项目介绍

2026年5月21日

PhD position in applied and computational mathematics

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 with the possibility of a 4th year with career-promoting work (e.g. teaching at the Department). The position is part of the Norwegian Research Council funded DifFracS project and will be affiliated with the Porous Media Group at the University of Bergen.

About the project/work tasks

Subsurface operations are strongly influenced by the presence of fractures and faults, which may deform and evolve during the operation. DifFracS aims to enhance simulation of subsurface processes where fractures nucleate and propagate. The primary objective is to develop and implement simulation tools based on a formulation of fracture deformation which is amenable to differentiation. The secondary objective is simulation of two- and three-dimensional multiphysics problems with fracture propagation, investigating different thermal stress and fluid pressure regimes and propagation, merging, branching and nucleation of fractures.

The appointed candidate will mainly contribute to the primary objective, deriving a fully differentiable problem formulation for fracture propagation in coupled multiphysics systems and developing corresponding algorithms based on automatic differentiation. The algorithms will be implemented as extensions of the fracture deformation simulation functionality of the PorePy simulation toolbox. The candidate will also apply the new functionality to explore fracture propagation under different subsurface conditions.

Qualifications and personal qualities

• Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in applied and computational mathematics, scientific computing, computational physics or computational geoscience. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 30.09.2026. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
• Experience  with numerical methods for partial differential equations is a requirement.
• Experience with mathematical modelling of fracture propagation or multiphysics systems is an advantage.
• Experience with collaborative/open-source software development is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, 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. 

The following applies to the PhD Research Fellow position

About the PhD position: The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the head of department upon appointment. If a 4th year is granted, one year of career-promoting work associated with teaching, dissemination or research infrastructure/services, will be distributed over the full employment period and thus corresponding to 25 per cent of the time each year.

The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g.research fellow, research assistant).

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 Science and Technology 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 constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 593 700. 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 brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the “advantages” mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.  
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis 
• CV
• a pdf copy of your MSc thesis, if completed; otherwise, a current draft version of your master’s thesis
• 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)
• a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links if available)

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