Ledig stilling på Universitetet i Oslo

Blindern og Urbygningen (Foto: Wikimedia og Colourbox)

Researcher in paleoclimate and tephrachronology

Deadline: 31.12.2019

Job description

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The geosciences are the studies of the planet Earth and its comparative planetology; the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and cryosphere, the Earth's surface and its interior. The Department of Geosciences conducts research and teaching in most of the domains of geoscience; geology, geophysics, physical geography, geomatics, hydrology, meteorology and oceanography. The Department is the broadest geoscience research and education environment in Norway.


The Department encompasses five sections; Meteorology and Oceanography, Geography and Hydrology, Geology and Geophysics, Physics of Geological Processes (Njord centre) and one Centre of Excellence CEED - Centre of Earth Evolution and Dynamics.


The Department aims to contribute to the new and important UN Sustainability Development Goals.

The staff consists of 40 professors and associate professors, in addition to postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, researchers, technical- and administrative staff. Approximately number of employees are 240 at the Department.

Flere stillinger fra Universitetet i Oslo

Position as Researcher available at Department of Geosciences, Meteorology Oceanography Section, University of Oslo

The announced position is for 1 year. The preferred starting date is 1. September 2020.

Project description

The research position will be carried out within the Research Council of Norway Toppforsk project “VIKINGS: Volcanic Eruptions and their Impacts on Climate, Environment, and Viking Society in 500-1250 CE”. This multi-disciplinary project aims to understand the role of volcanic eruptions and climate change in shaping the early history of Europe. The period 500-1250 Common Era (CE) is characterized by natural disasters, societal unrest, Viking expansion, and large volcanic eruptions evidenced by geochemical markers in natural archives.At present, we know little about the climate variations in Europe and especially in Scandinavia during this period. The VIKINGS project seeks to reveal the climate of the early historic period, and resolve how volcanic eruptions and their environmental impacts facilitated societal changes during the Viking era.

The researcher will develop a detailed tephrachronology and establish the extension of volcanic fallouts in Northern Europe in the period 500-1250 CE. The candidate will compare cryptotephra with data from ice cores and Iceland to provide new chronological markers for environmental archives, archaeological studies and climate reconstructions.

The researcher will have a strong focus on geochronology and carry out tephrochronological research on environmental archives, including the detection of cryptotephra, geochemical analysis and data interpretation. Experience in paleoenvironmental reconstruction and climate of the late Holocene period will be beneficial.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being a leading research faculty. 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.

  • Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in in Geosciences, Climatology, Sedimentology, Chemistry or in related fields. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved.
  • Experience in the extraction of tephra, microscopy, mapping and knowledge on climate and volcanic eruptions of the historical period will be beneficial.
  • Technical skills in age modelling as well as in graphical and statistical tools are mandatory for this position.
  • Candidates with experience in the supervision of PhD candidate will be given priority.
  • The candidate must be highly self-driven and able to take responsibility for her/his own work, including troubleshooting and acquiring additional skills required to reach the project goals while collaborating with the team.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

Additional qualifications:

  • Experiences in chemistry, paleo climate proxies and archaeology will be advantageous for the research position.
  • The researcher should be highly motivated to work in a multi-disciplinary research field and team and be willing to exchange with national and international project collaborators including potential research stays abroad.

We offer

  • salary NOK 523 200 – 573 100 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Researcher (position code 1109)
  • a professionally stimulating working environment
  • vibrant international academic environment
  • attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

  • cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
  • CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
  • copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
  • a complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • list of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. 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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Formal regulations

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.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

  • Kirstin Krüger, E-mail: kkrueger@geo.uio.no, Phone: +47 228 55811.

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no, +47 22854272

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