Job description

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is available at The Njord Centre, University of Oslo. The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of two years, starting January 1, 2020.

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

More about the position

We invite applications for a challenging postdoctoral position in Physics-Geophysics. The main goal is experimental and numerical modelling of friction on ice with applications in the domains of tribology and geological processes. The objectives of this project are to measure and model the complexity of frictional processes along an interface between two plates made of ice, including force and acoustic emission monitoring. The experiment is built at the University Grenoble Alpes where the post-doctorate fellow will spend one year, the second year being located at the Njord Centre at the University of Oslo. The specific goal of the position is open and will depend on the candidate's research statement that should be handled in with the application.

The candidate will be part of a lively research environment at the Njord Centre at the University of Oslo. The candidate will be at a strategic interface between laboratory activities that provide unique data and numerical modelling activities. The position includes collaboration between two groups: the Njord Centre at the University of Oslo (Professors Anders Malthe-Sørenssen, Francois Renard) and the Institut des Sciences de la Terre (ISTerre) at the University Grenoble Alpes (Dr. Jérôme Weiss). The position is funded through a grant from the Norwegian Research Council (PI Anders Malthe-Sørenssen).

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 Physics or Geophysics with competences in laboratory experiments and interest in geological processes. The position requires a strong background and interest in one or several of these topics:

• Experimental physics
• Experimental rock or ice physics
• Data processing, including machine learning approaches
• Mechanical modelling
• Tribology

Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.

Fluent oral and written communication skills in English is required.

We offer

• salary NOK 523 200 – 605 500 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• a professionally stimulating working environment
• vibrant international academic environment
• 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
• postdoctoral development programmes

How to apply

The application must include

• cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• a short (1 page) research statement
• 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
• names and contact details of 2 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone 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 (including publications, international conferences), the quality of the research statement, as well as the candidates’ motivation, personal suitability, mobility experience and capacity to join interdisciplinary academic communities. 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.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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

• Prof. Anders Malthe-Sørenssen, anders.malthe-sorenssen@fys.uio.no
• Prof. François Renard, francois.renard@geo.uio.no

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

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