About the position

A position as PhD Research Fellowship in Marine ecology/geology is available at the Department of Geosciences.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than 1 October 2019.

The fellowship period is up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. The position entails a compulsory work load of 25% that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

Job description

The position is part of the research project The Nansen Legacy The Nansen Legacy is the Norwegian Arctic research community’s joint effort to establish an understanding of a changing marine Arctic climate and ecosystem. The project will provide a scientific knowledgebase needed for future sustainable resource management in the transitional Barents Sea and the adjacent Arctic Basin. It is a collaborative project between ten Norwegian research institutions, and will run from 2018 to 2023. Activities in the project will include international cooperation, and several cruises with the new, ice-going research vessel Kronprins Haakon.

The PhD project is part of Research Foci RF3 (The living Barents Sea) and RF1 (Physical drivers). RF3 focuses on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and environmental forcing of the northern and central Barents Sea. The candidate will characterize living benthic foraminifera (protists) in contrasting environments in the northern Barents Sea and adjacent slope in terms of biodiversity, abundance, biomass, distribution patterns etc. This includes analyses of how physical and chemical characteristics of the substrate and water masses may impact benthic foraminiferal community structure, possible migration patterns and abundance change of species in relation to retreating sea-ice, and identification of major drivers along a south-north transect and between seasons in high latitudes.The outcome of RF3 will be used in RF1 to interpret changes in sea-ice distribution, paleoproductivity, and related environmental conditions during the past 2 kyrs. The candidate will attend cruises, collect sediment cores for past and present-day ecological analyses, and perform experiments on trophic aspects of benthic foraminifera.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 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.

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in in a marine science discipline relevant to the project work (e.g., micropaleontology, marine biology, marine geology)
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Other requirements include documented experience with benthic foraminifera and at least three of the following subjects: paleoecology, geochemistry, stable isotopes, marine geology, statistical analyses.
• Experience with experimental work and scientific publication in English are desired.

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

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

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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.

We offer

• Salary NOK 479 600 – 523 200 per annum depending on qualifications 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

Formal regulations

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

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

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

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

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

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Professor Elisabeth Alve, phone: +47 22857333, e-mail: elisabeth.alve@geo.uio.no,

For technical question regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, phone: +47 22854272e-mail:t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no

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