PhD Research Fellowship in Volcano Climate Modelling

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Volcano Climate Modelling available at the Department of Geosciences, Section for Meteorology and Oceanography, University of Oslo, Norway.

Starting date no later than 1 October 2026.

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year may be considered, and it will involve 25 % of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of project administration help, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the project.

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

Place of work is at the Department of Geosciences, Section for Meteorology and Oceanography at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

The PhD Research Fellowship will be carried out within the project Clim-SHOCK: Unsustainable? Past Impacts and Future Challenges of Volcanic Climate Shocks. 
Clim-SHOCK is an interdisciplinary project led by Prof. Kirstin Krüger at the Department of Geosciences, Section for Meteorology and Oceanography and jointly run by the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (Prof. Dominik Collet) and The Museum for Cultural History (Associate Prof. Kjetil Loftsgarden). It is financed by UiO:Energy and Environment Convergence Environment.

Clim-SHOCK investigates volcanic climate shocks from the past and places them into a future scenario. What can we learn from the past to improve future climate projections and preparedness? It will drastically expand the available evidence by connecting future climate impact scenarios to the rich record of the past. Together we will examine how environmental shocks and societal reactions interacted drawing on the combined expertise of the natural sciences and the humanities linking past impacts to future challenges. The project collaborates closely with several other ongoing projects (f.e., NORCLI, Force-VOL) in the field of volcanic eruptions, paleo climate and climate history...

The PhD Research Fellowship will have a strong focus on modelling future volcanic climate impacts and comparing them with past events based on model and paleo climate proxies (such as ice cores, tree rings). Conducting high resolution volcanic climate model simulations, the PhD Research Fellow will investigate future volcanic climate shocks on the Earth System and evaluate their impacts on society, food, and health.

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.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Meteorology, Climate, or Earth and Environmental Sciences.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.
• Research experience and knowledge in climate physics and dynamics, Earth System interactions, future and paleo climate, and volcanic eruptions effects on climate and environment.
• Experience in analyzing and working with climate or Earth System models.
  Technical skills in programming as well as in graphical and statistical tools (e.g. python, R).
• Willing to exchange with national and international project collaborators including potential research stays abroad.
• Very good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join and initiate academic collaborations within and across disciplines.Candidates without a master’s degree have until 30.06.2026 to complete the final exam.

• Experience in analysing and working with CESM/NorESM and with paleo proxies (i.e., ice cores, tree rings) will be advantageous.
• The PhD candidate should be interested to work in a multi-disciplinary research field and team and be willing to exchange with national and international project collaborators including potential research stays abroad.
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language or the determination to learn it will be advantageous.

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on the applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to carry out the project within the allotted time frame and to contribute to the main project.

• Fluent 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?

• 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
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle hectic periods

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

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor’s and Master’s degree diploma (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
• 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.