About the position

Two positions as PhD Research Fellows in cosmology available at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics.

Both appointments are full time positions, and have a duration of 3 years. The first position is associated with an ERC StG project called Origins (PI: Duncan Watts), while the second position is associated with an ERC AdG project called Commander (PI: Hans Kristian Eriksen). Unless explicitly stated in the application letter, all candidates will be considered for both positions in the evaluation process.

A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

Starting date no later than October 1, 2025.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Jobb description

The successful candidates will join the CMB&CO group at ITA, currently composed of two professors, four researchers, three PhD candidates, and three master’s students. The candidates will be able to participate in the larger Cosmoglobe project, including analysis on archival data such as Planck, WMAP, and DIRBE, as well as ongoing projects (COMAP and PASIPHAE) and future projects, including the LiteBIRD satellite mission. In addition to the group at ITA, the candidates will participate in research in an international context, representing Origins, Cosmoglobe and UiO at meetings and conferences.

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 first 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. The second project will focus on the theoretical predictions of the CIB fluctuation power spectrum, building upon existing theoretical and computational frameworks.

Position 2 – Commander4: Massively parallel joint Bayesian end-to-end analysis of past, present and future CMB experiments, supervised by Prof. Hans Kristian Eriksen (h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no) .

The main goal of this position is to implement a massively parallel version of Commander, an end-to-end analysis code for CMB observations, that can run on hundreds of thousands of cores, and apply this to Planck HFI, Simons Observatory and simulated LiteBIRD data. This work will be done within a larger team consisting of both local and external collaborators. 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,  both at radio and infrared wavelengths. 

Qualification requirements

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 30 June 2025 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications

• High-performance computing experience
• Experience with astrophysical data analysis
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and Markov Chain Monte Carlo
• Ability to work independently and in collaborations
   

Grade requirements

• 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

Language requirements:

• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/EEA/EFTA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
  https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

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/es

Personal skills

• Ability to work in a small team
• Open communication style

We offer

• Salary NOK 536 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

How to apply

Your application should include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, previous positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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). In addition, arrange for each of the references to submit their letters to Dr. Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no) before the deadline.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position". Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

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 be 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.

Contact Information

For general information, please contact Prof. David F. Mota (chair of cosmology and extragalactic astrophysics section, d.f.mota@astro.uio.no).  

For project specific information, please contact the project supervisors: Duncan Watts (duncanwa@astro.uio.no) or Hans Kristian Eriksen (h.k.k.eriksen@astro.uio.no). 

For questions regarding recruitment system Jobbnorge, please contact:
HR advisor Elin Thoresen, e-mail: elin.thoresen@mn.uio.no