The position

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, has a PhD position vacant from 01.09.2019 for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is attached to the Algebra research group.

The appointment is for a period of four years.

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 PhD position is for a fixed term, with the objective of completion of 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 PhD Candidate shall participate in the faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD project shall be completed during the period of employment. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD programme, application form and regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) are available at the following address: https://uit.no/go/target/167946.

The position’s affiliation

The Faculty of Science and Technology consists of the following departments: Department of Chemistry, Department of Computer Science, Department of Engineering and Safety, Department of Geology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Department of Physics and Technology.

The position is at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. There are 15 permanent scientific positions at the department: Geometry and Mathematical Physics (2 positions), Algebra (5.5 positions), Complex Systems Modelling (6 positions) and Machine Learning (1 position). At the moment, there are 8 PhD positions and 5 post-doctoral positions at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

The PhD student will be a member of the new research project Symmetry in Quantitative and Algorithmic Real Algebraic Geometryled by Cordian Riener. This project founded by Tromsø forskningsstiftelse as part of the mathematics programme together with Bergens forskningsstiftelse and hosted at the Institute of Mathematics and Statistics. It was launched in 2018 and will investigate the role of Symmetry and other algebraic structure in questions stemming from real and applied algebraic geometry.

The PhD candidate will be an integral member of the SymRAG research project. This project encompasses a wide variety of methods and experience with (at least one) of the following areas will be considered favourable : (Real) algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, (combinatorial) optimisation, complexity theory. Also the willingness of traveling and working with project partners outside Norway will be a plus.

The position will especially be assigned teaching duties in mathematics.

Contacts

Further information about the position is available by contacting:

• Associate professor Cordian Riener, phone: +47 77644090, e-mail: cordian.riener@uit.no, or
• Head of the department, professor Martin Rypdal, phone: +47 90175422, e-mail: martin.rypdal@uit.no

Questions concerning the organisation of the working environment, such as the physical state of the place of employment, health service, possibility for flexible working hours, part time, etc. as well as questions about the PhD programme may be directed to the telephone reference in this announcement.

Qualifications

The successful applicant must fulfil the requirements for admission to the faculty’s PhD programme, cf. Regulation for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. In addition, he/she be able to document proficiency in English equivalent to Norwegian Higher Education Entrance

To gain admission to the PhD program, you must have a grade average of B or better. Further information about requirements for admission to PhD studies is available here:

https://uit.no/nt/phd.

The candidate should have a background at a Master’s level in areas of pure mathematics related to above mentioned areas.

Applicants completing their Master’s degree through September 2019 may also apply, and be assessed for the position.

Emphasis shall also be attached to personal suitability.

Working conditions

The normal period of employment is four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year, distributed as 25 % of each year, shall be used for teaching or other duties for the university, cf. Guidelines for the research fellow’s duties.

The position will especially be assigned teaching duties in mathematics.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the research fellow has already completed parts of his/her research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position (PhD Candidate, 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 Candidate 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.

More information about moving to Norway: http://uit.no/mobility

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. During this assessment process, emphasis will be attached to the applicant’s potential for research related to the mentioned project as shown by:

• Master’s thesis or equivalent
• any other academic works, and
• project description (not compulsory)

In addition, consideration may be given to work experience or other activities of significance for the implementation of the PhD studies, and to any teaching qualifications. This includes teaching education, teaching experience, experience from popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination. Information and material to be considered during the assessment must be submitted by the stipulated deadline.

The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position.

Application

The application must be submitted electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no.

The application must include:

• Letter of application
• Proposal for project description
• CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
• copies of:
  • diploma and transcript from your Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
  • diploma and transcript from your Master’s degree or equivalent
  • diploma supplement for completed degrees
  • documentation of English language proficiency
  • project description (if required)
• List of works and description of these (see below)
  • The list of works shall contain the following information:
    • author(s), the work’s title for articles: the journal’s name and volume, the first and last page of the article, year of publication
    • for publications: publisher, printer, year of publication, number of pages
• The works (published or unpublished) which the applicant wishes to be taken into consideration during the assessment process must be submitted
• List of references with contact information.

All documentation that is to be evaluated must be certified and translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

Qualification with a Master’s degree is required before 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 and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must document completion of your degree before commencement in the position.

Information and material to be considered during the assessment must be submitted by the stipulated deadline.

Generell informasjon

We make the appointment in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway has HR policy objectives that emphasize diversity, and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their age, gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background. The university 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. You may request to not be registered on the public list of applicants, but the University may decide that your name will be made public. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication.

We look forward to receiving your application!

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