Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Catalysis studies for conversion of CO2/H2 to chemicals and e-fuels

About the position

We invite applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position, available at the Department of Chemistry/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

The appointment is a fulltime position and is for a period of four years (25 % of which is devoted to other career promoting work, usually in the form of teaching activities, supervision duties and/or research assistance). This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

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

Place of work is Department of Chemistry/Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) at Blindern/Gaustad, Oslo.

Starting in Summer 2026, the Department of Chemistry will relocate to the brand new Life Science Building – a state-of-the-art research facility designed to maximize productivity and comfort of our employees. The building is well connected to the rest of the campus and public transport.

Project description

The Department of Chemistry is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with specialisation in catalysis. The successful applicant will carry out the catalysis and process conditions study component of the interdisciplinary research project “Renewable energy-driven recycling of CO2 and H2O to consumer products and e-fuels, (CH-CYCLE)”. This is one of the Energy and Environment Convergence Environments, established at the University of Oslo. The primary aim of CH-CYCLE is to understand how to overcome key technological, environmental and political obstacles to renewable energy-driven recycling of CO2 and H2O to consumer products and e-fuels. The catalysis component of the project aims to explore catalysts and catalyst combinations for single-reactor (tandem) conversion of CO2/H2 via (m)ethanol to olefins. Prior knowledge to the specific issue area is no requirement, but experience with heterogeneous catalysis synthesis, characterization and testing is a prerequisite. Three issues will get particular attention.

First, addressing the challenge of promoting high CO2 hydrogenation activity and high hydrocarbons yield while restricting the olefins hydrogenation activity of candidate catalysts. Second, evaluate consistencies of candidate systems and their performance to feedback from project partners on Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) as well as EU and national policies. Third, coordinate project activities, such as organization of biweekly lunch meetings, annual seminars, outreach activities etc. In addition, the Postdoctoral Research Fellow is expected to contribute to cross-disciplinary publications.

The project is co-organized between Unni Olsbye, Department of Chemistry, Sabrina Sartory, Department of Technology and Elin Lerum Boasson, Department of Political Science.

The candidate will be member of the Section for Catalysis and Organic Chemistry, which conducts research in several national and EU projects (e.g CUBE, ZeoCat, DEMO) addressing key challenges related to, among other, processes for conversion of C1 molecules (CH4, CO2, CH3OH) to value-added bulk products.

The Section for catalysis and organic chemistry studies the correlation between catalyst composition/structure and their effects on chemical reactions. The catalysts can be of organic and/or inorganic origin. The section has approximately 35 members, subdivided into three groups: the MOF-group synthesizes and characterizes metal-organic framework and studies catalytic reactions over those materials; the zeolite group does the same with zeolite and zeotype materials; the homogenous catalysis group synthesizes metal-organic complexes and studies their catalytic reactions. The research group for Catalysis has strong ties to the Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences, which will also be involved in CH-CYCLE.

The postdoctoral research fellow will conduct research on topics such as:

• Model studies of CO2 versus ethene hydrogenation activity of candidate catalysts
• Development of new catalysts with features (composition, topology, morphology) aimed to improve their performance for CO2/H2 conversion, by a synthesis – characterization – testing loop
• Perform kinetic and mechanistic investigations of selected candidate materials for CO2/H2 conversion 
• Communicate results to fellow project candidates, and – based on their feedback – reiterate selection of catalyst materials and process parameters based on LCSA and EU/national policies.

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

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:

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in chemistry, material science or a closely related field. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defence are eligible for appointment
• Applicants must document experimental experience with the following 3 research skills: heterogeneous catalyst synthesis, characterization and testing
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Desired qualifications:

• Prior experience with the topic field, i.e., zeolite, metal-organic framework, mixed oxide and/or CO2/H2 conversion studies
• Prior experience with coordination of activities and students training
• Prior experience with cross-disciplinary research
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language will be considered an advantage

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:

• Good communication and collaboration 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 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 skills.

We can offer you

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development
• Committed colleagues in a good working 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
• Postdoctoral development programmes.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Salary in position as Postdoctoral Fellow, position code 1352 in salary range NOK 595 000 - 690 000, 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, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• Project description, i.e.; your proposed research direction for this project
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• Letters of recommendation
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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.

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

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.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.