About the position
The Department of Arctic and Marine Biology (AMB) at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics (BFE) seeks a highly motivated PhD fellow in Ecology, specializing on climate change ecology.
The workplace is UiT in Tromsø. The position is affiliated with the research group Northern Populations and Ecosystems and will be associated with the research project Arctic Forest Futures – An integrative approach to understanding and anticipating ecological transitions in the forest-tundra ecotone, funded by the Research Council of Norway for 2024-2026, as well as with the Climate Ecological Observatory for Arctic Tundra (COAT).
Arctic Forest Futures is a collaborative project between UiT, and strong national (NINA, MET, NORCE, UiO) and international research partners (WSL, UniGe, CSIRO, EPFL). The prospective candidate will work with researchers from this project group and from COAT to deliver cutting-edge tools for the knowledge-based management of northern forest ecosystems in the face of climate change. Supervision will be offered from UiT with co-supervisors from NINA and UiO as relevant.
The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD program 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 a PhD program is a prerequisite for employment, and the program 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. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time and no later than March 1st 2024.
The project
The border zone (ecotone) between boreal forest and Arctic tundra is the Earth’s most extensive ecotone. Under rapid climate change, the tundra-forest ecotone may exhibit different ecological transitions involving tall-growing woody vegetation, including
- expansion of trees and shrubs into currently treeless tundra,
- altered tree species composition in existing forest and
- recovery of forest after climate-related disturbances.
In all cases, the recruitment of new trees from seed is a bottleneck that will determine if and how rapidly the transitions occur. These transitions will have different repercussions in terms of feedback to climate, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity as well as the scope for management to mitigate undesirable outcomes.
In Arctic Forest Futures (AFF) we investigate these transitions, and the key determinants of tree recruitment in the tundra-forest ecotone in East Finnmark, northern Norway – presently the only openly accessible part of this ecotone for international research in Eurasia. AFF will be using birch and pine as the model system. We use a combination of process-based models, remote sensing and observational surveys in the field in close collaboration with local forestry stakeholders.
The candidate will employ a combination of theory and observations, and both perform new field surveys (June-August) and utilize existing observational data from COAT. It is expected that at least parts of the candidate’s work will be related to the determinants of and thresholds for successful tree recruitment including the influence of mutualistic interactions through mycorrhizal symbiosis. The project is an opportunity for a strong candidate to contribute to the development of quantitative tools that lead to improved theoretical and empirical understanding. The candidate will acquire state-of-the art competence in systems and climate change ecology and will thereby become eminently equipped for a carrier in research and/or management in these disciplines. The research plan for the PhD will be shaped as a collaborate effort between the candidate and the supervisors.
Qualifications
This position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in Ecology, or a relevant branch of biological/environmental sciences.
We will prioritize candidates with training and/or experience in:
- Combining theoretical and empirical perspectives
- Quantitative modelling
- Field and/or laboratory sampling, experiments, data analysis
- Subjects within ecology/environmental sciences relevant for the project
Documented knowledge of English is required. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. Knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language is also beneficial, but not a requirement.
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 scientific work. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral program may be given consideration.
We will also emphasize 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.
Admission to the PhD programme
For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.
Admission normally requires:Â Â
- A bachelor’s degree of 180 ECTS and a master’s degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master’s degree of 300 ECTS.Â
- A master’s thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master’s degree of 120 ECTS.Â
- A master’s thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master’s degree of 300 ECTS.Â
UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.
Grade requirements applies both to the master thesis as well as courses part of the master’s degree. The minimum requirements are grade C or better on the master’s degree, and grade C or better on courses that are part of the master’s degree. A grade lower than C in one course may be compensated by a higher grade than C in another course. If the applicant has two subjects with the grade D or lower, the applicant is not qualified for admission. 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. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a 2-year master’s degree.Â
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 six weeks after taking up the position.Â
Inclusion and diversity
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.
The offer
- Involvement in an interesting research projectÂ
- Good career opportunitiesÂ
- A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues Â
- Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement Â
- Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
- PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 532 200 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase
Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.
More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here.
The applicationÂ
Your application must include:Â
- Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests relevant for the position (max. 2 pages)
- CV
- 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
- 2-3 references with contact information
- Master’s thesis,
- Other academic works (published or unpublished) to be considered
Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, 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. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.Â
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.Â
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. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.
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.
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.Â
Further information on this opportunity can be found here.