PhD Research Fellow in Digital innovation

About the position

One position as PhD Research Fellow in Digital Innovation is available in the Section for Digitalization at the Department of Informatics.

The candidate will be affiliated with the “Digital innovation” research group. The group’s main research focus is to produce and disseminate new knowledge on digital transformation and its consequences for individuals, organizations, and societies. The group’s research has a socio-technical basis and is predominantly based on qualitative research methods.

The fellowship period is three years.

Depending on the candidate and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended either for compulsory work consisting of e.g., teaching and supervision duties and research assistance up to four years.

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 the Department of Informatics at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate interested in developing and conducting research on the topic of AI and money laundering. 
Money laundering remains a critical global issue, with an estimated 2–5% of the world’s GDP (roughly $2 trillion) lost to illicit financial flows each year. Such criminal activity undermines economies and security, fueling corruption, and organized crime. Financial institutions and organizations worldwide are under pressure to curb these losses, yet traditional defences struggle to keep up. Legacy rule-based compliance systems, long the cornerstone of anti-money laundering (AML) efforts, are increasingly ineffective – often generating overwhelming false-positive alerts that distract from truly suspicious activities. New approaches are needed to detect complex laundering schemes and reduce economic harm. Consequently, organizations are now looking to artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance AML capabilities. AI-driven solutions can learn from vast datasets to spot hidden patterns and anomalies beyond human or rule-based detection. 

By drawing on the Information Systems perspective, this PhD project may address one or several interconnected themes related to advancing AI-enabled anti–money laundering in financial ecosystems. The project will be developed jointly by the PhD candidate and the supervisors and potential themes include, but are not limited to:

Data and Data work: Data is crucial for effective AI-based systems, so the project could explore processes, artefacts, and practices for collecting, aggregating, cleaning, and managing large-scale financial data from multiple sources to feed AI systems, as well as related challenges e.g., siloed legacy databases, data standardization, regulatory compliance and ethical constraints.

Ecosystem dynamics and Governance: The project can investigate how banks, fintech firms, and regulatory authorities (e.g., Finanstilsynet) jointly shape an AI-enabled anti–money laundering innovation, and coordinate resources, distribute responsibilities, and power. The project may examine the nature of inter-organizational dynamics (whether institutional, technological, or legal), and the challenges they pose, as well as how such challenges are addressed within and across organizational boundaries.

Architecture and Infrastructure: Analysis of various underpinnings involved in design and implementation of robust AI-based AML systems, also within existing financial IT infrastructures, could be another potential direction for this PhD project. For example, this could involve studying system architectures that integrate AI with legacy platforms, architectures for data sharing, as well as examining how scalability, security, and interoperability can be ensured in next-generation AML solutions.
Ultimately, the goal of the project should be to inform how data and AI-driven technologies can be effectively harnessed within the financial sector to address the money laundering challenge.

The Department of Informatics at the University of Oslo is the oldest and largest in Norway and is consistently ranked as one of the top institutions in the field of Computer Science in the world. Faculty members conduct research at the highest international level and publish their work in top academic journals. The candidate will be affiliated with the “Digital Innovation” research group. The group aims to produce novel theoretical understanding of the digitalization phenomena as well as to provide various stakeholder groups such as IT developers, leaders, and governments with concrete and practical advice and solutions to guide their digitalization efforts. The candidate is expected to contribute to the broader research environment at the Department by participating in various research activities and disseminating findings at local and international research seminars, workshops, conferences etc.

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 Digital Economy, Information Systems, Innovation, or an adjacent field (e.g. Strategy, Organization Studies). Alternatively, a 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:

• Demonstrated strong background and interest in the topics of digital innovation and digital economy, and specifically AI and money laundering
• Familiarity with sociotechnical and/or other interdisciplinary perspectives fitting to studying technology in a use context
• Documented experience with qualitative research methods
• Documented competence in Norwegian (or a Scandinavian language) due to Scandinavia being a preferred empirical setting for the project

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:

• Enthusiasm for research and the ability to work independently, while being an active member of a research team
• Ability to work precisely in a structured manner and adapt swiftly to new tasks
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• A positive, proactive attitude and the ability to manage high-pressure periods effectively
• You are a person who prefers being present at work and actively contributes to the professional and social environment you are a part of

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)
• Project proposal on the topic outlined above (up to 3 pages)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma (see below)
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• 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.