Job description

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at Department of Informatics (IFI), Center for Bioinformatics (CEB).The post doc position will be associated with the Strategic Research Initiative CELS - a multidisciplinary initiative bringing together strong research environments in evolutionary biology, biostatistics and bioinformatics and representing a collaboration between the Departments of Biosciences (IBV), Informatics (IFI) and Mathematics. CELS has been rewarded a continuation beyond the initial 5 years period, and the announced position is linked to the extended period (CELS 2). The overall focus of CELS 2 is development of graph-based genome representations and inference methods for addressing evolutionary questions. The methods will be utilized on in-house genomic data from teleost fishes as a driving example.

The fellowship period is 3 years. Candidates may be offered one additional year by the Department of Informatics; the 4 years position then entails a compulsory work load of 25% that consists of teaching and/or supervision duties.

Starting date no later than 01.10.2019.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.

More about the position

The post doc position is financed by UiO and the candidate will work on the research project “Analytical approaches to connect evolutionary events at large and small scales”. The candidate will develop novel algorithmic and statistical methodology for the investigation of evolutionary events at large and small scales. By improving the capability of graph-based genome representations to integrate small and large-scale events, selectional evolutionary processes can be studied more comprehensively than is possible today. In collaboration with other CELS scientists, the methodology will be applied to a large population genomics dataset for Atlantic cod representing various environmental and ecological adaptations.

The successful candidate will be guided by a group of supervisors with broad competence in computer science, evolutionary biology/genomics and statistics, and will also form a team with the announced PhD position at the CELS 2 project. While the position is formally affiliated with IFI (Center of Bioinformatics, CEB), the workplace will be both at CEB and Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) at IBV. The CEB has a structure with a hub at IFI and nodes, with IBV as one node.

The focus of the candidate will be on the development of novel methodology and software tools that exploit graph-based genome representations to solve questions in evolutionary genomics. Such novel methodology will have applications outside the field of evolution.

Applicants are expected to provide a project plan based on the description of the project “Analytical approaches to connect evolutionary events at large and small scales” as described in the CELS 2 outline.

Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a period of four years are expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency in the course of their fellowship period within the duty component of 25 %.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

Qualification requirements

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.

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in computer science, bioinformatics, mathematical sciences or genomics. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date (7.April 2019). Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved.
• The applicant must have strong programming and software development competence, documented through having taken advanced software development courses, by publications involving advanced software development and/or by attaching/linking to a sophisticated codebase for which the candidate has been a driving developer.
• Documented experience with genome analyses of eukaryotes will be appreciated.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.

The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:

• Experience with graph-based methods will be an advantage
• The Carpentries (Software Carpentry, Data Carpentry), especially as a certified instructor, will be seen as an advantage

We offer

• salary NOK 515 200 – 597 400 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• a professionally stimulating working environment
• vibrant international academic environment
• postdoctoral development programmes
• attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• Project description
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. 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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented academic qualifications as well as the candidate’s motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral 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 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 Eivind Hovig, phone: +47 22858504, e-mail: ehovig@ifi.uio.no, or
  
• Professor Kjetill S Jakobsen, phone: +47 22854602, e-mail: k.s.jakobsen@ibv.uio.no

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

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