PhD Research Fellow in Cosmology

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Cosmology available at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics.

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 teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

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

Place of work is at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

Constraining gravity and cosmological models using the Euclid survey, supervised by Assoc. Prof. Hans Winther.

The Euclid survey is a satellite mission lead by the European Space Agency that was launched in July 1st 2023 and is currently collecting data. Euclid will probe the history of the expansion of the universe and the formation of cosmic structures by measuring the redshift of millions of galaxies out to 10 billion years into the past shining light on dark matter, dark energy and allow us to test Einsteins theory of General Relativity on cosmological scales. The data it will collect will consist of locations of tens of millions of galaxies with accurate spectroscopic redshifts together with billions of images of galaxies with photometric redshifts that can be used to extract the gravitational lensing effect caused by the distribution of dark matter in our Universe.

The successful candidate will be trained to work on both galaxy clustering and weak gravitational lensing, using N-body simulations to simulate structure formation and connecting the simulations to observables. The candidate will also be working with machine learning techniques to develop emulators for the theoretical predictions of various observables as function of cosmological parameters. The candidate will develop and use skills in topics such as statistics, high performance programming, machine learning and using data to constrain cosmological models. 

The first project opportunity will be how to use the distributions of large underdone regions, cosmic voids, to constrain dark energy. This will consist of running simulations, creating galaxy catalogues, measuring observables and using machine learning tools to predict the observables as functions of cosmological parameters in both our standard LCDM cosmological model and models that go beyond LCDM.

The second project opportunity will be how to test models beyond the standard Lambda-Cold-Dark-Matter paradigm using gravitational weak lensing. The candidate will join the beyond-LCDM simulations working group within Euclid and undertake projects within this. The successful candidate will join the Gravity group at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oslo and will also join the Euclid consortium. 

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 astronomy, cosmology, physics, or a related topic.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English. 

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

Desired qualifications:

• Previous experience on astrophysical simulations and/or high-performance computing will be considered as an asset.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and Markov Chain Monte Carlo
• Experience with machine learning
• Ability to work independently and in collaborations

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
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Good communication and collaboration skills

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.

We especially encourage women to apply.

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
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor 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)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation  

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.