PhD Research Fellowship in Theoretical Chemistry

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in theoretical chemistry is available at the Department of Chemistry / Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences.

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

Starting date no later than 31.01.2024.

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.

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Job description

The Hylleraas Centre for Quantum Molecular Sciences is a National Centre of Excellence established in 2017 by the Norwegian Research Council, shared by the Theoretical Chemistry groups at the University of Oslo (UiO) and UiT-the Arctic University of Norway.

The research at the Hylleraas Centre is dedicated to modelling chemical systems in complex and extreme environments, with a strong focus on the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. Based on solid new methodological research, the goal is to develop an integrated approach to the investigation of complex molecular systems, allowing us to predict and explain the most diverse phenomena, ranging from the attosecond response of small molecules in strong laser pulses to microsecond reorganization of soft-matter aggregates.

The Hylleraas Centre activities are structured in multiple Research Themes, covering the different research lines present in the centre. For more information about the Hylleraas Centre and its Research Themes, please visit http://www.hylleraas.no.

The present call opens one PhD Student fellowships at the UiO, in the Research Theme RT2/6: Multiscale Modelling and complexity.

The position, under the supervision of Prof. Michele Cascella (RT2), with co-supervision by Prof. Reidar Lund and Sen. Eng. Simen S. Reine, is meant to strengthen the theoretical foundations of the research at the Hylleraas Centre and to provide a direct link between methodological advances and computational applications.

The objective or RT2 is to develop methodologies related to the simulation of systems in the condensed phase across large dimensional and temporal scales. Particular emphasis is on multi-resolution models, combining quantum, all-atom, coarse grained, and mesoscale resolutions.

The future collaborator in RT2 will contribute to the research in multiscale modelling with a research project devoted to the establishment of multi-resolution models able to transfer information across scales, and to reproduce in a reliable way, fast, accurate dynamics of ligand exchange in the coordination shell of main group cations (alkaline and alkaline-earths, Zn), in connection with the wide number of research lines brought forward at the centre dealing with such problems. The plan is to integrate ab initio MD and all atom software (i.e. CPMD, Cp2k, LAMMPS, GROMACS) with in-house multiscale platforms (HyMD, Hylleraas platform), and to Virtual Reality tools.

The new developed approaches will be applied to the elucidate the structural bases for the assembly and dynamics of soft systems, and their response to chemical and environmental perturbations. Examples are organometallic systems (Grignard reagent), ionic surfactants, bacterial biomembranes, and natural and synthetic peptides.

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/experience:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in physics, chemistry, computational science or engineering, or a related discipline, with a thesis having a clear focus on computational topics
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Knowledge of programming languages (preferably Phyton, Fortran)
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Desired qualificationd/experience:

• Knowledge of molecular modelling algorithms (especially molecular dynamics) and experience with multiscale models
• Experience with modelling and simulations of soft systems (surfactants / lipids)
• Experience with HPC, in particular with MPI and GPU coding
• Knowledge of statistical mechanics

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 educa-tional system
• 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

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. 

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position.

For more information see: 

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/
 
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

Personal skills

• Ability to create and contribute to a well-functioning, inclusive and productive research environment
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary scientific environment

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 – 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

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)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

UiO has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results a.o.

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.

Contact information

For further information about the position please contact:

Professor Michele Cascella,  e-mail: michele.cascella@kjemi.uio.no

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact:

HR Adviser Olga Holmlund, e-mail: olga.holmlund@mn.uio.no