About the Kystsamarbeidet and the PhD position

Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Biology research group (NMRB) at The Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine has a 4 years PhD position available, vacant from October 2019.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus research univeristy 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 position is attached to the research program in nuclear medicine/PET, Coastal Cooperation (Kystsamarbeidet), funded by the Trond Mohn Foundation and Tromsø Research Foundation, assigned to the three cities Tromsø, Bergen and Trondheim (Banebrytende forskningssamarbeid langs kysten skal gi bedre og mer treffsikker kreftbehandling/) The purpose of this funding program is to strengthen research in nuclear medicine related to the use of the nuclear medicine equipment. Tromsø is steering the part of preclinical research which is subdivided into four work packages: Immune-PET and lung cancer; Radionuclide targeted therapy and imaging in Glioblastoma; Neutrophil targeting in breast cancer and; Advancing oncological PET imaging using machine learning.

The PhD candidate will be working in the work package Radionuclide targeted therapy and imaging in Glioblastoma. Here, the development and preclinical testing of new imaging and therapeutic strategies will be explored. The working title of the thesis will be: “Development and evaluation of PET radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer”. The main tasks includes the identification of new lead structures, organic synthesis and preparation of precursors. In the subsequent step, the radiolabelling will be developed and optimized for the application in animal studies with brain tumor bearing mice and/or rats. The candidate will have access to an organic synthesis lab, a radiosynthesis lab including synthesis automats and other core facilities at the faculty of health science. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with other researchers and technicians at the NMRB and the PET Imaging Center at University Hospital of North Norway (UNN).

Contact information

Further information about the position is available by contacting the:

• Head of the research group and PET Imaging Center, Rune Sundset, tel. +47 971 41 456 e-mail: rune.sundset@unn.no

Qualification requirements

In order to be appointed to the role of Research Fellow, the eligibility requirements for the faculty’s PhD programme must be met, cf. section 6, Regulations for the Degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Tromsø, with additional provisions concerning the Faculty of Health Sciences which can be found on the website with the Regulations for the PhD programme at the Faculty of health Sciences.

University education at bachelor’s and master's level, as well as relevant practice and competence in the field of organic chemistry/synthetic chemistry is required. This includes organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry, method development and laboratory maintenance. Interest in PET radiochemistry will be of advantage to translate the developed precursors for further preclinical testing. Furthermore, the candidate must provide information about their teaching qualifications and academic works. Applicant must have good command of English.

The suitable candidate for this position must be accurate and systematic, and be able to work both independently and in a multidisciplinary social environment. Emphasis will also be placed on motivation and interest in the project, as well as personal suitability.

Working and payment conditions

The normal period of employment is four years. The PhD studies normally equate to three years. The fourth year, apportioned as 25% of each year, shall be put towards teaching or other work tasks undertaken for the university.

Shorter periods of employment may be offered if the Research Fellow has already completed parts of the research training programme, or in the event that the employment builds upon a previous appointment in an educational position (Research Fellow, Research Assistant or similar), so that the total time of research training comes to three years.

The successful candidate is obliged to make a contribution to the teaching of all students at the Faculty of Health Sciences as and where necessary.

The remuneration for Research Fellows is in accordance with the State salary scale codes 1017 and 1378, depending on the qualifications of the former.

A compulsory contribution of 2% to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

How to apply

Applications must be sent electronically via www.jobbnorge.no and shall include:

• cover letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position
• CV (education, training and work experience) inkluding a publication and presentation list
• diplomas and certificates:
• diploma and transcript of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (in original language and translated)
• diploma and transcript of Master’s degree or equivalent (in original language and translated)documentation of proficiency in English
• Documentation of English language proficiency for PhD-studies, with a 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.
• Copy (or links) of Master’s thesis
• documentation of teaching qualifications
• 2-3 references and/or letters of recommendation, inkluding contact details

Applications will only be considered if all requested application documents are received before the application deadline.

All documentation to be assessed must be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

Applications sent to us via e-mail or by any other means will not be considered.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications based on the application documents and the text of the announcement.

The Assessment Committee will give emphasis to the potential for research, as presented in the Master’s thesis or equivalent, or in any other academic works.

In the assessment, consideration may also be given to professional experience and any other activity which may be significant for the completion of the doctoral degree, as well as to any pedagogical qualifications. This includes pedagogical training, teaching experience, experience of public education and experience/training of other kinds.

The applicants who are assessed as 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 and motivations. A trial lecture may also be held.

General information

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.

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