PhD position in Physical Activity Epidemiology

The position

The Department of Sport Medicine announce the opening of a three-year PhD position in physical activity epidemiology. 

The Department of Sports Medicine is responsible for education and research in sports medicine – a broad field that includes both:

• The relationship between physical activity and health
• Health issues related to sports participation

The project in question falls well within the department’s core areas. 

The successful candidate will be part of the newly established Oslo Research Centre for Physical Activity and Population Health, a centre nested within the Department of Sport Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. The research group is internationally renowned, with multiple national and international collaborators including the World Health Organisation and high-profile universities in Europe, the US and Australia. We provide an inspiring and supporting environment with strong opportunities for methods training, visiting exchanges, and international conference participation, enabling the candidate to develop knowledge and skills and gain valuable personal experience.

The candidate will be supervised by senior scientists but is expected to work independently on day-to-day tasks, and will work with existing data from large, population-representative samples, with the possibility of linkage to administrative registers. 

The role of the candidate will focus on developing reproducible code (Stata, R, Python) to curate raw accelerometer data and derive metrics that characterize overall physical activity volume, temporal distributions, and micro-patterns, with particular emphasis on vigorous-intensity lifestyle physical activity (VILPA). These analyses will be applied across diverse contexts and population-representative samples, including demographic and health-related subgroups, as a critical first step toward understanding population engagement in VILPA. 

Ultimately, the project aims to establish the detailed dose–response relationship between VILPA and the risk of non-communicable diseases.

We are seeking the best possible candidate and have high expectations on the qualifications of the successful candidate.

About the project

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other national organisations are expected to update their physical activity recommendations during the coming years. 

Currently, these recommendations are based on evidence from self-reported physical activity, and generally state that adults should accumulate 150 min to 300 min of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity every week. 

However, self-report instruments cannot capture micropatterns (short, intermittent bouts) of vigorous intensity physical activity, light intensity physical activity or steps per day. 

The primary aim of this project is to utilise high-resolution, device-measured physical activity data to identify how micro-patterns of physical activity differ by time, place and person and how these micro-patterns are associated with risk for non-communicable diseases.

Required Qualifications (in no particular order)

Applicants must be qualified for a doctoral fellowship at the NIH and must have completed a master’s degree in a relevant subject within the sport sciences, biostatistics, statistics, epidemiology, mathematics, computer science or equivalent with a documented knowledge of statistics beyond basic level. The normal requirement for admission to the PhD program is a master's degree in sports science, or another education at the same level with sport as part of the academic curriculum, or the documentation of sports-related knowledge and expertise at an equivalent level. The minimum grade point average is B (Norwegian system).

• Experience in data science or data management using programming or statistical languages such as Python, R, Stata, or similar
• Excellent programming skills and experience in developing own statistical code to identify patterns in high-resolution data
• Basic understanding of epidemiological principles (epidemiological study designs such as a cohort or cross-sectional study)
• Basic understand of statistical analysis of epidemiological data
• Excellent oral and written English

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience in running large-scale analyses on Linux-based HPC clusters using job schedulers (e.g., Slurm) and/or on cloud research platforms (e.g., DNAnexus/AWS).
• Experience in analysing high-resolution wearable data to understand human movement patterns

Personal characteristics

• Highly motivated and willing to work independently
• Flexible, reliable and self-motivated
• Committed to keep deadlines and strong work ethics
• Excellent collaborative skills

Purpose of the position

The purpose of this research fellowship is that, during the employment period, the candidate will complete the research project and obtain the PhD degree.

Admission to the doctoral program is therefore a requirement for employment. The application for admission must be submitted no later than six weeks after employment. A complete project description, including a progress plan, must be developed in collaboration with the supervisors after employment. The final plan must be approved and formally agreed upon no later than three months after commencement. 

Please visit nih.no for more information on our PhD program.

We offer

• The position is remunerated according to the Norwegian state salary scale, position code 1017 (PhD research fellow), with a starting salary of NOK 550 800 per year (adjusted according to current rates)
• Excellent pension, insurance, and loan schemes through the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A strong and interdisciplinary research environment
• International collaboration with leading researchers and clinicians
• Excellent training facilities and the opportunity to exercise during working hours
• A workplace centrally located at Sognsvann, with close access to public transport

How to apply

Applications must be submitted via our electronic recruitment system (Jobbnorge).

The application must include:

• Application letter (motivation for the position and relevant experience)
• CV (complete overview of education, professional experience, and academic work)
• Copies of diplomas and certificates
• Any scientific works and publications to be considered
• A list of 2–3 references (name, email, phone number, and relationship to the applicant)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language. International applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system. 

International applicants, or applicants who hold an international degree, are advised to apply the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills for recognition of education from abroad: https://hkdir.no/en/foreign-education/education-from-outside-of-norway/recognition-of-foreign-higher-education-bachelor-master-and-phd

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, (ev. the project description), as well as the applicant's academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the rules and regulations for appointments to Ph.D. Research fellowships at NIH.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The Norwegian School of Sports and Sciences has a policy of achieving an including and diversed workplace with a balanced gender composition. 

Qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background are encouraged to apply.

Contact information

Professor Ulf Ekelund, email ulfek@nih.no

For questions regarding the PhD program: Senior adviser Mari Corell, email: maric@nih.no, Ph. +47 23 26 20 31

For questions regarding the application for PhD Position: Senior adviser HR Bente Johansen-Aarbostad, e-post: bentejoh@nih.no