PhD Research Fellow in Machine Learning and Statistics

About the position

Integreat – the Norwegian Centre for Knowledge-driven Machine Learning at the University of Oslo invites applications for a doctoral research fellowship in Machine Learning and Statistics. We welcome applicants early in their research careers,who are eager to contribute to impactful methods for generating private and fair synthetic data with good utility.

We are particularly interested in applicants motivated to develop machine learning methods that matter for society — including fairness, privacy, ethical responsibility, and responsible use of data — and who want to grow as researchers in a supportive and interdisciplinary environment.

Starting date upon individual agreement and no later than 1 October.

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.

Applicants may hold a PhD Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo for one fellowship period only.

Place of work is Integreat – Norwegian Centre for Knowledge-driven Machine Learning at University of Oslo at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

We welcome applicants with solid background in machine learning and statistics, and who are eager to contribute to impactful methods for generating private and fair synthetic data with good utility. This project involves development of deep learning based synthetic data generators that obtain both good utility and protection of privacy, through tailored model approximation, as well as new measures of privacy and fairness to be used for assessing properties of synthetic generators, or in loss functions for training them. Further, the potentials and limitations of the developed approaches should be critically assessed regarding their implications for fairness, privacy, and utility. This project is at the intersection of machine learning, statistics and ethics.

This position is affiliated with the research group research group in Statistics and Data Science at the Department of Mathematics , in close collaboration with the machine learning group at the Department of Informatics, both at University of Oslo.

What skills are important in this role? 

Qualification requirements:

Candidates are expected to have solid academic background and demonstrate the ability and motivation to develop into independent researchers, and must document:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in computer science, statistics, data science, mathematics, or related field
• 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
• Programming skills 
• Interest in considering and discussing ethical aspects of the research project

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

Desired qualifications:

The project concerns development of synthetic data generators with deep learning models, therefore experience with such models is 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/

Integreat provides a researcher training programme, INTREF — the Integreat Young Researchers’ Forum — a fellow-driven initiative offering scientific training, transferable-skills workshops, mentorship, research visits, and career-development support.

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.

Personal skills 

We are looking for candidates who are curious, open-minded, and motivated to learn, with a strong interest in rigorous academic research. You should enjoy working both independently and as part of a team, take ownership of your research questions, and be comfortable communicating complex ideas clearly across disciplines. A collaborative spirit, a deep sense of responsibility for high-quality research, and a willingness to contribute to an inclusive and respectful research culture are essential.

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We need different perspectives in our work 

Integreat is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, guided by our INTEGREAT principles (Integrity, Non-discrimination, Tact, Environment, Gratitude, Respect, Empathy, Accountability, Transparency). We embed these values in practice through inclusive hiring and structured evaluations, targeted mentoring and career development, and flexible work arrangements and accommodations to ensure everyone can thrive and contribute.

We particularly welcome applications from women and gender minorities who are underrepresented in STEM, as well as applicants with immigrant backgrounds, disabilities, nonlinear career paths, or career breaks. We will take career interruptions and diverse career trajectories into account during evaluation.

Integreat supports candidates through close academic supervision, peer mentoring, and structured researcher training, with room to grow into the role over time.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, 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. 

We offer

• A unique and ambitious research environment with opportunities to develop independent research questions at the forefront of modern science
• Access to a strong network of top-level national and international collaborators
• A vibrant, international academic environment with an active and supportive research community
• Structured career development programmes, including an individual professional development plan throughout the PhD period
• Mentoring and support structures tailored to early-career researchers
• Research mobility funds supporting short research stays and international collaboration
• A friendly, inclusive, and collaborative working environment that values diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary exchange
• A family-friendly and flexible working environment
• We recognise that researchers may have caregiving responsibilities and different life situations, and we actively support work–life balance throughout the PhD period. This includes flexibility in working hours, understanding during periods of increased family responsibility, and facilitation related to conference participation, research stays, and travel, taking caregiving needs into account where feasible.
• Family-friendly surroundings in Oslo and Tromsø, with rich opportunities for culture, nature, and outdoor activities
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 to 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• A reliable and generous pension agreement, along with public benefits
• Comprehensive welfare schemes supporting both personal and professional well-being
• Full access to public health services through membership in the National Insurance Scheme
• A clear institutional commitment to gender equality and diversity, with dedicated initiatives and networks for women in science

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

Your application should include:

• Application cover letter- statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions, research experience, pedagogical experience, and other relevant activities)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor’s 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)

Please name your documents using the following format: Document type – Surname – First name

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

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 cannot, 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 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.