PhD Research Fellow in Stochastics and Computational Mathematics -  up to two positions

About the position

Up to two positions as PhD Research Fellow in Stochastic Analysis and Computational Mathematics are available at Department of Mathematics, within the Section of Risk and Stochastics.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2026.

The fellowships 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 ane/or supervision. 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.

The positions are bounded to the SURE-AI consortium agreement and its re-search scopes.

The Centre for Sustainable, Risk-Averse, and Ethical AI or SURE-AI  is a Norwegian AI centre funded by the Research Council of Norway (2025-2030). The primary objective is to create a new generation of algorithms for inference and decision-making by pushing the boundaries of the underlying computational techniques. SURE-AI researchers will drive a transformative leap in AI through a groundbreaking Centre initiative dedicated to making Artificial Intelligence more efficient, transparent and safe, addressing the critical challenges of resource consumption, behaviour unpredictability and ethical alignment with human and societal values. The centre involves senior researchers from well-renowned na-tional and international research institutions, in close collaboration with industry and public sector. Overall, SURE-AI includes 19 national Norwegian partners, as well as researchers from 15 international institutions.

Six national research centres for Artificial Intelligence (AI) were launched in the Fall of 2025. These centres will foster interdisciplinary collaboration among re-searchers to address both scientific and societal challenges, develop new tech-nologies, understand the impact of AI, and drive innovation across both the business and public sectors. This initiative is established and financed through the government's significant investment in artificial intelligence over the next five years.

The open PhD fellow positions are hosted at the Department of Mathematics within the PhD program of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Place of work is Department of Mathematic at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

The PhD positions are framed in the strongly interdisciplinary research group of Risk and Stochastics and the Community of SURE-AI. The positions are mostly intended within the areas of stochastic analysis and computational methods towards machine learning with focus on risk-sensitive decision making and control.

Techniques may include forward, backward stochastic differential equations, stochastic partial differential equations, stochastic mean-field equations, stochastic control and filtering, stochastics for data analysis and machine learning. These areas will be prioritized. The focus is on the development of original mathematical methods for AI and its applications aimed at the modelling and analysis of complex phenomena particularly within economics and finance, energy finance, sustainable and ethical economics and insurance. 

The PhD fellows will work in a well-established and internationally oriented research group with high ambitions in research excellency. The work will be supervised by scientists in Risk and Stochastics in collaboration with researchers of SURE-AI. Also, the group of Risk and Stochastics runs several research projects and is part of international research networks. This makes the environment vibrant and active. It is expected that the PhD fellow will take an active part both in the research and in the section’s activities.

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 Mathematics.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system.
• A documented strong background at Master level in one or more of the following areas: stochastic analysis, numerical and computational methods in stochastics, probability and mathematical statistics, stochastic control, stochastic filtering, stochastic (partial) differential equations, mean-field equations.

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

Desired qualifications:

Knowledge of computational methods and programming skills (e.g., R, Python)

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:

• Genuine interest in participating in the various aspects of the academic life is expected and a collaborative pro-active attitude appreciated
• 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
• 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 (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, if relevant
• 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.

Contact persons:

For further information please contact: Professor Giulia di Nunno, email: giulian@math.uio.no  

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Ole Rustad, e-mail: ole.rustad@mn.uio.no 

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.