PhD Research Fellow in Accelerator Physics, University of Oslo, Norway, Europe

Last Date: 29th February 2024.

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Accelerator Physics is available at the Department of Physics.

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

Particle accelerators are engines of discovery in basic physics, photon science, medical research and more. Plasma acceleration promises to make these machines much more compact (and cheaper), which may help in realizing the next particle collider, opening new areas of research such as laboratory astrophysics, and making particle beams more accessible for uses such as medical imaging. However, several challenges remain, including coupling of accelerator modules and suppression of instabilities.

We are looking for an excellent and motivated PhD student to join our team in studying these key issues in plasma acceleration.

The research involves both numerical simulations and experiments at international accelerator laboratories, with particular focus on stabilization mechanisms and beam quality in plasma-wakefield accelerators.

Experiments will be conducted at the FACET-II facility at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (Stanford, California, USA), where candidate will be based for extended periods of time (6–12 months), embedded in an international team of researchers. Large-scale numerical simulations will be performed on the LUMI supercomputer, which is currently the fastest supercomputer in Europe.

The position is associated with the SPARTA project, funded by the European Research Council (ERC) through a Starting Grant. The candidate will work in close collaboration with the PI, Dr. Carl A. Lindstrøm, as well as Prof. Erik Adli, Dr. Kyrre Sjøbæk, and other members of the accelerator group at the High-Energy Physics section at the Department of Physics, University of Oslo. The work involves tight collaboration with international accelerators labs, in particular SLAC, but also CERN (Geneva, Switzerland) and DESY (Hamburg, Germany).

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:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in physics or engineering
  • 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

Desired:

  • Experience with particle-accelerator physics, including plasma- or laser-wakefield acceleration
  • Experience with data collection and data analysis
  • A solid background in scientific programming and/or numerical simulations

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2024 to complete the final exam.

Grade and language 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
  • For candidates who would like to apply for a fourth year including teaching, good knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is strongly preferred.
  • 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

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/
 
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

Personal skills

  • We are looking for a highly motivated, creative, and structured candidate with excellent collaboration and communication skills, and the ability to work independently as well as in a team.

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, previous positions and academic work)
  • Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records 
  • Documentation of English proficiency
  • List of any 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)
  • Applicants who are interested in teaching need to add to this application a description of their motivation for and (if any) experience with teaching.

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 will be part of the hiring process.

The research area for the position may include technologies referred to in the Ministry’s export control regulations and all candidates will be evaluated in accordance with these regulations.

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 please contact: Carl A. Lindstrøm, phone: +47 920 87 302, e-mail: [email protected]

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Elin Thoresen,  e-mail: [email protected]

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