Ledig stilling ved UiT Norges arktiske universitet
PhD Fellow in Computational Enzymology
Deadline: 31.05.2020
UiT The Arctic University of Norway
UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.
Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.
The Department of Chemistry seeks a motivated and enthusiastic PhD fellow to join the research group of Prof. Bjørn Olav Brandsdal and will be part of the research project “Evolutionary principles of biocatalysts from extreme environments” financed by the Research Council of Norway for a five year period (2018-2023). The PhD fellow will be part of the Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences. The Hylleraas Centre is a Norwegian Centre of Excellence, established by the Research Council of Norway in 2017 for a period of 10 years. About 50 scientists, post-doctoral fellows and PhD students in the field of theoretical and computational chemistry are active at the centre.
As a student, you will enter an international and collegial environment, and be enrolled in the Department of Chemistry PhD school, and the Norwegian BioCat Graduate School in Biocatalysis, which provides top-level graduate courses in both scientific and transferable skills, arranges national PhD conferences and offers generous travel stipends for student research visits to collaborator laboratories.The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year, and consists of teaching or other duties for the department. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.
The position's field of research
The fellow will become a member of an international and interdisciplinary research team focusing on the investigation and design of novel enzyme catalysts using computational and experimental methods (http://site.uit.no/cube). The fellow is expected to work together with collaborators at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology at Uppsala University in Sweden and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bristol in UK.
The fellow will work with temperature dependence of chemical rates and substrate binding using computer simulations to explore the fundamental principles of evolutionary enzyme adaptation. This knowledge will be used to design new enzymes with potential industrial applications. The fellow is also expected to spend up to 1 year at Uppsala University, Sweden and/or University of Bristol, UK.
The fellow will also be involved in development and application virtual reality (VR) for visualisation and data analysis using the group’s VR lab facilities.
Contact
Further information about the position and UiT is available by contacting:
This position requires a Master’s degree (or equivalent training) in a relevant field of chemistry, such as computational chemistry, quantum chemistry or biochemistry. Previous experience with molecular dynamics simulations, hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics and/or quantum mechanics is required. Software development and use of free energy methods will also be considered favorably. Both a strong academic record and a genuine interest in conducting research are essential to qualify for the position. This must be demonstrated by your Master’s thesis, academic record, and other application materials (see below). Personal suitability for the position will also be emphasized.
Qualification with a Master’s degree is required for commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your Master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis. You must have fulfilled all requirements (and passed all examinations) for the Master's degree before the planned commencement date.
The applicant must be able to document proficiency in English that satisfies the Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification, either as a native language, via undergraduate education in a Nordic or certain other countries, or by test scores as described here. Working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is desirable due to teaching obligations.
Admission to the PhD programme
The position requires admission to the Faculty’s PhD programme. Admission requires that the applicant have at least 5 years of higher education, equivalent to 300 ECTS. The applicant must have a Master’s thesis evaluated equivalent to 30 ECTS or more, or 20 ECTS for an integrated Master’s degree. The applicant must have an average grade of C or better. Further information about requirements is available here: Regulations PhD Faculty of Sciences and Technology
Applicants with a foreign education will be evaluated on whether the educational background is equivalent to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines. Applicants from some countries will have to document additional higher education in order to fulfill the requirements.
Application
Your application must include:
Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
CV - summarizing education, positions and academic work
Diplomas and transcripts from Bachelor’s and Maters degree, including diploma supplement or explanation of grading system
Documentation of English language proficiency. If not otherwise exempt, documentation of English language proficiency for PhD-studies, with a recommended minimum score of 6.5 on each part of the IELTS test, or minimum scores of 22, 22, 22 and 25 (reading, listening, speaking and writing, respectively) on the TOEFL test.
2-3 references with contact details
Master thesis, and any other academic works
Documentation may be submitted in English or a Scandinavian language. We are only able to consider applications submitted electronically through www.jobbnorge.no.
Assessment
The assessment will emphasize academic performance, motivation and personal suitability for the position. You must be willing to engage in the ongoing development of your discipline and the university as a whole. During the assessment process, emphasis will be put on your potential for research, as shown by the Master’s thesis and other academic works, relevant research experience and academic performance and teaching experience and/or qualifications. Teaching experience and/or qualifications will be considered an advantage. In addition, we may consider work experience or other activities of significance for the PhD studies.
As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, you will not be eligible for this position.
We offer
Involvement in an interesting research project
A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
A large degree of independence in work
Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
Pension scheme through the state pension fund
More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!
General information
The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.
You have to be qualified for and participate in the PhD programme. A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position as PhD fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.
Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. UiT will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.
We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to Offentleglova information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.
