PhD fellowship in marine ecology at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

General
The department of Arctic Biology seeks candidates for a PhD position in marine ecology. Currently the department consists of three professors, five associate professors, seven adjunct professors, five PhDs and two technical/administrative staff. The department conducts research and education in Arctic marine and terrestrial biology, and currently provides 22 courses on bachelor, master and PhD level. The department focuses on an integrated approach to High Arctic biology, and field studies and field safety are important in research and education. Additional information about the department can be found at www.unis.no

Description of the vacant position
The position is affiliated with the research project Nansen Legacy (http://nansenlegacy.org). The Nansen Legacy is the Norwegian Arctic research community's joint effort to establish a holistic understanding of a changing marine Arctic climate and ecosystem. The project will provide a scientific knowledgebase needed for future sustainable resource management in the transitional Barents Sea and the adjacent Arctic Basin. It is a collaborative project between ten Norwegian research institutions, and will run from 2018-2023. Activities in the project will include international cooperation, and several cruises with the new, ice-going research vessel Kronprins Haakon.

The purpose of the PhD fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. The candidate will be employed at UNIS, and the fellowship requires admission to the PhD program at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo (UiO). Appointment to a PhD research fellowship is conditional upon admission to the faculty's research training program.

As part of the Nansen Legacy, the PhD will be in the work package investigating how human activities influence the northern Barents Sea ecosystem. The project investigates the interactions between climate change and pollution in a highly seasonal marine ecosystem. We aim for an annual cycle approach to our studies of ecological interactions. Selected organism groups from the pelagic and benthic food chain will be collected seasonally during the Nansen Legacy cruises. Distributions of pollutants and the composition of fat, protein, and energy will be quantified. From this, critical seasonal periods of effects on organisms may emerge. In addition to empirical and statistical work, there will be opportunities to incorporate metabolic and demographic costs of stressors into models of annual routines to further predict fitness consequences and adaptive responses to multiple stressors.

The project combines knowledge from ecotoxicology, physiology, ecology, and evolution. The successful candidate will design and conduct extensive field studies, analyse dietary descriptors and individual body states, deal with datasets, and apply models.

Through the Nansen Legacy project, dedicated interdisciplinary summer schools and intensive courses will be organized to strengthen national and international cooperation and integration of students. Furthermore, the project includes a mobility program to ensure national and international exchange.

The PhD will be based at the Department of Arctic Biology at UNIS. Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) is a central participant in the project and the candidate is expected to spend longer periods at NPI in Tromsø. The collaboration with UiO is with Aquatic Biology and Toxicology (AQUA), Department of Biosciences.

The PhD will have prof. Øystein Varpe (UNIS) as main adviser, prof. Katrine Borgå (UiO) and senior scientist Geir Wing Gabrielsen (NPI) as co-advisers.

Candidates for the fellowship will be selected in accordance with their potential for high quality research within the project topics. We expect the selected candidate to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

We kindly ask applicants to provide a numbered list in their application letter corresponding to the below criteria, explaining how they meet each point:

• Master's degree or equivalent in ecology, marine biology or ecotoxicology, or other programs relevant to the PhD project.
• Academic qualifications (grades and relevant research experience, including publications).
• A background and strong interest in one or more of the following topics: i) evolutionary ecology ii) dietary ecology and physiology, iii) life cycles and phenology, vi) marine ecology, and v) ecotoxicology.
• Strong practical and analytical skills as well as a solid theoretical foundation.
• Ability to perform extensive field work, statistical data analyses and experience from or an interest in developing modelling skills beyond statistical models.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.
• Good social and collaboration skills and ability to work independently and in an interdisciplinary scientific environment.
• A good command of English.

The employment contract is for three years. All salaries are set in accordance with the Norwegian government's university salary scale. PhD students are paid a gross salary of NOK 436 500 annually. As a resident in Svalbard an annual allowance of NOK 34 560 (Svalbardtillegg) will be added to the salary. A Social Security contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted from the salary. Income tax on Svalbard is 8 %, and 8.2 % will be deducted for the National Insurance coverage. UNIS offer a membership in the Norwegian Public Pension Fund.

Inquiries about this position may be directed to the advisers: prof. Øystein Varpe, phone: +47 79026463, email: oystein.varpe@unis.no , senior scientist Geir Wing Gabrielsen, email: geir.wing.gabrielsen@npolar.no , prof. Katrine Borgå, email: katrine.borga@ibv.uio.no ; or to Head of Department of Arctic Biology, prof. Børge Damsgård, email: borge.damsgard@unis.no

Only applications completed online at www.jobbnorge.no - vacant positions will be considered.

The following documents must be included in the online application:

• An application letter
• CV, including a list of publications if applicable
• Transcripts and certificates of BSc and MSc courses and degrees
   

Selection and appointment
A committee appointed by the managing director of UNIS will evaluate the qualifications of the applicants, and invite the highest ranked persons for an interview. The appointment will be made by the director of UNIS based on the recommendation from the committee.

Deadline for applications is 1st of February 2019.

You can request to have your application kept from public access cf. the open files act § 25. The request must be explained. UNIS will determine if the application will be kept from public access or not, based on the explanation and the regulations from the open files act. If the application will not be accepted, the candidate will be contacted.