PhD Research Fellow in fluid mechanics

About the position

One or two position as a PhD Research Fellow in Mechanics: Viscous flow coupled with elastic deformations linking flow control and soft robotics is/are available at the Mechanics at the Department of Mathematics, University of Oslo. 

Starting date as soon as possible, latest by August 15, 2026.

The fellowship period is three years.

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

Job description

A PhD Research Fellow is available at the Department of Mathematics in the research group of Prof. Andreas Carlson at the University of Oslo (UiO). 

The positions are part of two projects funded by the Research Council of Norway for the development of a soft hairy surfaces for droplet flow control and vibration-based soft robot. The project has an ambitious aim to demonstrate how physical principles from a new understanding of the coupling between viscous flow and elastic deformation of solids to inspire new technological developments. 

The project will provide a fundamental understanding of the physical processes at play when droplets interact with soft hairy surfaces and when actively driving a soft sheet near a wall. Essential to the projects is developing a new understanding of the fluid-structure interactions, that is to say, the coupling between hair’s/sheet’s elastic deformations and the fluid flow. The project aims to develop a contactless soft robot relying on these operating principles (guided by our physical understanding of the processes) and using hairy surfaces for flow control. The projects requires detailed measurements of the dynamic soft elastic interface and the fluid flow, as well as theoretical and numerical developments. The project provides opportunities to collaborate with both national and international collaborators, as well as exploring sustainability aspects of the technology. 
The PhD student will: 

• Develop experiments and/or numerical simulations of (droplet) flow coupled with elastic deformations.
• Be directly involved in integrating experiments and theoretical prediction.
• Develop independence and be self-driven to advance with their research project.
• Work in an interdisciplinary team with expertise in mechanics, complex fluids, physics and biophysics and sustainability thinking.
• Follow our PhD program that include an educational component.

This is the right position if you are highly motivated about fundamental science and excited about questions related to fluid-structure interactions (elastohydrodynamics) and interfacial fluid mechanics in the context of soft robotics. 

The PhD Research Fellow will join an international and interdisciplinary research group lead by Prof. Andreas Carlson, which hosts other projects including an ERC Consolidator Grant.
 

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.

Qualification requirements:

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in mechanics, fluid mechanics, physics or applied mathematics. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (English). 
• Earlier involvement in research projects in fluid mechanics or droplets will also be considered positively, as well as experience with programming or experiments.
• A strong theoretical educational background in mathematics, continuum mechanics and fluid mechanics.

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 15. August, 2026 to complete the final exam.

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
• Self-driven and highly motivated about fundamental science
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Want to contribute to good social environment at the workplace 
• Pro-active, result oriented and high performance capabilities

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(max 1 page)
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
• 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".

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.