The position

At the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medical Biology 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 Cardiovascular Research Group. The group is focusing on understanding underlying mechanisms of chronic and acute heart failure, as well as potential therapies for treatment of these conditions. The scientific activity of the group involves the use of experimental animal models, as well as work on the organ, cellular, organelle and molecular level.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT – Developing the High North

UiT is a multi-campus research university 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 Faculty of Health Sciences

The Faculty of Health Sciences is a national innovation which brings together a wide range of health-related education pathways. This lays the groundwork for a unique level of interdisciplinarity and innovation in health education and research. We work closely with northern services in order to find solutions for tomorrow’s challenges.

The position is available for a period of four years.

The Research Fellow is a training position which comprises complete research training working towards a doctorate degree. 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.

More than 200 staff members from all over the world have their workplace at the Department of Medical Biology(IMB). The department consists of 13 research groups concentrated on fundamental biomedical research problems, including research on various cancer forms, cardiovascular diseases, the body's immune system and anti-biotic resistance. The Department is also involved in marine bio-prospecting and testing of new drugs.

IMB provides education for students studying programs in medicine, dentistry, biomedical laboratory sciences, biomedicine and pharmacy.

The research and responsibilities

Diabetes is associated with increased risk of heart failure and increased mortality after myocardial infarction. Energy metabolism of diabetic hearts is also altered, and they are less efficient. Using mouse models of obesity-related heart failure, this project will assess functional and metabolic effects of new treatment procedures that may lead to better understanding of the processes leading to the development of heart failure, as well as development of new therapeutic approaches.

The successful applicant will work with animal models, and an interest in cardiac/cardiovascular physiology and previous experience within this area will be considered an advantage for the position. Apart from the experimental work, the successful applicant must teach at the Department's various courses. The duties will be allocated based on the applicant's qualifications and the needs of the Department.

Contacts

For further information about the position and project, contact:

• Professor Ellen Aasum, ellen.aasum@uit.no, phone +4777646486
• Professor Terje Larsen (group leader), terje.larsen@uit.no, phone +4777644694.

Qualifications

A requirement of the position is the completion of a relevant Master’s degree (Msc), a Norwegian Candidate with a medicine degree (MD), a veterinary degree, or other educations which have been approved as equivalent to these by the Norwegian certification authorities. The completed Master´s degree must be with good grades, either an integrated Master’s degree of 300 credits or a Master’s degree of 120 credits building upon a Bachelor’s degree of 180 credits.

Master/medical students in the final stages are also qualified to apply, but have to document completed degree before employment.

Personal suitability for the position and the candidate’s motivation will be strongly emphasized. We are looking for a person who is structured, goal-oriented, analytical and able to communicate and collaborate with other people in the group.

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.

Applicants must have a documented knowledge of English, which meets the requirements as stated in the Norwegian general university and college admission requirements.

Application

The application must 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 academic works, including the Master’s thesis

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.

We offer

• Interesting work tasks
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• A structured PhD program - English speaking
• A large degree of independence in work
• Flexible working hours and a state collective agreement
• 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 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.

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.

You can find more information on the website for arriving staff.

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 will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.

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.

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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