The position

A position as PhD Fellow on the study of taxonomic diversity (from microorganisms to fish) in the marine biome of the Central Arctic Ocean is available at the Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB), Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE). The position is in collaboration with the Tara Ocean Foundation and Genoscope in France, the University of Bergen, and Memorial University in Canada.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in September 2025.

The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology

The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB) includes 6 research groups. Research and teaching at AMB has a broad span, from molecular mechanisms at cellular/subcellular levels via studies of adaptations at the organismal level, to ecological interactions in aquatic and terrestrial environments. The institute is an exciting and cutting-edge academic and research unit in biology that addresses challenges in basic research, industrial and administrative-oriented research with a strong focus on the North. The Institute has extensive national and international research collaboration including regional institutions like Framsenteret, IMR and NIBIO.

The project

The PhD Fellow will work on marine biodiversity and genomics as part of the newly funded project Assess Seasonality in Pelagic Diversity and Carbon Export within the Central Arctic Ocean (SEDNA).

This study will be based on samples collected during previous scientific expeditions in the Central Arctic Ocean and as part of the first transarctic drift of the new Tara Polar Station in 2026-2027. The PhD project will focus on assessing seasonal shifts in community composition, from microorganisms to fish, and biological functions during the transition from polar night to midnight sun conditions. The research will be based on genomic analyses of environmental DNA (eDNA) from water, sea ice and sediment trap samples using metabarcoding as well as meta-genomics and -transcriptomics.

We are looking for a highly motivated person who will work independently and function well as part of a team. They will work collaboratively with other members of the Tara Polar Station project working on the pelagic, sympagic and atmospheric realms. Thesis work will be part of the SEDNA project, led by adjunct Professor Maxime Geoffroy and Professor Marit Reigstad.

Project description

The applicant must present both a cover letter explaining their motivation for undertaking the PhD program, and a project description in English (1-2 pages) that summarizes their scientific interests. The project description should provide an example of a PhD project idea, including a description of the topic, research question(s), proposed methodology, and a reference list. The final project description will be developed in cooperation with the supervisors upon commencement of the PhD position.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact Research Scientist Maxime Geoffroy or Professor Marit Reigstad.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

Master’s degree in Biology, Genomics, Environmental Science, Marine Science or similar from a recognized University. Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.
A minimum grade of «B», or equivalent, is needed to be admitted to the PhD program.
Experience with sampling, DNA/RNA extraction, and sequence analysis of environmental samples using metabarcoding and/or shotgun sequencing.
Experience in biodiversity and/or ecological studies.
The applicant must document fluency in English (written and oral). Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
Applicants must document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at a minimum of level A2. If the candidate does not document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2, then the doctoral fellow must complete a language course equal to 15 ECTS before the end of the fixed-term period. UiT will facilitate this.

Additional desirable qualifications, knowledge and experience:

Experience with bioinformatic work flows for analysis of metabarcoding and/or shotgun sequencing data.
Experience with the statistical analysis of metabarcoding and/or shotgun data.
Additional technical skills in molecular microbiology, molecular ecology, and data processing/statistical assessments are a strong asset.
Experience with laboratory work in clean-lab and/or sterile labs is an advantage.
Candidates with work experience in marine and polar environments will be preferred.
Willingness to participate in field-based studies in the Arctic will be considered.
Previous peer-reviewed publications record will be considered.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

Have good collaboration skills
Demonstrate good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
Wants to contribute to a pleasant working environment

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:

A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS.
A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS.

Grade requirements applies both to the master thesis as well as courses part of the master’s degree. The minimum requirements are grade B or better on the master’s degree, and an average grade of B or better on courses that are part of the master’s degree, or the last two years in an integrated master's degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position.

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

Involvement in an interesting research project
Good career opportunities
A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues 
Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement 
Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 536 200 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Your application must include:

Cover letter explaining your motivation for undertaking the PhD program
CV
Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
Documentation of English proficiency (Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma)
Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at a minimum of level A2 (if available)
2-3 references with contact information
Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
Project description in English (1-2 pages)

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

Assessment

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants.

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position.

General information

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.

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