The position

At the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Community Medicine a position has become available for the role of PhD Candidate for applicants wishing to take a Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) degree. The position is affiliated with the research group System Epidemiology and the project "Living with cancer - Self-rated Health and cancer survival in the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study (NOWAC)".

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus research university 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.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal lengt of the PhD program is three years. The fourth year is distriubuted as 25 % each year, and will consist of teaching and other duties for the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The PhD candidate shall participate in the faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD project shall be completed during the period of employment. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD programme, application form and regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor(PhD) are available at the following address: PhD - Faculty of Health Sciences.

The project

The PhD candidate will conduct research in the field of cancer epidemiology and biostatistics and will during the PhD write and publish three scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals. The overall aim of the project is to provide data on the impact of self-reported health by socioeconomic conditions and modifiable lifestyle factors on survival in cancer patients. The project will be done in collaboration with the Department of Psychology.

The purpose of the project is to examine mortality risk and general health trajectories before and after first cancer diagnosis. We also aim to examine how socioeconomic conditions and modifiable lifestyle modify risks and affect these trajectories.

The objectives are:

1. To examine pre-diagnostic repeated self-reported health by socioeconomic conditions and modifiable lifestyle factors on recurrence and short- and long-term cancer survival

2. To investigate the impact of socioeconomic factors and modifiable lifestyle factors on the association between self-reported health and mortality comparing pre-diagnostic self-reported health in cancer survivors with self-reported health in cancer-free women

3. To explore post-diagnostic self-reported health and type of treatment in the prediction of survival in women with cancer

Contact

For further information about the position and/or the project, please contact:

• Associate Professor Kristin Benjaminsen Borch, kristin.benjaminsen.borch@uit.no , +47 99 23 90 12

Qualifications

The applicant must have a Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Psychology, Health Sciences, Statistics or other equivalent education. Candidates with documented skills and experience with epidemiology, biomedical statistics will be prioritised.

Applicants must have documented English language skills. Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is an advantage.

The position requires admission to the PhD programme.

Importance shall be attached to personal suitability for the position and motivations. We are primarily looking for a highly motivated and skilled person that is analytical, enthusiastic and have good collaboration skills. The person should also be able to handle statistical analyses and a large degree of independence in their work.

We can offer

• Interesting work tasks
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
• Good career opportunities
• A large degree of independence in the work
• Flexible working hours and a state collective agreement
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund

The remuneration for PhD candidate is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017.

Application

Applications shall be sent electronically via www.jobbnorge.no and shall include:

• cover letter including a short description of interests and reasons for applying for the position
• a short project description based on the candidates understanding of the project
• CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, professional work, pedagogical qualifications and references
• diplomas and certificates:- diploma and transcript of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent- diploma and transcript of Master’s degree or equivalent
• documentation of proficiency in English
• any academic works, including the Master’s thesis

Proficiency in the English language can be documented in one of the following ways:

- Diploma from a Norwegian upper secondary school with both spoken and written English (140 hours)

- TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

- IELTS (International English Testing Service)

- Completed university degree in the field of English language or literature

- One year’s completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or USA, for which English was the language of instruction.

All documentation to be assessed must be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

Applications sent to us via e-mail or by any other means will not be considered.

General information

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

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.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Candidate is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017 or code 1378 depending on qualifications. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

You can find more information on the website for arriving staff.

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. UiT will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.

We look forward to receiving your application!

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