PhD Research Fellow in materials for Na-ion and K-ion batteries

About the position

We invite applications for a PhD Research Fellow position in battery materials available at the Department of Chemistry.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year maybe considered and it will involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, 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 PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. 

Job description

We are seeking a PhD Research Fellow with interest in understanding, developing and characterizing battery materials. This PhD Research Fellow will be affiliated with a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research, FME Battery, which is an interdisciplinary collaboration between multiple actors in Norway including academia, research institutes and industry. The selected PhD Research Fellow will be involved in the work package 3 of the Centre focusing on new materials and chemistries.

The development of modern Li-ion batteries faces unprecedented challenges including improvement of energy storage capacities, decreasing costs and improving sustainability. Emerging battery chemistries (including Na-ion and K-ion batteries) operating under the same rocking chair principle as Li-ion batteries, represent a promising alternative to state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries. However, the set of materials utilized in such batteries is somewhat different from conventional materials typically used for Li-ion chemistry. 

The focus of this PhD project is to study anode materials for Na-ion and K-ion batteries by employing cutting-edge operando characterization techniques. The work will include synthesis of materials, their modification and characterization mainly by X-ray based techniques. Most of the work will be performed at UiO facilities (NAFUMA), while synchrotron-based characterization is fore-seen at the ESRF facilities.

As PhD Research Fellow in FME Battery, you will be part of the Nanostructured Functional Materials group (NAFUMA) at the Department of Chemistry has excellent capabilities and expertise in synthesis, advanced characterization, and modeling. The group also specializes in structural studies by using X-ray based operando methods. The battery activities at NAFUMA have been continuously developed over the last ten years and the laboratories are equipped with the tools required for fabrication, structural and electrochemical characterization of batteries and battery materials.

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 Chemistry or Material Science
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Experience in synthesis of inorganic materials
• Experience in battery materials (handling and electrochemical characterization)
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• For 4-year position: sufficient oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language to contribute to teaching at the department’s bachelor courses

Candidates without a master’s degree have until June 30, 2026 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience in X-ray based characterization (experience with operando characterization of battery materials would consider as advantageous)
• Experience with using large scale facilities (ESRF, Diamond, etc.) will be considered as advantageous
   

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 independently and in an interdisciplinary scientific environment 
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle multiple tasks

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
• For 4-year position: include description of which bachelor courses you can or have experience with teaching, or other courses (all levels). Describe you’re your experience with work related to dissemination, recruitment, and associations
• 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". 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.