PhD Research Fellow in Population Genomics

About the positionA 4-year position as PhD Research Fellow in Population Genomics is available at the Natural History MusEUm (NHM), University of Oslo. The 4-year fellowship includes 25% career-enhancing work, such as curation, teaching, supervision, research support and public outreach. The project is supervised by Dr. Andrew Foote (NHM). The PhD project will reconstruct the colonisation of high latitudes by North Atlantic killer whales (Orcinus orca), to better understand how populations responded to past climatic warming at the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Range expansions and demographic change leave signatures in the genome, including changes in genetic diversity and in how genetic variation is distributed within and among populations. These signatures are not uniform along the genome, but depend on local genomic parameters such as mutation and recombination rate. The candidate will quantify changes in genetic diversity and variation through time, and investigate how these patterns vary across the genome. The project will combine an existing dataset of approximately 200 contemporary genomes with a new time series of ancient killer whale genomes generated within the project. The tasks will include ancient DNA laboratory work, bioinformatic processing of Next Generation Sequencing data, and population genomic analyses, including demographic inference. The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. The selected candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Within two months of commencing the position, the candidate must submit a PhD agreement, including a plan for the required doctoral courses and a project description. For more information about the programme, see: http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/    Qualifications / Requirments You must have: •    An MSc degree in evolutionary biology, population genetics, bioinformatics, or a related field. •    Research experience in population genetics or population genomics. •    Experience with bioinformatic analysis of Next Generation Sequencing data, including command-line work in a high-performance computing environment. •    Programming or scripting skills (e.g., R, Python, bash). •    Excellent written and verbal communication ability in English. English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/EEA countries and exemptions from the requirement, see: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8  Desirable qualifications (in ranked order): •    Experience with ancient DNA laboratory work. •    Experience with demographic inference, coalescent methods, or population genetic simulations. •    Strong interest in evolutionary responses to past climate change Grade requirements: The norm is as follows, according to the Norwegian educational system: •    The average grade for courses included in the Bachelor's degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system •    The average grade for courses included in the Master's degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system •    The Master's thesis must have grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system See: https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc7  The evaluation of applicants will focus on the following: •    Relevance and quality of the MSc thesis •    Relevance and quality of scientific publications (not necessarily expected at this level) •    Grades at relevant university-level courses (population genetics, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics, statistics, programming, wet-lab molecular techniques) •    The fit of the applicant's career plan, interests, and skills as formulated in the cover letter (see How to apply below) •    Personal suitability (incl. collaborative skills) and motivation for the position •    An interview, including a 15 minute presentation of your MSc thesis (only short-listed candidates) What are we looking for in you?•    Honesty and high standards for scientific integrity •    Ability to give and receive scientific criticism in a constructive manner •    A positive attitude and drive for learning skills, methods and theory •    Ability to work in a structured manner, facilitating teamwork •    Ability to prioritise and complete work tasks •    Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively in an international and interdisciplinary research environment •    Careful and well-documented approach to laboratory and computational work Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications. We need different perspectives in our work UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no. We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one? We will provide appropriate accommodations should you need them. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures. If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian). The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. We hope you will apply for the position with us.  How to applyThe application must include (as separate and numbered documents): 1.    Cover letter with a statement of motivation and research interests 2.    CV summarizing education, positions and academic work, scientific publications, and other relevant experience 3.    Statement explaining how a PhD in population genomics will fit into the applicant’s career plan (max 1 page) 4.    Copies of educational certificates and transcripts of records (as a single PDF) 5.    Documentation of English proficiency if applicable 6.    Names and contact details of 2-3 references (i.e., name, affiliation, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number). The references will be contacted if necessary. Letters of recommendation are therefore not required. Applicants should deliver the application with the requested attachments through our electronic recruiting system. Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge. Click "Apply for this job". When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language. We can offer you•    Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.  •    Committed colleagues in a good working environment.  •    Onboarding program for new employees. •    Good welfare schemes. •    A workplace with good development and career opportunities. •    Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse (SPK), which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes. •    Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities •    Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow (position code 1017) in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund (SPK). General informationPlease note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service: Phone: +47 75 54 22 20 or Email: support@grade.com  The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important. The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.  Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us. Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to recruitment positions at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo. The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.