PhD Research Fellow in Statistics

Job description

The University of Oslo (UiO), Department of Mathematics, Section for Statistics and Data Science, invites applications for a 4-year position as a PhD Research Fellow researcher in Statistics within the interdisciplinary Convergence Environment ’Methods for knowledge-based biodiversity monitoring and management under uncertainty’ (BioM).

We are looking for a motivated candidate with interest in methodological research within statistics, and who is excited to contribute to an active and collaborative research environment. We welcome applicants with a strong background in statistics, who are eager to carry out research on statistical issues related to models and multiple sources of data describing ecological dynamics. The PhD project will address the following aims: 1) Develop efficient tools for learning about models from data, 2) incorporation of expert knowledge in model building through Bayesian prior elicitation, and 3) develop new methods for identification of conflicts in different parts of complex models.

BioM is an interdisciplinary Convergence Environment under UiO:Life Science, based at the Natural History Museum, and in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Biosciences and the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas. To respond effectively to the accelerating decline in biodiversity, society urgently needs decision-making systems that are scientifically robust, transparent about uncertainty, and responsive to ecological, ethical, and policy contexts. To respond to this, BioM will unite ecology, statistics, and philosophy to improve the modelling and governance of biodiversity under uncertainty. The project develops process-explicit, hierarchical models that capture key ecological dynamics, integrate diverse and incomplete data sources, and account for uncertainty in ways that are relevant to real-world management.

BioM is committed to creating a high-quality, supportive environment for the training and development of PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows, including individually tailored career development plans with formal supervision and project-based learning tied to deliverables. Secondments, consortium meetings, and workshops will provide hands-on experience in collaborative modelling, scientific synthesis, and science-policy engagement—central to enabling young researchers to navigate the complexity of transdisciplinary research and build strong academic identities.

The PhD fellow will be one of four recruitment positions in BioM filled simultaneously, the other positions being one PhD fellow in population ecology and two postdoctoral fellows, one in spatial ecological modelling and one in philosophy. 

The current position will be based at the Section of Statistics and Data Science at the Department of Mathematics, with shorter secondments at the Natural History Museum and in the other departments at the University of Oslo (Biology and Philosophy) and opportunities for international exchange. The Section of Statistics and Data Science consist of 9 full time academic positions, 2 adjunct positions and many PhD-students and PostDocs making up a group of more than 30. Statistics at UiO is internationally recognized and is a major part of a recently funded centre of excellence (Integreat). Integreat collects scientists from statistics and computer science and offers a flourishing machine learning community, including many PhDs and PostDocs.

Starting date between August 15th and October 1st 2026.

The fellowship period is four years, including 25 % of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, research assistance and planning activities within BioM.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Place of work is the Department of Mathematics at Blindern, Oslo.

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 statistics or a closely related field with a documented competence in statistical theory and methods. Such competence can be documented by graduate-level coursework in probability and statistical inference, a statistics-focused Master’s thesis, or relevant publications.
• 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 June 30, 2026 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Strong theoretical and methodological capacities in statistics
• Documented expertise in computational methods and experience with R or Python programming
• Experience in Bayesian statistics and modern Bayesian computing methods

Language requirement:

• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• 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

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

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

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 and as part of a team
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Positive attitude and good communication and collaboration skills

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 the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records (see below)
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee, if relevant
• 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.

Contact persons:

For further information please contact: Associate Professor Ida Scheel, phone: +47 2285 5874, e-mail: idasch@math.uio.no or Professor Geir Storvik, phone: +47 22855894, e-mail: geirs@math.uio.no 

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Ole Rustad, e-mail: ole.rustad@mn.uio.no 

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.