About the position
We invite applications for a PhD Research Fellow position in Computational Nuclear Physics and Reactor Simulations is available at Department of Physics. The PhD Research Fellow will be part of the Norwegian Nuclear Research Centre (NNRC).
NNRC is a cross-disciplinary collaboration between Norway’s leading institutions within nuclear physics and nuclear chemistry research: University of Oslo (UiO), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), and Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). The Centre addresses major research questions within the nuclear field spanning topics from nuclear properties and medical isotope production to reactor simulations and environmental radiochemistry.
Starting date as soon as possible, preferably before December 1st, 2026.
The fellowship period is three years.
A fourth year maybe considered and it will involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.
No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.
Project description/work tasks
The Nuclear Physics group at UiO is involved in several research themes within the Norwegian Nuclear Research Centre (NNRC), from fundamental research within nuclear properties and nuclear fission, to more applied research within nuclear simulations and radionuclide production and speciation. This PhD Research Fellow will mostly contribute to nuclear simulations (reactor simulations).
The project will include reactor simulations of future reactor systems with a focus on systems relevant for Norway. The objective is to further develop and validate machine-learning surrogate models derived from high-fidelity multiphysics simulations of reactor transients and quantify how surrogate uncertainties propagate through system safety analysis of nuclear installations, using tools such as open simulations platforms.
This research will be part of a larger international collaboration and be a part of the Norwegian Nuclear Research Centre. The candidate is expected to contribute to and partake in activities organised by the Centre.
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:
- Master’s degree or equivalent in physics or nuclear technology, with specialization in nuclear physics or reactor physics
- Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
- A solid background in scientific computing, for example Python
Candidates without a master’s degree have until 1 October 2026 to complete the final exam.
Desired qualifications:
The following qualifications are considered strongly desirable and will be used in the ranking of the candidates:
- Experience with reactor simulations in for example OpenMC or system codes, like RE-LAP
- Experience with data analysis techniques
- Experience using ML
- Familiarity with data analysis tools such as ROOT
- Knowledge of reactor physics and nuclear structure from master-level courses
- Teaching experience
Language requirement:
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
For more information see:
The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.
All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.
What are we looking for in you?
Personal skills:
- Ability to work both independently
- Good communication skills
- Ability to work in an international research environment
Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.
We can offer you
- A pleasant and stimulating work environment
- Good welfare schemes
- Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours
- A workplace with good development and career opportunities
- Career development programmes
- Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, 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 PhD 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
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 (Norwegian), 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.
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 educational certificates, academic transcript of records and documentation of English proficiency if applicable
- 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)
Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".
Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.
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.
General information
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 can't, you will hear from us.
Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) 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 that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.
Om arbeidsgiveren:
The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.
The research at the Department covers a broad range of subfields within physics and technology: From space research to medical physics. A good proportion of the research is interdisciplinary, and conducted in close cooperation with collaborators in Norway and abroad. Education and teaching are other essential activities. We offer a broad range of courses, and the Department is involved in several study programmes at bachelor’s and master’s level. Some of the best lecturers in Norway are amongst our employees, and we are proud of our prizewinning teaching and learning environment. The Department has 200 employees, of which 50 are permanent scientific positions. On a yearly basis 20 students complete their Ph.D. and 50 finish their M.Sc. degree.
