PhD Research Fellow in Diversity and Ecology of Marine Algae and Protistan Parasites

About the position

We invite applications for a four-year PhD Research Fellow position in the Diversity and Ecology of Marine Algae and Protistan Parasites. The position will be based at the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway, and affiliated with the national research programme Arctic Ocean 2050 (Polhavet 2050). The successful candidate will also benefit from affiliation with the national graduate research school BIOCORE.

The PhD project will investigate how climate-driven warming is reshaping Arctic microbial eukaryote communities, with a focus on the northward expansion of toxic microalgae and protistan parasites. The successful candidate will join an international research environment and contribute to a better understanding of biodiversity change in the Arctic Ocean. The position includes 25% career-enhancing work, supporting both the museum’s activities and the candidate’s professional development. Depending on the candidate’s interests and the museum’s needs, this work may include collection curation, teaching, supervision, research support, work in the Botanical Garden, or public outreach. The selected candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Within two months of commencing the position, the candidate must submit a PhD agreement, including a plan for the required doctoral courses and a project description. 

More about the position / The PhD project

The Arctic Ocean is expected to undergo a high rate of species turnover as climate-driven changes in habitats, including declining sea-ice cover and rising seawater temperatures, enable new species to expand northward while others decline or disappear locally. These shifts are likely to substantially reorganize Arctic food webs, with cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. This PhD project will investigate how climate-driven warming is reshaping Arctic microbial eukaryote communities, with a focus on the northward expansion of toxic microalgae and protistan parasites, and includes the option to take part in research cruises. The project will use long-read metabarcoding to develop a pan-Arctic, DNA-based biodiversity database with high taxonomic resolution, use existing data and literature to distinguish generalist from specialist taxa, and identify potential entry routes and distribution patterns of the microalgae and parasites as Arctic waters warm. The project will also detect known and novel biological associations, as well as abundance changes in toxic microalgae and protistan parasites. Key findings will be validated against microscopy data collected during research cruises. The position includes translating results into outreach for stakeholders and contributing to predictive policy recommendations. The project therefore offers an exciting opportunity to combine field-derived Arctic samples, advanced molecular and imaging tools, and ecological theory to address emerging questions at the intersection of climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem functioning.

The position is affiliated with the national research programme Arctic Ocean 2050. The programme brings together 18 Norwegian research institutions in a major interdisciplinary collaboration aimed at strengthening Norway’s knowledge base and strategic capacity in a rapidly changing Arctic Ocean. Its goals are to improve our understanding of the present-day Arctic Ocean and how it may change towards 2050, and develop the knowledge needed for future management, sustainable use, and a safe and secure region. The ten-year programme (2026–2035) combines basic research, applied science, and innovation – offering unique opportunities for professional development and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Arctic Ocean 2050 focuses on processes within the central Arctic Ocean, its interactions with the surrounding seas, and how these dynamics connect to broader climatic and political systems. Field activities will primarily take place in the Eurasian Basin, between Fram Strait and the North Pole, as well as including the adjacent continental slopes. Pan-Arctic perspectives will be ensured through remote sensing, research on broader sociopolitical drivers, and modelling tools that cover the entire Arctic Ocean, and extensive international research collaboration. As part of Arctic Ocean 2050, the candidate will join an ambitious research environment with high societal relevance and the opportunity to contribute to new knowledge on some of the world’s most remote and important ocean regions.

This position is also affiliated with the national graduate research school BIOCORE. Led by Norway’s four university natural history museums, BIOCORE aims to train the next generation of researchers in biodiversity science to address environmental challenges. BIOCORE provides specialised courses and workshops, research and training mobility, regular seminars and networking events, and opportunities to collaborate with non‑academic and policy partners. The successful candidate will become a full member of BIOCORE, and will undertake a funded research secondment at a partner museum and receive support for course‑related travel. The candidate will be connected to a national network of biodiversity researchers, and play an important role in co‑organising BIOCORE’s quarterly webinars as well as the annual Norsk symposium i biosystematikk. 

The PhD position will be supervised by Professor Micah Dunthorn, and co-supervised by Associate Professor Adriana Lopes dos Santos, Professor Torsten Struck, and Professor Josefin Titelman at the University of Oslo, and Associate Professor Anna Vader at the University Centre in Svalbard.

Qualifications 

Required qualifications:

• an MSc degree in metabarcoding, microbiology, biodiversity, bioinformatics, ecology, or a related field
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in English*
• experience with analysing large metabarcoding datasets, including the use of different programmes and pipelines
• experience in molecular laboratory methods

*For English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/EEA countries and exemptions from the requirement, see: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

Desired qualifications:

• clear alignment between the PhD position and the applicant’s motivation, research interests, and career plans
• experience working with algae or protistan parasites
• knowledge of the Arctic marine ecosystem
• experience working with international collaborators 

Grade requirements for admission to the PhD programme:

• average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor's degree must correspond to C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• average grade point for courses included in the Master's degree must correspond to B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• Master's thesis must correspond to a grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

What are we looking for in you?

Personal Skills:

• ability to engage constructively and communicate clearly with supervisors, colleagues, project partners, and stakeholders
• ability to contribute to a supportive, inclusive, and collegial working environment that values diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences
• strong organisational skills and reliability in managing laboratory, computational, and field-based research tasks

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

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 will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. 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, 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. 

We can offer you

• exciting and meaningful work in an organisation with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development
• committed colleagues in a good working environment 
• a strong interdisciplinary setting for research, training, and collaboration through the Natural History Museum, Arctic Ocean 2050, and BIOCORE
• structured onboarding, follow-up, and support throughout the employment period
• tailored career guidance and opportunities for career-enhancing work, aligned with your individual career goals and relevant both within and beyond academia
• good welfare schemes
• membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse (SPK), 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 the position of Doctoral Research Fellow (position code 1017) with a salary ranging from NOK 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2% is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund (SPK)

How to apply

The application must include (as separate and numbered documents): 

1.    cover letter including a statement of motivation and research interests (maximum 2 pages)

2.    CV summarising education, positions, academic work, scientific publications, and other relevant experiences

3.    statement explaining how the PhD position fits into your career plans (maximum 1 page)

4.    MSc thesis (or equivalent) and any published papers directly resulting from the thesis (as a single PDF)

5.    copies of educational certificates and transcripts of records (as a single PDF)

6.    names and contact details for two to three references (i.e., name, affiliation, relation to the candidate, Email, and phone number) that          can be contacted if necessary

7.    documentation of English proficiency (if applicable)

8.    statement on the use of AI. If AI was used in preparation of your application document, please detail its use in any documents

Applicants must submit their application and supporting documents through the electronic recruitment system Jobbnorge by clicking “Apply for this job.” Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

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, you must upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Applicants with education from outside Norway are advised to include an explanation of their university’s grading system. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com 

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.

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 cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to

Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO 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 to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.