PhD Research Fellow in Hydrogeology

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in hydrogeology at the Department of Earth Science to work on the quantification of global groundwater volumes. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4 th year with compulsory other work (e.g. teaching duties at the Department).

About the project/work tasks:

Groundwater is an important but vulnerable resource and plays a crucial role in many geological and environmental processes. One of the key unanswered questions in groundwater research is how much groundwater there is globally and how this is distributed spatially and with depth. In addition, it is unknown to what extent the global volume of groundwater has changed over geological timescales and how this has influenced processes like sea level change and the isotopic composition of oceans. The project aims to quantify the distribution of groundwater globally. Over the last few years, new datasets have become available that can help improve estimates of the global groundwater volume. The research fellow will compile and analyse porosity, lithological, sedimentological and geological data and combine these data with models that relate groundwater volume to lithology, stress, geological history and other factors.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in the geosciences or must have submitted his/her master's thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• A background in hydrogeology, or coursework on groundwater is a requirement.
• Experience with geospatial analysis (GIS) is a requirement.
• Experience with a programming language like Python is a requirement.
• Experience with sedimentology, basin analysis and/or basin models is an advantage.
• Experience with the analysis of petrophysical data and well logs is an advantage.
• Strong numerical skills are an advantage.
• Strong skills in the statistical analysis of large datasets are an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English.

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

About the PhD Research Fellow

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year, consisting of 25 % compulsory work (e.g. teaching responsibilities at the department) distributed over the employment period. The 4th year is contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the head of department upon appointment. The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training

As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally stimulating working environment
• Salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 501 200 (equivalent to pay grade 54). Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed your master's degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming that the master's thesis has been submitted
• relevant certificates/references
• approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission)
• a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
• any publications in your name

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

General information

For further details about the position, please contact professor Elco Luijendijk, University of Bergen, elco.luijendijk@uib.no.

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here.