4 pages).

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position.

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.

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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.

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