Open position: Professor/Associate Professor of Marine Microalgae – Deadline 16 February 2025

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.

UiT has approx. 18 000 students, more than 4000 employees, and is established at 4 main campuses and 7 study sites in the whole of Northern Norway and Svalbard. Our main campuses is in Tromsø, Alta, Narvik and Harstad.

Read more about UiT´s strategy towards 2030.

The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) consists of Department of Arctic and Marine Biology, Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NFH) and School of Business and Economics.

The main task of BFE is to conduct teaching and research dissemination at a high national and international level within all relevant fields. Prioritized research areas are aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, climate, life in the arctic, marine bioprospecting, fish health, seafood products, business and macroeconomics, resources and environment, markets and management of marine resources. The interdisciplinary profile of the faculty provides good opportunity to develop research projects involving several research groups at the faculty according to its strategy.

The position

Are you motivated and interested in research, innovation and project management?

At  the Norwegian School of Fisheries  (NFH), there is a vacancy for a professor or associate professor in marine microalgae. The position is linked to the research group for  Seafood Science and the algae cultivation facility at the ferrosilicon producer Finnfjord AS in Finnfjordbotn, Senja municipality. 

The algae cultivation facility is a collaboration between Finnfjord AS and UiT The Arctic University of Norway, where the main objective is to optimize the cultivation of marine microalgae (diatoms) by absorbing CO2 from the smelter as a carbon source. The algae biomass contains valuable components such as lipids, proteins and pigments, which can be utilized for a number of purposes such as fish feed and feed components as well as products for human consumption. The research in the algae project includes both biological issues related to marine microalgae, their physiology and chemistry, as well as processing and utilization of the biomass itself for commercial purposes.

UiT and Finnfjord AS are also working to establish a national innovation center for carbon capture, storage and utilization at Finnfjord. The starting point for the idea is algae production, but the center will contribute to the green transition of industrial production, including testing various applications of factory smoke to other by-products in a circular economy perspective.

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

The position’s  research and work area

You are expected to contribute to strengthening and developing the academic environment at the department and UiT in general. You will contribute to developing the field related to the cultivation and industrial utilization of marine microalgae.

A key task is to help secure external funding that makes it possible to increase research activities related to algae cultivation.

An important part of the work is to connect relevant research environments at UiT’s campuses and external research environments with the algae cultivation facility/UiT campus at Finnfjord AS. The successful candidate is therefore expected to engage in the activities at UiT’s and Finnfjord’s joint experimental facilities and research laboratory at Finnfjord AS, as well as contribute to the development of these facilities and plans for a national center.

Qualifications

The position of professor requires the following :

  • Scientific level in accordance with established international or national standards for a position as a professor in marine microbiology, marine biotechnology or other relevant fields.
  • Documented educational expertise at professor level (read more here ).

In addition, the following must be documented:

  • Quality development in one’s own teaching over time.
  • Broad experience with supervision, preferably at master’s/PhD level.
  • Participation in the development of educational quality in professional communities.

To be awarded professorial competence, you must be able to document significantly more extensive, high-quality research than is required for a doctorate. Emphasis will be placed on whether the applicant can document high-level academic activity over the past six years, and that this points towards continued activity at professorial level in the future. UiT also follows national guidelines adopted by the National Faculty Meeting for Social
Sciences when assessing professorial competence. The guidelines can be found here .

The position as associate professor requires the following:

  • Norwegian doctorate in marine microbiology, marine biotechnology or other relevant fields. Or an equivalent foreign doctorate recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctorate, or competence at a corresponding level documented by scientific work of the same scope and quality.
  • Documented basic educational competence (can be acquired – read more below).

For both job titles, the following are also required:

  • Documented high-quality research experience.
  • Documented expertise in marine microalgae. 
  • Documented experience in applying for external funding from various sources in Norway and the EU.
  • Documented experience in initiating and managing research projects.
  • Good oral and written communication skills in Scandinavian languages ​​and English.
  • Personal qualities/characteristics
    • motivation and interest in teaching, research and innovation
    • good communication and collaboration skills

It is also considered an advantage to have

  • documented competence and interest in innovation and entrepreneurship within marine biotechnology
  • experience with cultivating microalgae
  • documented expertise in Techno Economic Analysis (TEA) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
  • experience with interdisciplinary research 
  • experience with collaborative projects between academia and industry
  • contributed to the popular dissemination of research results

At UiT, emphasis is placed on the quality, relevance and significance of research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment ( DORA ).

