PhD Research Fellow in Ecology 

Do you want to contribute to cutting-edge knowledge that reveals how climate, biodiversity, naturalness and disturbance interact to shape resilient forest ecosystems in the future?

We are looking for a PhD research fellow within (Dendro-)Ecology.

About the position

Are you interested in how forests, their productivity and biodiversity are impacted by the environment and climate change, and want to engage in research with skilled colleagues who share your interests? Maybe you can become our new colleague at the Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health at the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences. The position is available from 01.09.2026 with the latest starting date on 01.10.2026. 

This is an educational position that is primarily intended to give promising researchers the opportunity to develop academically and professionally through organised research training.

It is a condition that the person who accepts the position applies for and is granted admission to the Faculty’s doctoral programme in Ecology within three months of starting in the position. 

The doctoral programme includes relevant courses corresponding to approximately six months of study, a thesis based on independent research, active participation in national and international research environments, relevant research dissemination, a trial lecture and public defence of the thesis. Read more about organised research training at USN on our website.

The PhD research fellowship is for a fixed term of three years without any teaching obligations. 

Your immediate superior will be the Head of the Department Jørn Henrik Sønstebø, and your principal supervisor will be Associate Professor Dr. Roland Pape. You will be affiliated with the department’s research group EcoHub. It is a prerequisite that you live close by so that you can be present at, and available to, the academic environment at your workplace during ordinary working hours. The place of work will be at campus Bø, Midt-Telemark municipality.

About the PhD-project

The person appointed will be affiliated with the research project “ForestFutureNorway: Linking climate, biodiversity, naturalness and disturbance to productivity and resilience of Norwegian Forests”, which is an international collaboration between researchers at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), the University of Oslo (UiO), the University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and the University of Bern (UB, Switzerland). The project is led by Assoc. Prof. R. Pape (USN), who together with Prof. R. Halvorsen (UiO), Assoc. Prof. R. Delgado Manzanedo (UB), Prof. L. Nybakken (NMBU), Prof. O. Skarpaas (UiO) and Assoc. Prof. S. Reinhardt (USN) forms the supervisory team.

The project will establish a baseline for climate–growth relationships across spruce-dominated forests in southern Norway along governing regional and local gradients; assess how biodiversity modifies these relationships and enhances resilience to climatic extremes; evaluate the role of naturalness in buffering climate impacts on growth; and quantify the effects of disturbance - primarily fire - on tree growth. By linking tree-ring data with ecological and environmental variables, this project will provide new mechanistic insights into how climate, biodiversity, naturalness, and fire-disturbance interact to shape forest functioning.

The project’s methodological approach consists of a combination of 

1. extensive field work which involves, among others, identification of vascular plant species, mapping of vegetation types and forest structures, soil surveys, and taking growth increment samples from trees,
2. lab work related to preparing and analysing both growth increment and soil samples, 
3. GIS-work to derive important environmental parameters, and
4. statistical data analyses (like, e.g., bootstrapped correlation and response functions, regression frameworks, multivariate statistics using R). 

Qualifications

What we are looking for in you

• You hold a Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits) or equivalent higher education in ecology or a closely related discipline relevant to the project, completed before the start of the position.
• You have a solid methodological foundation in ecological data collection and analysis, such as field‑based sampling, quantitative ecological analyses, or handling of ecological datasets.
• You have excellent written and oral English skills, documented by a valid certificate (see English requirement for programmes and subjects taught in English at USN).
• You hold a valid driver’s license (Class B).
• You meet the formal requirements for admission to USN’s doctoral programs and the Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences’ PhD program in Ecology no later than three months after starting. A weighted average grade of B or higher is normally required.

What will strengthen your application?

• Experience with relevant fieldwork and laboratory analyses, and familiarity with statistical analysis (preferably in R) and GIS tools (preferably QGIS).
• Good identification skills in vascular plants and preferably an additional species group (lichens, bryophytes).
• Familiarity with dendroecological methods and analyses.

