Last Date: 29th February 2024.
About the position
Position as PhD Research Fellow in Materials Science available at Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN), Department of Chemistry and Department of Physics, University of Oslo.
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, 2024.
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.
Job description
We seek a PhD Research Fellow with qualifications and interest in materials science and renewable energy conversion technologies.
The Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) comprises UiO’s focus on renewable energy, materials science, and nanotechnology. The Centre is an interdisciplinary collaboration between five research groups in physics and chemistry, and spearheads the MN Faculty’s efforts for sustainable energy solutions.
The position is part of the interdisciplinary SOLARIS initiative which addresses solar energy harvesting and storage, including electrochemical energy conversion.
The PhD Research Fellow will be affiliated with the research groups Electrochemistry and Semiconductor Physics at the Departments of Chemistry and Physics, respectively. Both groups consist of around 30-40 highly dedicated professors, researchers, postdocs, PhD fellows, engineers, admin, MSc and exchange students. The groups regularly organize social events including seminars and cabin trips with outdoor activities, relay race around Oslo, potluck and garden party.
The Electrochemistry group is among the world-leading in solid-state electrochemistry and the materials science of proton-conducting oxides for electrochemical energy conversion technologies such as proton ceramic fuel cells and electrolyzers. These technologies are central in the transition to renewable energy and in the electrification of industrial processes.
The research groups have excellent infrastructure covering chemical, structural, optical and electrical characterization methods, device fabrication and simulations.
The infrastructure includes the Micro- and Nanotechnology Laboratory (MiNaLab) with a clean room area in excess of 400 m2 with a multitude of modern fabrication and characterization facilities.
The PhD Research Fellow will utilize combinatorial pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to fabricate thin films with compositional gradients – a novel method pioneered within SOLARIS by members of the Semiconductor Physics group. The thin films will be characterized with a range of structural, chemical and electrical characterization techniques to study fundamental relationships between materials properties and their performance as function of composition. The materials systems will be focused towards mixed ionic/electronic conducting oxygen/steam electrodes for proton ceramic electrochemical cells.
The PhD research work can be tailored according to the qualifications and academic interest of the top candidates including the possibility for combining experimental, simulation and theoretical methods.
The PhD research fellowship is part of the research project Combinatorial Materials Science for Protonic Electrochemical Energy Conversion (Comicon) funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project will also employ a postdoctoral research fellow which gives excellent opportunity for collaboration, in addition to working in teams across SMN and SOLARIS.
The PhD Research Fellow will also be able develop experience in project participation and management, and take part in collaboration with international research partners including exchange visits.
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.
- Master’s degree or equivalent in physics, chemistry or materials science
- Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
- Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2023 to complete the final exam
- The position’s subject area may require licensing under the Norwegian Export Control Act. In order to be considered for the position, it is a prerequisite that UiO must be able to be granted such licence. Må også lenke til denne siden: https://www.uio.no/english/studies/admission/master/export-control.html
Desired qualifications:
- Experience with thin film deposition techniques such as pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and magnetron sputtering
- Experience with materials characterization by, e.g., X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and/or electrical characterization techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
- Experience with density functional theory (DFT) simulations
- Strong data analysis skills, e.g., using Python or Matlab
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 educa-tional system
- English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
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:
http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/
Personal skills
- Good social, communication and collaboration skills
- Ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary scientific environment
We offer
- Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority 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
- Up to one letter of recommendation from a direct supervisor/mentor
- 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)
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.
Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.
Formal regulations
Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.
According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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.
UiO has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.
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 about the position please contact:
Associate Professor Jonathan Polfus, phone: +47 228 40683, e-mail: [email protected]
Professor Holger Von Wenckstern, e-mail: [email protected]
For technical questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact:
HR Adviser Olga Holmlund, e-mail: [email protected]
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