A 4-year position as PhD Research Fellow in Systematic Entomology is available at the Natural History Museum (NHM), University of Oslo
The 4-year fellowship includes 25% career-enhancing duty work.
The project is supervised by Dr. Hallvard Elven (NHM).
The PhD project will focus on the systematics and ecology of selected groups within the Diptera family Cecidomyiidae, specifically within the large subfamily Cecidomyiinae. Most members of this subfamily are gall formers on vascular plants, whereas some are predators, fungivores, saprophages, or non-galling phytophages. Different species are often ecologically connected, e.g. as predator and prey, or as galler and inquiline, but their relationships are often not fully understood. A significant fraction of the North European species still await description.
The candidate will investigate both ecological and phylogenetic relationships and do a taxonomic revision with species descriptions. The tasks will include field work and lab rearing, bioinformatics using Next Generation Sequencing, and traditional taxonomic studies using morphology.
The PhD will be associated with the species survey project “Gall Midges Phase II” financed by the Norwegian Biodiversity Information Centre. It will use mainly material collected in Norway.
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. Appointment to a research fellowship is conditional upon admission to the Faculty’s research training programme. A plan for the research training must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position, and the admission approved within three months. For more information about the programme, see: http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/
Qualifications/Requirements
You must have:
• An MSc degree in systematic biology.
• Excellent written and verbal communication ability in English.
English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirement, see: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8
Desirable qualifications (in ranked order):
• Research in biosystematics (e.g., phylogenetics, species delimitation, and taxonomy)
• Experience with field collection, handling, identification, and curation of insects
• Experience with DNA-based wet lab work
• Experience with bioinformatics for biosystematics
• Experience with microscopy, slide mounting and macro photography
• Strong interest in insect systematics
Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows, according to the Norwegian educational system:
• The average grade for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better
• The average grade for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better
• The Master’s thesis must have grade B or better
See: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc7
What are we looking for in you?
• Honesty and high standards for scientific integrity
• Ability to give and receive scientific criticism in a constructive manner
• A positive attitude and drive for learning skills, methods and theory
• Ability to work in a structured manner, facilitating teamwork
• Ability to prioritize and complete work tasks
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.
The evaluation of applicants will focus on the following:
• Relevance and quality of the MSc thesis
• Relevance and quality of scientific publications (not necessarily expected at this level)
• Grades at relevant university-level courses (entomology, taxonomy, phylogenetics, bioinformatics, wet-lab molecular techniques)
• The fit of the applicant’s career plan, interests, and skills as formulated in the cover letter (see How to apply below).
• Personal suitability (incl. collaborative skills) and motivation for the position
• An interview, including a 15 minute presentation of your MSc thesis (only short-listed candidates)
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 provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. 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
- Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
- Committed colleagues in a good working environment.
- Onboarding program for new employees
- Good welfare schemes.
- A workplace with good development and career opportunities.
- Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse (SPK), which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
- Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
- Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow (position code 1017) in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund (SPK).
How to apply
The application must include (as separate and numbered documents):
1. Cover letter with statement of motivation and research interests
2. CV summarizing education, positions and academic work, scientific publications, and other relevant experience
3. PDF of MSc thesis (or equivalent) and potential publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluating committee
4. Copies of educational certificates and transcripts of records
5. Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
6. Names and contact details of 2-3 references (i.e., name, affiliation, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number). The references will be contacted if necessary. Letters of recommendation are therefore not required.
Applicants should deliver the application with the requested attachments through our electronic recruiting system. Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge. Click "Apply for this job".
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. Foreign applicants are advised to include an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
General information
The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.
The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.
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), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.
The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.
Om arbeidsgiveren:
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.
The Natural History Museum at the University of Oslo is Norway’s most comprehensive natural history collection. For almost 200 years, specimens of animals, fungi, plants, rocks, minerals and fossils have been collected, studied and preserved here. The museum is located at Økern and in the beautiful Botanical Garden, which is not only popular for recreation, but is a scientific collection in itself.