Personal qualities

• You must be motivated and demonstrate a proven ability to work effectively both independently and, in a collegiate manner, within a team to formulate and realise common objectives 
• Ideally, you should show curiosity and strong (self-)motivation for the subject area, be analytical, structured, independent, approachable, and possess good collaborative skills 
• The willingness to cooperate with other PhD-, MSc students and researchers involved in this international project is essential 
• Personal suitability for the position will be emphasized

What we offer

• A stimulating and growing research environment, with good opportunities to develop your career and your academic skills
• An internationally oriented team with the possibility of extended stays at the University of Bern (Switzerland)
• Careers advice and guidance throughout the entire doctoral programme. Together we will draw up a career plan that includes the skills and knowledge you will acquire
• An inclusive working environment with ambitious colleagues
• The opportunity to take Norwegian language courses
• Salary in accordance with the Norwegian State salary scale for PhD research fellows (position code 1017) NOK 550 800. Any further increases in pay grade will be based on length of service in the position
• Deductions will be made from your salary in order to make statutory contributions to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund on your behalf
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, ensuring favourable pension, insurance and loan schemes
• Excellent opportunities for outdoor activities and a lively student community on campus

General information

The Appointment Committee for Fellowship Positions (TUS) is the appointing authority for this position. Your competence for the position will be assessed by an expert committee. The expert committee will assess your competence for the position based on the documentation you have registered in Jobbnorge. 

Based on the expert committee’s assessment, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. 

Employment at USN is carried out in accordance with the principles set out in the Norwegian Civil Service Act, and the legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further consideration.

The University’s Guidelines for recruitment positions at the University of South-Eastern Norway provide a more detailed description of the criteria for appointment as a PhD research fellow. 

As an employee of USN, you must at all times adapt to changes in the field and all organisational changes that are adopted.

How to apply

If you think this position looks interesting and matches your qualifications, you can submit an application electronically by clicking on “Apply for the position” on this page. Here you will need to enter a short application text and information about your relevant education and work experience. In the application text, you must clearly describe your skills and motivation for the position. 

The application must include:

• Certified diplomas for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees (120 ECTS). The diplomas must be in a Scandinavian language or English
  • Applicants with higher education completed outside Norway must provide documentation that the education has been recognised and approved by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) You must submit your application for approval before the position’s application deadline. Attach a receipt or decision when applying. The approval must be forwarded once available and is a requirement for employment.
• An explanation of the grading system for foreign education (diploma supplement if available)
• Your master’s thesis. If your master’s thesis was a collaborative project, you must submit a short statement detailing your involvement
• Other relevant certificates and diplomas (if applicable, must be specified)
• A short motivation letter (one to two pages)
• Documentation of your English language skills, see English requirement for programmes and subjects taught in English at USN
• List of any scholarly publications
• Contact information for two to three references

The application will be assessed based on the information available in Jobbnorge at the expiry of the application deadline. Make sure your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the competence requirements described in the job advertisement. 

When assessing who is best qualified for the position, we attach weight to education, experience and personal qualities. 

All documentation must be provided in a Scandinavian language or English. If the attachments exceed 30 MB in total, they must be compressed before uploading.

Please note that information about you as an applicant may be disclosed publicly even if you have requested not to be included on the public list of applicants (cf. Section 25 of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act).  You will be notified if your request for exemption from public disclosure is denied.

We only consider applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge. On request, you must be able to provide certified copies of your documentation.

Contact information

For more information about the position, please contact:

Head of Department, Jørn Henrik Sønstebø, jorn.h.sonstebo@usn.no, +4792609482
Associate Professor, Roland Pape,  Roland.Pape@usn.no, +4731008941

For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact:
Advisor Tonje Holt Vøllestad, tonje.h.vollestad@usn.no

About us

The University of Southeastern Norway (USN) ranks as the country's fourth largest higher education institution. We are a vibrant community of approximately 18,000 students and 1,900 employees.

Additional information about the Faculty and Department can be found on our website.

Video: https://vimeo.com/898549899/60305e2540