Ledig stilling ved UiT Norges arktiske universitet

PhD Candidate in theoretical and computational chemistry

Deadline: 17.06.2019

The position

The Department of Chemistry seeks a motivated and enthusiastic PhD candidate to join the Theoretical Chemistry Group, under the supervision of Prof. Luca Frediani.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT – Developing the High North


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.


Department of Chemistry


Department of Chemistry is host for the Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, a national centre for excellence, the Norwegian Structural Biology Centre (NorStruct), and is partner in Centre for Bioinformatics. The Department is also host for the national graduate school in biocatalysis, BioCat.

As a student, you will enter an international and collegial environment, and be enrolled in the Department of Chemistry PhD school, and the Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, which is a Centre of Excellence financed by the Research Council of Norway, providing a stimulating research environment, covering several areas in the field, such as theory development, quantum chemical modeling, biomolecular simulations.

The project

The group's main activity is the development and application of a novel Quantum Chemistry code (MRChem) for Densty Functional Theory calculations. The code is based on Multiwavelets which guarantee fast algorithms and strict error control, which is otherwise difficult to achieve with traditional atomic orbital functions.

MRChem is in a very active development phase to add functionality (periodic boundary conditions, solvent effect, molecular properties), improvement of performance (parallelization, scaling to large systems) and benchmarking (energy and properties of small molecules). The candidate will be working mainly on aspects related to the development of the solvent effect functionality, and its application.

Contacts

For further information about the position and project, contact Professor Luca Frediani:

Qualifications

This position requires a Master’s degree (or equivalent training) in a relevant field of chemistry, such as quantum chemistry, computational chemistry, molecular physics with an average of Norwegian equivalent grade of C or better on relevant courses. Documented programming skills (especially Python and C++) are considered important.

Both a strong academic record and a genuine interest in conducting research are essential to qualify for the position. This must be demonstrated by the 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 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. You must document completion of your degree before commencement in the position.

Documented fluency in English is required, and working knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is desirable due to teaching obligations.

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 country, or by test scores as described below. Further details about requirements for admission to PhD studies is available via links here: https://uit.no/nt/phd.

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.

Application

Your application must include:

  • Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
  • CV - summarizing education, positions and academic work
  • Diplomas and transcripts from completed degrees
  • Documentation of English language proficiency for PhD-studies, with a preferred 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 has to be in English or a Scandinavian language. We only accept applications through Jobbnorge.no.

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!

The appointment is for a period of 4 years, and the nominal length of the PhD program is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % of each year, and will consist of teaching or other duties for the department.

Remuneration of PhD positions is in salary code 1017. In addition to taxes, a further 2 % is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

General

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.

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 the position.

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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