Faculty of Health Sciences , Department of Life Sciences and Health

Oslo Metropolitan University is Norway's third largest university with almost 22,000 students and over 2,500 employees. We have campuses in central Oslo and at Romerike. OsloMet educates students and conducts research that contributes to the sustainability of the Norwegian welfare state and the metropolitan region.

The Faculty of Health Sciences consists of five departments and offers study programmes on all levels, including PhD. The faculty has about 6000 students and nearly 600 members of staff.

Project: Bacterial sex and resilience –a genomics approach

The Faculty of Health Sciences announces one PhD fellowship in the area of microbial genomics. This is an opportunity to join the cross-institutional research group “Genomics of microbial pathogens”. Our main goal is to understand survival and virulence strategies in bacteria and viruses causing human disease.


The PhD degree will be affiliated to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet. Start date depends on formal admission to the PhD program in Health Science OsloMet and before 01.03.2022. The research fellowship period is three years without a teaching obligation/required duties. In addition to OsloMet, the candidate will conduct work with collaborating institutions and supervisors at National Institute of Public Health and Oslo University Hospital.

We are looking a candidate with personal qualifications to take our research steps ahead at the international research front and who has skills for interdisciplinary work including scientific writing, evolutionary interpretation and bioinformatics.

Area of research

The PhD candidate’s project will contribute to our understanding of bacterial sex. The Neisseriaceae and the Pasteurellaceae have left behind genomic traces of sex which we study. There is a need to better understand the link between genomic distribution of these traces and horizontal gene transfer in deep time. The PhD will employ comparative genomics and biostatistics to seek understanding of a fascinating biological process.

Main duties of the position

  • To undertake a comprehensive genomics study of two sexual bacterial families.
  • To seek the evolutionary rationale(s) behind bacterial sex
  • To deconstruct gene classification systems
  • Study allelic diversity from available data repositories
  • Write manuscripts and PhD thesis

We are looking for applicants who have

  • Master’s degree – bioinformatics, biomedicine, biostatistics or biology
  • Operational command of bioinformatic scripting and biostatistical methods
  • Proficiency in both written and spoken English. Applicants from countries where English is not the first language must present an official language test report (applicants from the Nordic countries are exempt from this requirement). The following tests qualify as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).
    Minimum scores are:
    o TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test)
    o IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test is accepted)
    o CAE/CPE: Grade B or A

It is an advantage if you also have

  • Experience from comparative genomics and microbiology
  • Experience with scientific writing and evolutionary interpretation

Prerequisites

  • Admission to the PhD program in Health Science. In order to obtain admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Health Sciences, applicants must have B or better on their Master's thesis and an average grade corresponding to B or better on the Master's degree. In special cases, applicants with grade C may be considered for admission. For more information on the criteria, please see here.
  • Final project plan for the fellowship period is required to be completed and accepted within 3 months after enrolment.

We are looking for applicants who

  • are excellent team players
  • are ambitious, curious and highly motivated
  • have good organizational skills to handle big data


It is important to OsloMet to reflect the population of our region, and all qualified candidates are welcome to apply. We make active endeavors to further develop OsloMet as an inclusive workplace and to adapt the workplace if required. You are also welcome to apply for a position with us if you have experienced periods where you have not been in work, education or training.

We can offer you

  • research experience at the international research front
  • an exciting job opportunity at Norway’s third largest and most urban university
  • opportunities for professional development in Norwegian and international research institutions with expert supervision
  • beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund
  • good employee welfare arrangements
  • free Norwegian classes to employees and their partners
  • working location in downtown Oslo with multiple cultural offers


Practical information about relocation to Oslo and living in Norway

The salary for the position is in accordance with the Basic Collective Agreement for state employees and OsloMet’s pay policy for position code 1017 (research fellow), salary grade 54, i.e. an initial salary of NOK 491.200 the first year.

Other information

  • If you would like more information about the positon, feel free to contact:
    Associate professor OsloMet, Ole Herman Ambur, +47 40077747, olam@oslomet.no
  • Senior research fellow (Ph.D.) Kristian Alfsnes, National Institute of Public Health, +47 93236166, Kristian.alfsnes@fhi.no
  • Senior research fellow (Ph.D.) Stephan A. Frye, Oslo University Hospital, +47 98644401, stephanfrye@gmail.com

If you have any problem uploading documents, please contact, haeck@oslomet.no.
For questions concerning admission to the PhD programme, contact phd-hv@oslomet.no.

Application

If you wish to apply for the position, please apply electronically by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.

In order to be considered for the position you must upload the following documents together with your online application by the final date for the application:
• CV and all pages of certificates/diplomas. The certificates/diplomas must include ECTS grades (A–F). Foreign diplomas must be translated into English by the degree-conferring institution. Education taken abroad should preferably be recognised in advance by NOKUT, and a confirmed copy of the letter of recognition should be enclosed.
• your master's degree/second degree thesis (and any other scholarly work that you wish the expert committee to take into consideration)
• a list of your publications
• names and contact details of at least 2 references
All the documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language. Any translations must be authorized by government. Originals must be presented if you are invited for an interview. OsloMet performs document inspections in order to give you as a candidate a proper evaluation and ensure fair competition.


Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered. The application must state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.


Deadline for applications: 16. January 2022
Ref.: 21/05019

Type of employment Stipendiat
Contract type Full time
First day of employment Innen 31.12.2021
Salary NOK 491 200
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100 %
City Oslo
County Oslo
Country Norway
Reference number 21/05019
Contact
  • Ole Herman Ambur, 40077747
  • Kristian Alfsnes, 93236166
  • Stephan A. Frye, 98644401
Published 01.Dec.2021
Last application date 16.Jan.2022 11:59 PM CET

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