项目介绍

2025年1月31日

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Renewable Energy Systems Modelling focusing on the role of solar energy in Norway and the EU available at Department of Technology System, University of Oslo.

The fellowship period is 3 years. 

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 is 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 cost of solar photovoltaics (PV) has significantly decreased over the past decade and PV is expected to play a central role in Europe’s transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. This PhD fellowship will analyse the role of PV to meet Norway’s and EU’s commitments under the Paris agreement. To do so the PhD researcher will use and further enhance the representation of solar PV in highRES-Europe, a high temporal and spatial resolution electricity system planning model which simultaneously optimises spatially explicit infrastructure planning and operational decisions.

The PhD will conduct model-based research on topics such as

• Social acceptance and environmental impacts including amelioration options such as agri-PV and analysis of trade-offs
• The impact of climate change on PV generation and designing future climateresilient electricity systems
• The interaction of solar energy with the wider electricity system

The PhD fellow will be part of the newly established national research centre FME SOLAR. It consists of more than 50 partners joining excellent R&D institutions with innovative user partners responsible for the majority of industrial activity, exports and turnover in Norway’s PV industry. The centre is led by Erik Stensrud Marstein at the neighboring Institute for Energy Technology (IFE). There will be in total around 20 PhDs and Postdocs across four Norwegian universities: NMBU, NTNU, UiA and UiO. The research will be conducted in close contact with the research and user partners of FME Solar, and with other partners at ITS on the general topics of renewable energy systems. 

The PhD candidate will be part of a team at ITS comprising two other positions funded by the FME Solar project and Assoc. Prof. Marianne Zeyringer, Prof. Sabrina Sartori and Assoc. Prof. Mathias Hudoba de Badyn, and in close collaboration with other members of the Energy Systems section and more particularly the Energy Systems Modelling Group. Our team is made up of engaged and collaborative researchers focused on developing model-based analyses for the energy transition.
We work in a wide range of national and EU projects (e.g. WIMBY, SAMVIND, EMPOWER, AtLAST, Energy for Future, Include) addressing key challenges such as climate-resilient energy system design, socially accepted and just energy system modeling, and integrating broader sustainability factors including biodiversity and material use into energy systems models. Additionally, our work involves using these models to inform the public and policymakers about system trade-offs and complexities. We are co-developing the highRES electricity system model with UCL. 
The candidate will be supervised by Assoc. Prof. Marianne Zeyringer, who is leading the group and is also Academic Chair for Climate Change University Alliance Circle U. Colourbox

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 Renewable Energy Systems, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Economics or similar quantitative discipline
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational systemCandidates without a master’s degree have until 30 June 2025 to complete the final exam.
• Programming skills in Python, R or similar
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Desired qualifications

• Experience with processing and analysing large datasets such as weather/climate data or spatial data
• Experience with GAMS or similar mathematical programming tools for quantitative modelling
• Experience with energy and power system models
• Familiarity with climate change and European/Norwegian energy discussion
   

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

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

• The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:

Doctoral degree: PhD at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences – The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Personal skills

• High interest in joining FME Solar and ITS energy systems modelling group and motivation to conduct impactful research
• High motivation for interdisciplinary collaboration as well as the ability to work independently
• Creativeness and proactiveness
• Ability to write in a structured, clear and concise manner

Jarli & Jordan/ UiO

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 describing why you are applying for this research fellowship position
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work – scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Written work of yours (e.g. Master thesis, Seminar paper) and optional an example of code you wrote (link to Github if you have)
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click “Apply for the position”.

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 further information, please contact:
Associate Professor Marianne Zeyringer, e-mail: marianne.zeyringer@its.uio.no

For questions regarding recruitment system Jobbnorge, please contact:
HR advisor Olga Holmlund, e-mail: olga.holmlund@mn.uio.no