PhD Research Fellow in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in palaeoecology and sedimentary ancient DNA available at the Department of Biosciences.

Starting date no later than 01.07.2026.

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year may be considered and it will involve 25 percent 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.

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 Biosciences at Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

The interdisciplinary ERC-Synergy project “EcoArch: Ecological archaeologies of the Afrotropics”, funded by the European Research Council H2020 scheme, seeks to understand the drivers of landscape change across the Afrotropics over the last 6000 years. 

The project will collect and analyse diverse types of data for the reconstruction of changes in climate, biodiversity and wildfires across different biomes and examine the role of human activities in shaping the landscape. 

The PhD fellow will analyse palaeoecological change using sedimentary ancient DNA, focusing on several key sites. The successful candidate will travel and join fieldwork in up to three of these locations, perform laboratory analyses together with a research technician, and perform the bioinformatic and statistical analyses of the genomic data. 

In addition to the PhD fellow we will be hiring two postdoctoral fellows and a research technician to work in our group on the EcoArch project. Close collaboration with the other members of EcoArch and interdisciplinary interpretation of the data are key aspects of the position.

The successful candidate will be based at the Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences.

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 evolutionary biology, ecology, palaeoecology, biomolecular archaeology or a similar subject. 
• A foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) must correspond to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Hands-on experience with bioinformatics and analysing high-throughput sequencing data
• Experience with DNA laboratory methods, preferably ancient DNA
• The candidate must demonstrate an interest in and be comfortable with doing fieldwork in remote locations with very basic amenities. The first fieldwork will start mid July 2026

Desired qualifications:

Strong statistical skills and knowledge of plant systematics are considered an advantage

Language requirement:

• Fluent 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:

• We seek a highly motivated, enthusiastic person with the ambition to gain insight and publish papers in leading, international journals
• The candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and the competence to work in close collaboration across disciplines and cultures
• The candidate must have a strong interest in working interdisciplinary and experience herein is considered an advantage

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

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 – demonstrating personal suitability, research interests and motivation for the position
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• A brief project proposal presenting the central research objectives and methodologies the candidate would like to pursue (400-600 words)
• 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)

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

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.