About the position
Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available at the Department of Geosciences
Starting date is as soon as possible.
The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of three years (10% of which is devoted to required duties, usually in the form of teaching activities).
No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo.
Project description
We invite applications for a postdoctoral position focused on developing actively learning observing systems for carbon, water, and energy exchange in Arctic environments. The position centers on creating frameworks that allow environmental observing systems to adapt and learn from data— identifying which measurements are most informative and guiding where, when and how to observe next. By combining Bayesian inference, probabilistic modeling, and machine learning, the project aims to make Arctic observations more efficient, intelligent, and impactful.
You will integrate field observations—including ground- and drone-based measurements—along with satellite data, into land-surface and boundary-layer models, drawing on the department’s unique infrastructure of eddy flux towers, drone platforms, and data assimilation frameworks. Field campaigns are planned in mainland Norway, Svalbard, and international Arctic sites. Funding is also available for conference attendances and research visits with external collaborators.
The position is part of the ERC Starting Grant “Actively learning experimental designs in terrestrial climate science (ACTIVATE)”:
https://www.mn.uio.no/geo/english/research/projects/activate/index.html
The researcher will be part of a growing team of researchers, postdocs and PhD students working on intelligent observing systems using machine learning and data assimilation methods in the ACTIVATE project.
The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.
What skills are important in this role?
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
- Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in geosciences, environmental sciences, computer/data science, physics, applied mathematics, or other relevant fields. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment.
- The candidate must have a strong quantitative background and extensive experience in scientific programing (using e.g., Python, Matlab, and/or Julia), as well as a strong interest in climate science and biogeochemical cycling.
- The candidate must have proof of excellence in research as demonstrated through publications in refereed journals and presentations at scholarly conferences. The candidate’s publication record must show evidence of creativity and capability of independent research.
- An excellent command of written and spoken English is required.
- The ability to meet the requirement for security clearance is required.
Desired qualifications
- Previous experience applying Bayesian inference, data assimilation, inverse modeling, and/or probabilistic machine learning to geoscientific or ecological models is highly desirable. Experience in high performance computing and handling of large data sets such as Earth observations are an advantage.
What are we looking for in you?
Personal skills
- Applicants must be able to work independently while having the ability to actively communicate and co-operate within the larger research team.
We need different perspectives in our work
UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.
We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?
We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.
If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).
The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.
More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found
here.We hope you will apply for the position with us.
We can offer you
- Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes. per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
- Attractive welfare benefits
- Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours. A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
- Professionally stimulating working environment
- Vibrant international academic environment
- Postdoctoral development programmes
- Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
- Salary NOK 595 000 – 690 000
How to apply
The application must include:
- Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
- CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
- Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
- A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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).
In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability.
It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.
When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
Formal regulations:
The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.
Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.
If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employ-ment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months (thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)
Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.
Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO.
The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.