Ledig stilling ved UiT Norges arktiske universitet
PhD Candidate Position in Pharmaceutics at the Faculty of Health Sciences
Deadline: 10.06.2019
About the position
UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, has a PhD position available for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is affiliated with the Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group (DTDRG), headed by Prof. Natasa Skalko-Basnet, and the appointment is for a period of 4 years. The PhD fellowship (The Research Fellowship) is in the area of Pharmaceutics at the Department of Pharmacy, and affiliated to the interdisciplinary UiT Strategic Areas project BrainSTORM: PET in Targeted Brain Theranostics and Education.
The PhD position is for a fixed term of 4 years with the objective to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a PhD program is a prerequisite for employment, and the program period starts on commencement of the position. The PhD Candidate shall participate in the faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD project should be completed during the period of employment. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD program, application form and regulations for the PhD degree are available at the following address: Faculty of Health Sciences.
The position’s affiliation
The position is affiliated to The Department of Pharmacy (IFA), which consists of seven research groups: Drug Transport and Delivery (this PhD position affiliated to), Pharmacology, Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry, Microbiology, Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacoepidemiology, Infection Biology, and Computational Pharmacology. The Department has 32 permanent positions. In addition, there is a variable number of PhD student-, Post.Doc. and part time positions. The Department is responsible for a bachelor’s and a master’s program in pharmacy. Teaching is given at both undergraduate and graduate levels. For more information, visit the Department’s web pages: https://uit.no/farmasi.
About the group and research project
The Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group (DTDRG) focuses on pharmaceutical technology as scientific discipline, with particular interests in optimizing the drug delivery systems as means for improved bioavailability and the therapeutic effects of the drug at the targeted site, and to prevent/reduce side effects and the inheritance of drug resistance. The group aims at gaining a deeper understanding of transport processes of drugs in the body and its inter-relationship with drug delivery systems. The group deals with various drug dosage forms and delivery systems (advanced formulations) destined for oral, parenteral and topical route of drug administration. The advanced drug dosage forms and delivery systems should increase the amount and persistence of drug in vicinity of target cells while reducing the drug exposure to non targets cells. The group currently consist of two professors, two associate professors, two technicians as well as post doc and PhD students. The members of the research group are also responsible for courses in pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics at bachelor, master and PhD level. You can learn more about the research group by visiting the Drug Transport and Delivery webpage.
In this project we aim at development of nanoparticles for targeted brain delivery to assure early diagnosis and optimized treatment of brain/CNS diseases, with particular focus on cancer, Alzheimer´s disease, depression and hypoxia. Biocompatible nanocarriers will be optimized regarding their physicochemical characteristics and fate within the biological system. The targeting will be confirmed in preclinical PET studies. The project involves close collaboration between several research groups at UiT departments (Chemistry, Medical Biology, Teacher Education) and the PET center at the University Hospital of Northern Norway. The project comprises a strong educational component aimed at advancement of secondary and tertiary level interdisciplinary science education. The successful candidate will be connected to the interdisciplinary UiT Strategic Areas project BrainSTORM: PET in Targeted Brain Theranostics and Education, and become a member of an international and highly interdisciplinary research team spanning four faculties at UiT.
We strongly encourage career development not only limited to authorship of research manuscripts arising from this work, but also including travel, conferences and collaboration.
Qualification requirements
The candidate should hold a Master’s Degree in pharmacy or equivalent. Candidates who submitted their Master Thesis and are awaiting the exam for Master degree (to be completed before 14th of June 2019) are also qualified to apply. A Master thesis within pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics related to radiopharmaceuticals development will considered as an advantage.
The candidate must be able to work systematically, independently and have the ability to work in an interdisciplinary research team. Emphasis will be placed on the communicative and collaborative skills, as well as personal suitability and the motivation and interest in the project.
The successful applicant must fulfill the requirements for admission to the faculty’s PhD program, cf. Regulation for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway. The applicant must speak and write English fluently and he/she has to be able to document proficiency in English equivalent to Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification, refer to the website about PhD regulations at UiT. Due to teaching duties, Scandinavian language speaking candidates will be preferred.
Working conditions
The normal period of employment is four years. The nominal length of the PhD program is three years. The fourth year, distributed as 25 % duties per year, shall be used for teaching or other duties for the University according to the guidelines, cf. Guidelines for the research fellow’s duties.
The successful applicant must be willing to teach at the Department of Pharmacy´s various courses. The duties will be allocated based on the applicant's qualifications and the needs of the Department of Pharmacy, and may include lecturing, leading seminars, and leading or assisting in laboratory courses.
Remuneration for the position of PhD candidate is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017 or code 1378 depending on qualifications. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: Welcome to UiT!
We offer
- Interesting work tasks
- A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
- Good career opportunities
- A large degree of independence in work
- Flexible working hours and a state collective agreement
- Pension scheme through the state pension fund.
Application
Application and submitted documents (see below) should be sent electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no. Candidates that do not provide required documentation or cannot prove the equivalence to required degree will not be considered for the position.
Application documents
- 1-2 page cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
- CV containing an overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work
- A complete list of publications and with the applicant´s contribution to the work specified
- Copies of diploma and transcript from completed degree(s) (translated to English or a Scandinavian language; certified copies must be provided upon request)
- 2-3 reference letters with contact details of the referees
- Documentation of English language proficiency (equivalent to Norwegian Higher Education Entrance Qualification or TOEFL test)
- A copy of the Master’s thesis (the thesis will upon request be treated in confidence)
Applications will only be considered if all requested application documents are received before the application deadline.
Assessment
The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. During this assessment process, emphasis will be placed on the applicant’s potential for research as shown by:
- master thesis or equivalent within the specified field
- any other academic works
- experience and skills in laboratory work relevant for the project
- documented ability to work independently
- skills in scientific writing in English
- Scandinavian language skills
- knowledge and interest of the project’s specific topic
- interest and motivation for this specific project
In addition, consideration may be given to work experience or other activities of significance for the implementation of the PhD studies. The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be invited to an interview. The interview serves, among other things, to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position.
Contacts
Further information about the position and project is available by contacting:
- Prof. Natasa Skalko-Basnet (natasa.skalko-basnet@uit.no)
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.