PhD Fellow in Pure Mathematics

UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Science and Technology has a PhD position in Pure Mathematics vacant from 15.08.2022 for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is attached to the Department of Mathematics and Statistics  through its research group in geometry and mathematical physics.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position in Tromsø within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The Faculty of Science and Technology consists of the following departments: Department of Chemistry, Department of Computer Science, Department of Engineering and Safety, Department of Geology, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Department of Physics and Technology. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics is a leading research department in algebraic geometry, differential geometry, complex systems modeling, and climate science. It provides education at the bachelor, master, and Ph.D. levels. Around 50 people are employed in the department, at the moment there are 21 PhD positions and 3 postdoctoral positions at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

The PhD fellow is expected to do research in the area of differential geometry, Lie theory and the geometry of differential equations. The project will concern investigation of integrability of equations of mathematical physics, symmetry properties of geometric structures and differential equations, as well as differential invariants arising in applications to geometric shapes and relativity theory. Familiarity with symbolic computation software such as Maple or Mathematica will be an asset.

The position will be assigned teaching duties in mathematics.

The group is affiliated with several research projects (Pure Mathematics in Norway , GRIEG project SCREAM , Aurora project MASCOT ) that involve large computations using structural properties of the objects in order to rigorously prove theoretical results that have been out of reach in the past due to their complexity. The group is active in applications of Lie-theoretic methods to Cartan geometries, symbolic tools to facilitate algebraic computations and the formal theory of differential equations.

Further information about the position is available by contacting:

Qualification with a master’s degree or equivalent is required before commencement in the position. Applicants should have a background at a Master’s level in areas of pure mathematics related to differential geometry/Lie theory, and should be able to demonstrate knowledge in those fields. Applicants completing their Master’s degree through August 2022 may also apply, and be assessed for the position. Applicants must submit a proposal for a project description with their application.

Applicants must document fluency of in English and be able to work in an international environment.

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other academic works. The proposal for project description will also be considered. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme and teaching experience may be given consideration.

The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment

As many as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology  and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

In order to gain admission to the programme, the applicant must have a grade point average of C or better for the master’s degree and for relevant subjects of the bachelor’s degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here .

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from NOKUT .

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund  
• More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Your application must include: 

• Letter of application
• Proposal for project description
• CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
• Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
• Transcript of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• References with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works

If you are near completion of your master’s degree (completion within August 2022), you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcripts for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. 

We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline. 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants . 

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017.  A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure. 

UiT is a multi-campus research university in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.

Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.