Job description
A PhD Research Fellow position in Hydrology is available at the Department of Geosciences.
No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
Starting date no later than October 1, 2023.
The fellowship period is 3 years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
We invite applications for a PhD position in Hydrology to investigate mechanisms controlling snow sublimation associated with losses in
hydropower production. Currently we know very little about the magnitude of sublimation in Norway. The PhD project will use the Cold Climate Container, a new laboratory facility, at the Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, to investigate sublimation under controlled conditions. The PhD student will conduct detailed ground-based and UAV-based field studies of sublimation flux at several monitoring sites in Norway, including the Finse Eco-hydrological Observatory (https://www.finse.uio.no). The collected data will be used to update simulation routines within Shyft (Statkraft’s hydrological forecasting toolbox, which is an operational forecasting system for hydropower companies). The PhD study is affiliated with the SnowSub project “Assessing impact of snow sublimation for hydropower production in Norway” (www.mn.uio.no/snowsub). Two hydropower companies, Statkraft AS and Skagerak Kraft AS, are actively involved in the project. The Shyft framework is developed by Statkraft AS in cooperation with University of Oslo as an open source FAIR software. One of the main tasks of the SnowSub project is to develop new routines for snow processes within the Shyft software, including sublimation and interception subroutines. The Phd candidate is expected to participate in the model development and testing.
SnowSub project runs as a collaboration between University of Oslo, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), Norwegian Meteorologic Institute (Met.no), University of Oulu and, Statkraft AS and Skagerak Kraft AS. The Phd candidate will have an opportunity to learn from and engage with a consortium of experts in flux observations and operational hydrologic forecasting. The student will be integrated in the strategic research initiative LAnd-ATmosphere interactions in Cold Environments (LATICE) group (mn.uio.no/latice), which focuses on exchange processes between the Atmosphere, Biosphere, Cryosphere and Hydrosphere in a changing climate. The Phd position involves field work, laboratory experiments and hydrologic modelling, allowing the candidate to develop a broad set of skills necessary in the future work in academia or industry.
Qualification requirements
The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.
Required qualifications:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in hydrology or a relevant scientific field, for example, geosciences, physics, engineering, or similar.
- Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system.
- Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2023 to complete the final exam.
- Applicants must be able and willing to participate in fieldwork in Norway.
Competency in the following areas are also desired:
- Experience with experimental and/or field work;
- Experience with Hydrologic or Earth System modelling;
- Experience with programming in Python and/or C/C++ or other relevant
- programming language
Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:
- the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system.
- the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system.
- the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
- English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8
The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:
We offer
- Salary NOK 501 200 – 544 400 per annum depending on qualifications as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
- Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
- Vibrant international academic environment
- Career development programmes
- Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
How to apply
The application must include
- Cover letter – statement of motivation and research interests
- CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work – scientific publications)
- Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
- Documentation of English proficiency
- Letters of recommentation
- List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
- Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).
When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.
Formal regulations
Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.
No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.
A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.
Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.
Contact information
For further information, please contact:
Postdoctor Olga Silantyeva, e-mail: olga.silantyeva@geo.uio.no
Professor Lena Merete Tallaksen, phone: +47 22 85 72 14, e-mail: l.m.tallaksen@geo.uio.no
Researcher Kolbjørn Engeland, e-mail: kolbjorn.engeland@geo.uio.no
For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Ole Rustad, e-mail: ole.rustad@mn.uio.no
About the University of Oslo
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.
The geosciences are the studies of the planet Earth and its comparative planetology; the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and cryosphere, the Earth’s surface and its interior. The Department of Geosciences conducts research and teaching in most of the domains of geoscience; geology, geophysics, physical geography, geomatics, hydrology, meteorology and oceanography. The Department is the broadest geoscience research and education environment in Norway. The Department encompasses five sections; Meteorology and Oceanography, Geography and Hydrology, Study of sedimentary basins, Environmental geosciences and Crustal Processes. We also hosts one Centre of Excellence CEED – Centre of Earth Evolution and Dynamics.
The Department aims to contribute to the new and important UN Sustainability Development Goals, and are important contributors to IPCC (UN’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change). The staff consists of 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, researchers, technical- and administrative staff. The Department has more than 200 employees.