Educational competence requirements 

All applicants for teaching and research positions must document their educational expertise in their application. You must have acquired basic competence for teaching and supervision at university and college level (basic competence). This entails basic skills in planning, implementing, evaluating and developing teaching and supervision.  

For the professor position, competence must be documented by the following:

  • A minimum of three years of teaching experience in higher education in a full-time position, as well as a requirement for experience from supervision, preferably at PhD level, but also at master’s level.
  • Educational competence is developed and documented through a combination of courses and a pedagogical portfolio. Read how here .

For the associate professor position, competence must be documented by the following basic requirements:

  • a) Applicants who have completed their own university pedagogical course equivalent to 200 hours must attach course/exam certificates and a study plan.
  • b) Other applicants must describe, assess and document their competence as a teacher and supervisor through a systematic and comprehensive presentation. The skills must be documented in the form of a pedagogical portfolio. Read how here .

Those who do not meet the requirements for documented basic competence upon employment will be required to meet the requirements within two years. UiT offers courses in educational competence to employees. For further information, see:  pedagogical folder.

Application

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee’s mandate is to assess the applicants’ qualifications on the basis of the application documents and the announcement text. The application must contain the following:

  • Application letter with a brief description of interest and motivation for the position.
  • CV with an overview of education, practice and professional work.
  •  Diplomas and transcripts for all degrees.
  • Certificates.
  •  Contact information for 2-3 references.
  • Documentation of basic educational competence ( read how here ). Applicants for the professorship must document the additional criteria by:
    • Description of and reflection on the work on developing teaching and guidance. This should be documented with specific examples that show development over time as well as a justification for and reflection on the process and results.
    • Description of experience with supervision at master’s and PhD level. In addition to describing the scope of the supervision, you should also
      summarize your supervision experiences and point out possible areas for development.
    • Description of and reflection on one’s own leadership, participation and role in developing educational quality in the professional community.
  •  Documentation of language proficiency according to the requirements above (see how  here ).
  • Published or unpublished works that the applicant wishes to be taken into account in the assessment must be attached to the application.
  • Description of scientific production showing key scientific works, up to ten, of which the doctoral thesis is considered one work, and indicating which works are the most significant. Furthermore, the remaining works are briefly described to show the breadth of the production.

Documents attached to the application must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Applications with attachments must be submitted electronically via  www.jobbnorge.no . Applicants who are considered to be the most qualified will be invited to an interview. The interview will, among other things, clarify personal suitability and motivation for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

The offer

  • one of the country’s best conditions for R&D term
  • good welfare schemes
  • good pension, insurance and loan schemes in the State Pension Fund

Professors are paid according to state regulation code 1013. Associate professors are paid according to state regulation code 1011. A 2% mandatory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from gross salary. At UiT, the distribution of working hours is flexible and allocated on an individual basis. As a norm, professors or associate professors will spend up to 50% of their time on R&D work and 50% on teaching, when time for other work tasks is deducted. Normally, 5% is allocated to administrative tasks.

General Information

The employment is carried out in accordance with the rules and conditions that apply to government employees at all times, and guidelines at UiT. On our website you will find more information for applicants for positions at UiT .

UiT The Arctic University of Norway has a personnel policy goal of being an employer that reflects the diversity of society and that utilizes the potential of the population’s combined expertise. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and want employees with different expertise, subject combinations, life experience and perspectives.

Inquiries about how the working environment is arranged, health services, opportunities for flexitime, part-time, etc. can be directed to the contact person.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or an immigrant background, we encourage you to tick this box in the job applicant portal. If there are qualified applicants, we will call at least one in each group for an interview. We will facilitate the person who gets the position. The ticks are only used for anonymized statistics. Read more in the Employer Portal https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling

Personal information provided is processed in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act. Applicants may request not to be listed on the public applicant list, but the university may still decide that the applicant’s name shall be published. The applicant will then be notified in advance of publication.

Questions about the position

Peter Holm

Head of Department

+47 77645548

petter.holm@uit.no

Espen Hansen

Professor

+ 47 776 4926

espen.hansen@uit.no

Edel Elvevoll

Professor

+47 776 461

edel.elvevoll@uit.no

Click here for further information.

via UiT
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