PhD Research Fellow in Cosmology – up to two positions 

About the position

Up to two positions as PhD Research Fellow in cosmology available at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics

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.

Starting date as soon as possible, but 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 Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

The successful candidates will join the CMB&CO group at ITA, currently composed of two professors, five researchers, three postdocs, three PhD candidates, and three master’s students. We have a collaborative work environment with active mentoring, frequent group meetings and a social atmosphere, and value a gender balanced and inclusive environment. The candidate will take part in the larger Cosmoglobe project aiming to do joint end-to-end analysis of a wide range of cosmological datasets, including archival data such as AKARI, DIRBE, FIRAS and Planck, ongoing projects like COMAP, PASIPHAE, Simons Observatory, SPHEREx and SPIDER, as well as future experiments like LiteBIRD and FOSSIL. We have a large international network of collaborators, and as a doctoral fellow you will have many opportunities to travel and collaborate with researchers at other institutions.

Position 1 – Origins: Constraining the cosmic infrared background and interplanetary dust emission using multi-generational data, supervised by Dr. Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no) and Prof. Ingunn Wehus (i.k.wehus@astro.uio.no).

The ERC-funded Origins project has the goal of modeling the diffuse sky from 1 micron to 1 GHz, including contributions from the Cosmic Infrared Background (CIB) monopole and fluctuations, zodiacal dust, and dust emission in the Milky Way. A primary goal of Origins is to create full-sky maps of the CIB as a function of redshift using IRAS, AKARI, DIRBE, Planck, and upcoming SPHEREx data. The candidate will perform all levels of data analysis, from the processing of raw data to maps to power spectrum estimation of resulting CIB maps. The candidate will also have the opportunity to develop a computational theoretical framework for predicting CIB fluctuations as a function of cosmological parameters.

The candidate will work with time-ordered data from each of the above experiments. The project will entail detailed interplanetary dust modeling, imperative for robust detection of CIB fluctuations. The analysis of data collected over four decades will allow for direct testing and modeling of the time variability of zodiacal light emission.

Position 2 – OpenHFI: re-analysis of the Planck High Frequency Instrument, supervised by Dr. Mathew Galloway (mathew.galloway@astro.uio.no) and Prof. Hans Kristian Eriksen (h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no).

The main goal of this position is to implement a novel Bayesian re-analysis pipeline for Planck HFI in the Commander pipeline, and use that pipeline to obtain new constraints on the Lambda-CDM cosmological parameters. The OpenHFI project intends to resolve some of the residual systematic problems with the published Planck HFI maps, by implementing new mitigation techniques for things like the Analogue to Digital Converter (ADC) nonlinearities, cosmic rays and gain fluctuations. Using the Cosmoglobe end-to-end Gibbs sampling approach, we intend, for the first time, be able to leverage all of the power of Planck HFI to get the best possible constraints on the cosmological parameters and create a new set of legacy Planck products that can be used in joint analyses with other fields of astronomy going forwards.

This work will be done within a larger team consisting of both local and external collaborators, organized into the OpenHFI collaboration. The successful candidate will be exposed to and trained in both low-level instrumental modeling, high-level component separation and cosmological parameter estimation, and high-performance computing. This work will also take place within the larger Cosmoglobe framework, and there will be ample opportunities to explore synergies with other relevant experiments, at both radio and infrared wavelengths.

As these positions will require programming, we request that you please submit a self-written code sample to be submitted with the application.

During the PhD, you will gain experience in high-performance computing, astrophysical data analysis, statistical methods including Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and working both independently and in collaborative research environments.

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 astronomy, cosmology, physics, or a related topic, e.g., statistics or computer science.
• 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.

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.

We especially encourage women to apply.

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:

• A code sample, preferably in the form of a GitHub repository.
• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• 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 address)

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.