Stilling:
Research Fellow affiliated with the Chronic Disease Epidemiology research group
Deadline: February 24, 2019
At the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Community Medicine, a position has become available for the role of Research Fellow, for applicants wishing to take a Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) degree. The position is affiliated with the Chronic Disease Epidemiology research group.
The position is available for commencement from 01.07.2019 and for a period of four years.
The Research Fellow is a training position which comprises complete research training, where working towards a doctorate degree is the objective. Acceptance onto the doctorate degree programme is a prerequisite for appointment to this position, and the study period will begin upon commencement of the employment. The Research Fellow will participate in the faculty’s research training, and the doctorate degree project will be carried out over the course of the period of employment. Information on the application process for admissions to the PhD programme and on PhD regulations can be found on the website “The Research Fellow file”.
The Research Fellow will be a member of the Chronic Disease Epidemiology research group. In 2011 the research group was evaluated by an international committee appointed by the Research Council of Norway, and we were rated among the best research groups in the country and received a grade of good/excellent. The research group includes senior and early career researchers with different experience and backgrounds. More about our research group can be found here:
https://en.uit.no/forskning/forskningsgrupper/gruppe?p_document_id=422191
The supervisors include skilled epidemiologists, statisticians and clinicians who have worked expensively with the Tromsø Study within the field of atrial fibrillation epidemiology. They are: Ekaterina Sharashova MD, MPH, PhD, postdoctoral researcher at Department of Community Medicine, UiT (the project leader and main supervisor); Maja-Lisa Løchen, MD, PhD, professor at Department of Community Medicine, UiT and a senior consultant at UNN Tromsø (co-supervisor); and Tom Wilsgaard, PhD, professor at Department of Community Medicine, UiT and a researcher at Centre for Quality and Development, UNN Tromsø. Other important collaborators from the research group include professors Inger Njølstad and Ellisiv Mathiesen. The research group has also an extensive network of international collaboration. One of the international collaborators, Jocasta Ball, PhD, early career researcher at Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Australia will be another co-supervisor for the PhD student.
The contact person for this position is:
- MD, MPH, PhD Ekaterina Sharashova, phone: +4777644883, e-mail: ekaterina.e.sharashova@uit.no
Responsibilities
The project is organized as a 4-year PhD position (including 25% of teaching responsibilities). The main aim of this project is to explore types of atrial fibrillation in relation to underlying risk factors, quality of life and prognosis. Data from the population-based Tromsø Study will be used (https://en.uit.no/forskning/forskningsgrupper/gruppe?p_document_id=453582). Information on potential risk factors, biomarkers, comorbidities, physiological status and quality of life has been collected in the Tromsø 3 (1986-87), Tromsø 4 (1994-95), Tromsø 5 (2001-02), Tromsø 6 (2007-08), and Tromsø 7 (2015-16) surveys. These data are eligible for this project as atrial fibrillation diagnosis has been validated at the hospital for the participants through 2013.
All analytic approaches will be quantitative, and various epidemiological and statistical methods will be applied. The Research Fellow will have access to all necessary infrastructure, equipment and resources needed for the project. The Research Fellow will carry out the data analyses and receive statistical support from the supervisors. During the project period three separate articles are expected to be written, and the Research Fellow will be the first author of all papers and accordingly draft the manuscripts. The articles will be published in international peer-reviewed journals of both levels 1 and 2 within the field of epidemiology, cardiology, preventive cardiology, public health. The project findings will also be presented on national/international conferences, in regional and national media (local and regional newspapers, radio/TV), and via social media. In general, standard schedules and routines for PhD students at the faculty and department will apply. The Research Fellow will also be attending the EPINOR research school, which will provide research training and a fellow network.
As this is a 4-year PhD position, the Research Fellow will have 25% of teaching responsibilities. The position will have a particular focus on teaching statistics and epidemiology at the Department of Community Medicine.
Required qualifications
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. A requirement of the position is the completion of Norwegian Candidate of Medicine degree/Norwegian Candidate of Psychology degree/relevant Master’s degree /other education which has been approved as equivalent to these.
Master/medical students in the final stages are also qualified to apply, but have to document completed degree before employment.
Applicants must have a documented knowledge of English which meets the requirements as stated in the Norwegian general university and college admission requirements.
Applicants should be fluent in Norwegian in both spoken and written form.
Emphasis will be given to competence in use of statistical software (SAS, STATA, R, SPSS etc.) and statistical analyses of large databases. A medical or public health background is an advantage. The ability to work independently with data management and statistical analyses is essential.
Importance shall be attached to personal suitability for the position and motivations. The following personal features are desired for the position: structured, goal-oriented, analytical, able to communicate/collaborate, responsible, pedagogical approach, enthusiastic, work ethic.
We can offer
- Interesting work tasks
- A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
- Good career opportunities
- A large degree of independence in work
- Pension scheme through the state pension fund
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 code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2% to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.
Applications shall 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
- project description, where relevant
- CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, professional work, pedagogical qualifications and references
- 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
- any relevant academic works, including the Master’s thesis
- form for documentation of teaching qualifications, which can be found on the website with information for applicants for positions at UiT
Proficiency in the English language can be documented in the following ways:
- Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)
- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
- IELTS (International English Testing Service)
- Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature
- One year’s completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instruction.
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
In addition, applicants shall also refer to the supplementary provisions for the appointment to academic positions such as Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow and Academic Assistant at UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, and to regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Research Fellow, Research Assistant and Resident, which are available on the website “The Research Fellow file”.
Questions concerning the organisation of the working environment, including that of the physical state of the workplace, health services, possibilities for flexible working hours, part-time work, etc. may be addressed to the telephone reference in this announcement.
At UiT The Arctic University of Norway, diversity is valued, and we therefore encourage all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their age, gender, functional ability or national or ethnic background. The university is an IW employer and places importance on making the necessary adaptations to working conditions for employees with disabilities.
Personal information given in an application and CV will be treated in accordance with the Act relating to the processing of personal data (the Personal Data Act). In accordance with section 25, subsection 2 of the Freedom of Information Act, the applicant may request not to be registered on the public list of applicants. However, the university may nevertheless decide to make the candidate’s name public. The applicant will receive advance notification of any such publication.
You can find more information on the website for arriving staff.
We look forward to receiving your application!