UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Applied and Computational Mathematics at the Department of Mathematics. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years. The position is funded by the European Commission through the MSCA Doctoral Network RESCUER (Grant agreement ID: 101119437).

About the project/work tasks:

The position is funded through the Horizon Europe project RESCUER which brings together 8 beneficiaries and 9 associated partners across 8 countries to train 10 doctoral candidates. These doctoral candidates will enjoy a multi-disciplinary and international environment with abundant training opportunities and exchange within the institutions involved in the network.

The main goal in the project connected to this position is to enable accurate and operational nearshore wave forecasting. To achieve sufficient accuracy, a time dependent model has to be solved which usually is prohibitively computationally costly for forecasts. By using advanced numerical methods, improved gridding techniques and modern computer architectures, the computational time will be reduced and allow for forecasting. The student will develop these numerical methods, implement them and demonstrate their efficacy.

Secondments (i.e. 3-6 month assignments with full pay) at an academic and an industrial partner institution are planned. The project also provides ample opportunities for professional exchange and networking with further academic and with industrial partners. Several short courses and summer schools will be organized by the network, and participation is expected. More info about the project and related positions in the Doctoral Network can be found here: https://www.rescuer-msca.net/recruitment

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, Civil Engineering with specialization in fluid dynamics, coastal engineering and/or numerical analysis. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 15th January 2025. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• Good knowledge in numerical mathematics for PDEs, fluid mechanics and programming is an advantage.
• Knowledge in numerical analysis is an advantage.
• Experience with writing scientific texts is an advantage.
• Proficiency in C, C++, Fortran or Julia 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.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position 
The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

Eligibility criteria

This position will be part of the EU-funded project RESCUER, which is an ambitious inter- and multidisciplinary Doctoral Training Network under the Horizon-Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

PhD candidates can be of any nationality, and have to meet these eligibility criteria:

• Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of recruitment.
• Mobility rule: researchers must not have carried out their main activity (e.g. work, studies) in the host country for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before their recruitment date.

About the PhD Research Fellow position:

The duration of the PhD Research Fellowship is 3 years.

About the research training
As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. 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 as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This currently constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 540 500 (equivalent to pay grade 55). Further increases in salary 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 cover letter containing a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position (use template on RESCUER webpage).
• Mobility declaration, where you confirm that you satisfy the mobility requirements, cf. Mobilty rule above (including documentation of country of residence last 3 years, e.g., work contract, rental contract, tax slips (use template on RESCUER webpage))
• The names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis (use template on RESCUER webpage).
• CV (use template on RESCUER webpage).
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed your master's degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master's degree. Your master's degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position
• Relevant certificates/references.
• Approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission)
• Your Master’s thesis.
• A list of any works of a scientific nature/publication list (do not include entire scientific paper/book chapters etc.)

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

How to apply

• In the ‘JobbNorge-application field’: Only write your name.
• In the ‘JobbNorge-CV form’: Only fill in your 1) personal details, 2) information about your master's degree (in the field ‘Academic qualifications’) and 3) recent relevant work experience.
• You do not need to fill in any other sections in the JobbNorge form, as all the information we need will be provided by you when attaching the mandatory elements listed in the previous section.

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact Professor Magnus Svärd, Department of Mathematics, phone: +47 55 58 48 59, e-mail: [email protected] or Head of Department Antonella Zanna, phone: +47 55584857, e-mail: [email protected]

For HR related matters, please contact HR adviser Magnus Larsen, University of Bergen, e-mail: [email protected]. 

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

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.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favorable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.

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.