Ledig stilling på Universitetet i Oslo

Blindern og Urbygningen (Foto: Wikimedia og Colourbox)

PhD Research Fellowship in Evolutionary Biology / Ornithology (Natural History Museum)

Deadline: 30.04.2019

Job description

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.


The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo is Norway’s most comprehensive natural history collection. For almost 200 years, preserved plant specimens, animal specimens, rocks, minerals and fossils have been collected, studied and preserved here. The museum is located at Økern and in the beautiful Botanical Garden, which is not only popular for recreation, but is a scientific collection in itself.

Flere stillinger fra Universitetet i Oslo

A PhD fellowship (SKO 1017) is available at the Natural History Museum (NHM), University of Oslo. The position is placed in the “Sex and Evolution Research Group” (SERG).

The fellowship period is for 4 years, with 3 years in total devoted to carrying out a research project and one year (25%) of compulsory work load that will consist of teaching and supervision duties, collection work, outreach activities and research assistance.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than 01.10.2019.

More about the position

The research themes in the SERG group are concentrated on the role importance of sex, sex roles and sexual conflict in shaping evolutionary processes such as speciation, hybridization, diversification and adaptation. These processes are studied at different levels of organization, like genes, genomes, gametes, individuals, populations and species. Most projects use birds as their study systems. In recent years, the SERG group has mainly worked on these particular questions: “Why are females promiscuous?”, “Why are sperm cells so diversified within and among species? ” and “What are the roles of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection in reproductive isolation and speciation?” The research projects usually employ a combination of in-depth descriptive studies of morphology and behaviour, field experiments and comparative approaches. The research group has access to large museum collections in ornithology, including a DNA bank of more than 60 000 tissue samples, and a unique collection of formalin-preserved sperm cells from more than 500 species. Other available research infrastructures are a modern DNA laboratory, computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), microscopes with imaging software, and electron microscopes.

Detailed population studies are usually carried out on target species around Oslo or at the NHM field station in Øvre Heimdalen, whereas field work for comparative studies is usually carried out abroad and in collaboration with other institutions and research groups.

We invite a highly motivated and dedicated student to develop a PhD project within the framework of SERG’s research themes as outlined above, and in close collaboration with the scientific staff in the group. We offer a specific project designed to understand how various forms of selection can affect variation in sperm size and function in passerine birds, though we assume that the successful candidate will actively contribute to the development of the specifics of the research plan.

Qualification requirements

Grade requirements for admission to the PhD program:

  • The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must correspond to C or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must correspond to B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • The Master’s thesis must correspond to the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

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. Appointment to a PhD research fellowship is conditional upon admission to the Faculty’s research training program. A plan for the research training must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position, and the admission approved within three months.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per year depending on qualification and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
  • Challenging research questions and a friendly working environment
  • Full funding of the project research-related activities, including field work, lab work and presentation of results at international conferences
  • Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
  • Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include:

  • Cover letter
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work, scientific publications and other relevant experience)
  • Copies of educational certificates and transcripts of records
  • List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluating committee
  • A one-page statement explaining how a PhD in evolutionary biology will fit into the applicant’s career plan
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, affiliation, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). The references will be contacted if necessary. Letters of recommendation are therefore not required for the initial application.

The application with attachments is to be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please remember that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

In assessing applications, particular emphasis will be placed upon educational and scientific merits and the maturity and potential of the candidates to complete the project successfully within the given timeframe. Interviews with selected candidates will be arranged.

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.

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

Contact information

About the position and project details:

About administrative questions and the application procedure: HR officer Thomas Brånå

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