PhD Research Fellow in Formal Methods and Software Engineering

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Formal Methods and Software Engineering available at the Department of Informatics.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than October 1, 2025.

The fellowship period is three (3) years.

An extension of the appointment by up to twelve months may be considered, which will be devoted to career-enhancing compulsory work duties, e.g. teaching or supervision. This will be dependent on the qualifications of the applicant and the specific teaching needs of the department.

Job description

Are you interested in a PhD in the field of formal methods and software engineering and curious about digital twins? In this PhD position, you will conduct cutting-edge research in these areas. You will learn state-of-the-art techniques in formal methods and software engineering and apply them to high-impact use cases such as digital twins. Further, you will develop new techniques that enable the application in interdisciplinary scenarios.

Potential candidates should have an interest in model-based design and analysis techniques. They will apply and develop formal methods and software engineering techniques in a digital twin context. The PhD candidate will work closely with experts from different research areas. The candidate will acquire complex analysis skills for interdisciplinary problem scenarios. This will enable publications at prestigious conferences and in scientific journals. Therefore, this position opens great opportunities for a future career in academia and industry.

The PhD position is conducted at the very active, internationally oriented research group Reliable systems at the Department of Informatics, which works on digital twin solutions from the perspective of software engineering and formal methods. The group provides a vibrant and collaborative research environment with a strong commitment to research excellence. This position is ideal for applicants interested in logic, formal descriptions, software engineering, and programming. The position is funded by the project “A Digital Twin for Vaccination Strategies at Geographic Scale”, in which we collaborate with world-leading researchers in epidemiology and vaccine development. By participating in this project, you will both do exciting research on an important topic in computer science, and be part of an exciting interdisciplinary research team that aims to develop novel digital twin solutions that help us make the world a better place to live by understanding and potentially tackling how pandemics evolve and how to optimize vaccination strategies globally. 

We offer an attractive salary and benefits package as per University of Oslo standards.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science or equivalent fields
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Documented skills and experience in formal methods or theoretical computer science
• Documented skills and experience in software engineering and programming
• Fluent oral and written English communication skills 

Candidates without a master’s degree have until 30 June 2025 to complete the final exam.

Desired qualifications:

• Experience with formal specification and modelling
• Experience with software engineering and software technology
• Experience with scientific publication and conducting research
• Experience with teamwork and/or interdisciplinary research
• Interest in mathematics and natural science
• Interest in digital twin technologies
• Interest in data analysis and processing advantageous
• Interest in applying artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques advantageous

Grade requirements:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

Language requirements:

• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/EEA/EFTA countries and exemptions from the requirements:

• https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:

• http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

Personal skills

• Ability to work structured, creative, independently and in a team
• Enthusiasm, readiness to learn new knowledge, and ability to take initiative
• Flexibility, ability to handle pressure and meet deadlines
• Enjoy the process of scientific communication and writing
• The candidate should be highly self-driven and able to take responsibility for their own work, including troubleshooting and acquiring additional skills required to reach the project goals

We offer

• Salary NOK 536 200 – 575 400 per year depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017). 
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Career development programmes.
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, and transcripts of records
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

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 original transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language. Foreign applicants should attach an official explanation of their University's grading system.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). 

General information

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 can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian),  Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) 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 that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Contact persons

For further information please contact Professor Einar Broch Johnsen, phone: +47 2285 2509,  e-mail: einarj@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold,  e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no