About the position

1-2 Positions as PhD Research fellows in Particle Physics are available at the Department of Physics. No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. The fellowship(s) will be for a period of 3 years. The starting date is no later than 01.05.2019.

Job/ project description:

The position is affiliated with the Marie Sklodowska-Curie INSIGHTS network. This network is focused on the development and application of statistical methods for elementary particle physics, as carried out, for example, at research facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The supported researchers will develop and apply research tools for physics from fields such as machine learning, software engineering, parametric modelling and Bayesian computation. An important component of the network involves knowledge exchange with areas outside particle physics, including finance, risk modelling, volcanology, and climate science.

The INSIGHTS Consortium consists of partners from the UK (Royal Holloway University of London, University of Edinburgh), Italy (PANGEA, University of Naples, INFN), the Netherlands (Nikhef), Germany (Max-Plank Institute), Switzerland (CERN), Sweden (Lund University) and Norway (University of Oslo).

We are looking for excellent PhD candidates to adopt and develop advanced statistical practices and methods, implement them in software, and apply them to solve problems in particle physics and beyond.

The successful candidates will study Higgs boson production e.g. in the two-photon Higgs decay channel in data from proton-proton collisions at 13 TeV in the Large Hadron Collider collected by the ATLAS experiment, help prepare for the future analysis of data at 14 TeV and high luminosity, contribute to the application of Bayesian methodology to measurements and discoveries in particle physics, explore extensions to parametric Higgs-signal and background models, including quantifying uncertainties in assigned values of systematic errors, and implement non-standard Higgs models in the GAMBIT global inference tool. The work will be performed within the INSIGHTS network and the Norwegian participation in the ATLAS experiment (High Energy Particle Physics project).

The candidates will develop interfaces to advanced statistical toolkits (e.g. BAT, the Bayesian Analysis Toolkit) for the ROOT data-analysis framework during a several-months stay at CERN in Switzerland. They will also spend several months at the CICERO Center for International Climate Research in Oslo, Norway where they will contribute to the statistical analysis of climate data.

Information about the research at The Department of Physics is found here:

http://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/english/research/groups/

Qualification requirements

• Master’s degree or equivalent in physics or engineering, with very good results.
• A solid background in scientific programming, use of advanced statistical tools and methods.

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
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, formal admission criteria: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/application/application.html

Other desired qualifications include:

• Experience with working in a big research group or collaboration
• The knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language

In addition the applicant must fulfill the Marie Sklodowska-Curie eligibility requirements below:

1. The applicant must be in the first four years of their research careers, counting from the date at which they have been awarded a degree that allows them to embark on a PhD, and the applicant should not yet have been awarded a doctoral degree.

2. The applicant must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Norway for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the start date (short stays such as holidays and/or compulsory national service are not taken into account).

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD program must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. 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 research topic is interdisciplinary and the candidate is expected to acquire the required theoretical and computational skills to carry out the research.

We offer

• Salary NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter including a description of scientific interests and the motivation for applying for the position (max. 2 pages)
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of educational certificates, transcript of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency if needed (please see admission criteria)
• 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.

Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

In accordance with the University of Oslo’s equal opportunities policy, we invite applications from all interested individuals regardless of gender or ethnicity. The University of Oslo has a goal of recruiting more women in academic positions. Women are encouraged to apply.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Contact information

• Professor Alex Read, e.mail: a.l.read@fys.uio.no or
  
• Professor Heidi Sandaker, e-mail: Heidi.Sandaker@fys.uio.no

For technical questions regarding the application system, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen, +47 22 85 71 96, e-mail: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no

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