项目介绍

2025年12月25日

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Exoplanetary Sciences is available at the Centre for Planetary Habitability (PHAB), Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo (UiO).

Starting date 01.04.2026 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The fellowship period is three years.

A fourth year maybe considered and it will involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist of teaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualification of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

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

Place of work is PHAB, the Department of Geosciences at Blindern, Oslo.

Project Description

The position is associated with the Centre for Planetary Habitability and linked to the “Galactic Recipe for Exo-Planets” (GREP) project funded by the Research Council of Norway. GREP’s objective is to take exoplanet and exoplanetary system formation modelling to the next level.

Several thousands of exoplanets have been discovered in more than 5000 stellar systems, and several thousands more planets are pending confirmation. Although this high number allows for good statistical analyses of the known exoplanets and the systems they occur in, none of the systems resemble our solar system, and only a few hundreds of exoplanets can broadly be considered temperate and rocky. Consequently, the collection lacks typical inner solar system planets (i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars), and the systems are commonly very compact.

Despite the numerous numerical models that have been proposed and progressively refined by the observational constraints over the past decade(s), our understanding of the observed exoplanetary diversity remains incomplete. The upcoming PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) mission shall detect and characterise planets smaller than twice the Earthʼs size at high parameter accuracy for planet radius and mass and system age around bright stars. 

The anticipation of more extended systems, although they probably will not resemble the solar system either, is challenging our standard models of planet formation. Our goal is to predict and reproduce the architecture of these exoplanetary systems and the exoplanet properties, including composition, thereby testing currently competing planet formation models against observations.

The primary responsibilities of this position involve modelling planet formation in a self-consistent manner, using discovered exoplanets and exoplanetary systems as compositional and dynamical guide. This includes conducting numerical simulations of planet formation through N-body simulation, focussing on models of planetesimal and pebble accretion. Additionally, it requires the implementation of different disk models and formation timescales to form exoplanetary systems of variable dimensions, 
compatible with existing and expected telescopic observations for different types of stars.

The work is carried out in collaboration with the Postdoctoral fellow, who is yet to be hired, and the entire GREP Team. A detailed project plan will be developed in collaboration with the successful candidate at the start of the PhD fellowship period.Jarli & Jordan/ UiO

What skills are important in this role?

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.

Qualification requirements:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in (exo)planetary sciences or a closely related discipline 
• 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
• Experience in scientific programming

Candidates without a Master’s degree must submit their thesis within the application deadline and present a date for the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with assessing exoplanet properties
• Knowledge about ESA’s PLATO mission goals
• Knowledge about planet formation and disk models 
• Experience with numerical methods for addressing planet formation through N-body simulations will be considered a significant asset

Language requirement:

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

Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:

• 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

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/

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

Personal skills:

• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to create and contribute to a well-functioning, inclusive and productive research environment
• Ability to work independently as well as in multidisciplinary teams
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific criticism
• Quantitative and analytical skills

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

We can offer you

• A pleasant and stimulating work environment
• Good welfare schemes
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Career development programmes
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, 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 position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 – 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund 

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 are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. 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 (Norwegian), 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.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter – statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work – scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma and transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• 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)

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

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 t