PhD Research Fellow in Pharmaceutics

About the position

We invite applications for a PhD Research Fellow position in Pharmaceutics, available at the Department of Pharmacy.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026. 

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year may be 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. 

Place of work is at the Department of Pharmacy in the new Life Science Building, Oslo.

Job description

This position is a part of the convergence environment PERMEATE- Peptides for Membrane Targeting and Synergistic Drug Delivery. Convergence environments are interdisciplinary research groups that will aim to solve grand challenges related to health and environment. They are funded by UiO's interdisciplinary strategic area UiO:Life Science. The project will focus on overcoming cell membrane barriers using peptides to facilitate the targeted delivery of therapeutic molecules, leveraging a multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise from computational sciences and chemistry to pharmacy and medicine. Key research goals of the project are: 
•    Identify peptides to specifically target and permeate cell membranes of therapeutic relevance.
•    Explore synergistic effects of peptides with small molecule therapeutics.
•    Use peptides as a targeting molecule for drug delivery vehicles such as lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)
•    Create experimental protocols for cancerous, healthy human and microbial model cell membranes.
•    Establish predictive models for peptide-induced transport and cell membrane deformation.
•    Create a training hub for young scientists to prosper in a multidisciplinary environment that connects experts ranging from theoretical modelling to biomedical applications.

The convergence environment will include three PhD positions and one postdoc position.

PhD position in pharmaceutics:
For PERMEATE we are seeking a PhD candidate in pharmaceutics to work on targeted drug delivery of antibiotics. We are looking for an engaged candidate with a solid background in pharmaceutical formulation, antibiotics and/or microbiology. The PhD project will focus on investigating small molecule antibiotics and peptide synergy using both physico-chemical methodology and microbiological assays. As a part of this work the candidate will develop advanced membrane model systems that mimic bacterial membranes. The candidate will also contribute in PERMEATE with testing of novel drug delivery vehicles based on lipid nanoparticle functionalized with peptide targeting molecules as developed by partners in the convergence environment.  

The project involves close collaboration with other PhD students, postdocs and principal investigators within the convergence environment, as well as national and international collaborators. We are therefore seeking someone with strong teamwork skills who finds it exciting to work in interdisciplinary teams.

The candidate will be affiliated with the research group PharmaceuticalTechnology@UiO at the Department of Pharmacy but work closely with colleagues at the Department of Chemistry and at Department of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty.

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 pharmacy or related fields
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Abilty to teach in a Scandinavian language

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

Desired qualifications:

• A master's thesis and/or other research experience in pharmaceutics or micro-biology is an advantage.
• Experience from the pharmaceutical industry or other drug manufacturing (e.g., in a hospital pharmacy) will be given weight.
• Experience with characterization methods for nanoparticles (including light scattering, X-ray scattering) will be an advantage.
• Experience with microbiological assays will be an advantage.

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