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PhD position
There is a vacancy for a PhD position in marine ecology at the Department of Biological Sciences and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research. The PhD position is a part of the Climate Narratives project and a multidisciplinary collaboration with geophysical and social sciences. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with compulsory other work; teaching duties and transdisciplinary work with project partners.
About the project/work tasks
The PhD position is a part of the ClimateNarratives project that will use Disko Bay as a case study for a Greenland ocean-glacier system. ClimateNarratives will improve scientific understanding of climate change and changing natural systems in Greenland and the southwest Pacific, and work to better exchange local knowledge and narratives with local indigenous communities. The overall project objective is to co-create new knowledge to better assess physical and biological changes and their societal consequences. There are two other ClimateNarratives PhDs that will work in parallel at the Geophysical Institute (UiB) and at the University of the South Pacific.
The PhD project in marine ecology will focus on the seasonality of the pelagic ecosystem and ecological interactions in Disko Bay, Greenland. The main objective for the PhD project is to provide a better understanding of how the changing physical conditions of the Disko Bay ice-ocean system impact key biological processes in the pelagic. We will use zooplankton as our main study group but also include studies of primary production and fish. At the zooplankton level, species composition, seasonality in abundance, and the timing of key life cycle events will be studied. One of the main aims is to disentangle the roles of land-based processes, such as glacier melt, and ocean-based processes such as sea ice cover and water mass advection, on the ecological dynamics in the bay. The seasonality of these drivers and the biological interactions of the pelagic ecosystem will be given much attention.
The objective will be achieved primarily through analyses of existing data and field work to collect additional samples (zooplankton sampling primarily), lab experiments, and ecological modelling. The field work will be integrated with an ongoing monitoring program. The PhD candidate will collaborate with a Climate-Narrative PhD candidate in physical oceanography, and we aim for active use of the synergies this offer, including joint supervision.
Main PhD supervisor will be Professor Øystein Varpe, with Professor Lars H. Smedsrud at Department of Geophysics (GFI) and Professor Torkel Gissel Nielsen (DTU Denmark) as co-supervisors. It is expected that the candidate will spend time in Ilulissat (Greenland) and do field work on sea ice and from the local research vessel. The PhD student will have access to a team of multi-disciplinary researchers in the ClimateNarratives project and in-depth collaborations across the disciplines will be encouraged and facilitated.
Qualifications and personal qualities
- Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in ecology, marine biology, or evolutionary ecology (or closely related fields). Alternatively, a master thesis must have been submitted for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
- A deep understanding of ecological processes is required.
- Experience from studies of ecological interactions and processes in marine pelagic ecosystems is a major advantage.
- Experience from statistical analyses of ecological data is an advantage.
- Experience from field work at sea and in polar environments is an advantage.
- Experience from studying meeting points between physical oceanography and marine biology is an advantage.
- Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
- Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English and have good communication skills.
Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.
About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions)
The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year, consisting of 25 % compulsory work. The 4th year is contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department. This will be decided by the head of department upon appointment. The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).
About the research training
As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within the 3 or 4 year period. A final plan for the implementation of the research training must be approved by the faculty within two months after you have commenced in the position. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.
We can offer:
- a good and professionally stimulating working environment
- salary at pay grade 54 (Code 1017/Pay range 20, alternative 10) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 501 200. Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position.
- enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- good welfare benefits
Your application must include:
- a brief account (up to two pages) of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position, including potential ideas that could be pursued within the project framework
- the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should ideally be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis
- CV
- transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or official confirmation that the master’s thesis has been submitted.
- relevant certificates/references
- approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission)
- a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
- a copy of any publications in your name
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.
General information:
For further details about the position, please contact Professor Øystein Varpe at Department of Biological Sciences – oystein.varpe@uib.no , +47 97762645.
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.
Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.
For further information about the recruitment process, click here.
Life as a PhD candidate at UiB
Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.
About UiB
The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
There are seven departments and several centres at Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.