About this opportunity
This is a project funded PhD place in the Collas Lab at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, part of an interdisciplinary study of the epigenomic mechanisms behind lipodystrophies and associated metabolic diseases. The fellow will carry out wet lab three dimensional genomics experiments and then analyse the data alongside additional datasets, including RNA sequencing, ChIP sequencing, ATAC sequencing and protein interactome work, to look at how lamin mutations affect the spatial organisation of the genome in patient derived cells. The underlying model system is the in vitro differentiation of adipose tissue stem cells into adipocytes. The project runs in collaboration with the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen, and the fellow will have the opportunity to undertake a research stay there.
The appointment is a 100 percent position for three years, taken as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017, on the Norwegian state pay scale of NOK 550,800 to NOK 595,000 depending on competence and experience, with 2 percent deducted for statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund. That membership brings one of Norway’s strongest pension arrangements along with beneficial mortgages and insurance. The fellow joins the Medical Faculty’s PhD programme and is expected to complete the required doctoral coursework, write the thesis and defend it within three years. Other benefits include an active international research environment, good welfare schemes, and the option of up to one and a half hours of exercise during working hours each week.
The entry bar is specific and worth reading carefully. Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in chromatin or genome biology with a minimum grade of B on the ECTS scale, or its equivalent, and that Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS. Programming skills in Python, R or an equivalent scientific computing language are required, as is experience in the bioinformatic analysis of genomic data and excellent written and spoken English. Experience with three dimensional chromatin conformation capture methods, practical or computational, and with electronic laboratory notebook systems are listed as advantages rather than conditions. The university is an internationally oriented institution and states that it encourages applicants with an immigrant background, a disability or CV gaps to say so in the application portal, since at least one qualified candidate from each of those groups is invited for interview.
Applications close on 16 October 2026 and must go through the Jobbnorge recruitment system. The employer notes that no documentation can be added after the closing date, a rule applied equally to every applicant, so the whole package including transcripts and reference details should be uploaded together. Evaluation weights motivation, academic and personal prerequisites for carrying out the project, and the best qualified applicants are called for interview. Questions about the position can be sent to Dr Julia Madsen-Østerbye at jkmadsen@medisin.uio.no or to HR adviser Zahida Nabi at zahida.nabi@medisin.uio.no.
What you receive
- A 100 percent three year PhD fellowship at the University of Oslo
- Salary of NOK 550,800 to NOK 595,000 depending on competence and experience
- Membership of the State Pension Fund, with its beneficial mortgages and insurance schemes
- A research stay opportunity with the Danish Cancer Institute in Copenhagen
- Full access to the Medical Faculty’s PhD programme and doctoral coursework
- An interdisciplinary team of cell biologists and bioinformaticians in the Division of Biochemistry
- Up to one and a half hours of exercise per week during working hours
- Good welfare schemes in an international research environment
Who can apply
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in chromatin or genome biology, with a minimum grade of B on the ECTS grading scale or its equivalent
- The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS
- Programming skills in Python, R or equivalent scientific computing languages
- Experience in the bioinformatic analysis of genomic data
- Excellent English communication skills, written and oral
- Applicants with degrees obtained outside Norway must supply an explanation of their university’s grading system
- Experience with three dimensional chromatin conformation capture methods, practical or computational, is an advantage
- Experience with electronic laboratory notebook systems is an advantage
- The position is based at Boks 1072 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, on a full time fixed term appointment
Who should not apply
- Applications must be submitted through the Jobbnorge recruitment system, and the employer cannot accept documentation added after the deadline
- A Master’s degree without a thesis of at least 30 ECTS does not meet the stated academic requirement
- All documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language
- Applicants may request exclusion from the public applicant list but must justify the request, and the employer decides whether it can be granted
Documents to prepare
- A cover letter with a statement of motivation and interests for this PhD position
- A CV summarising education, positions and relevant work experience
- Copies of educational certificates and transcript records
- For degrees obtained outside Norway, an explanation of the university’s grading system
- A list of publications and academic works, without attaching the publications or the dissertation itself
- The name, relationship, email address and phone number of three reference persons
How to apply
- Read the full advertisement at https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/308656/phd-fellowship and check the academic and technical requirements against your own record.
- Prepare a cover letter that states your motivation and interest in this specific PhD project on spatial genome organisation and gene regulation.
- Assemble your CV, certificates, transcript records, list of publications and academic works, and three referees with their relationship to you and contact details.
- If you were educated outside Norway, attach an explanation of your university’s grading system. If you were educated in Norway, retrieve your education results through Vitnemålsportalen.no as the advertisement asks.
- Apply for the position through the Jobbnorge portal at https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/308656/phd-fellowship and upload every document with the application, since nothing can be added after the deadline.
- Submit before 16 October 2026.
- Watch your email and your Jobbnorge inbox, since the employer states that messages through the recruitment system are the primary method of communication during the process.
Selection process
- Applications are evaluated with emphasis on motivation, academic prerequisites and personal prerequisites to carry out the project
- The best qualified applicants are called in for an interview
- The university invites at least one qualified candidate with an immigrant background, a disability or CV gaps to interview
- Applicant lists can be published in accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act section 25
- The University of Oslo holds a transfer agreement with all employees covering rights to research results and related intellectual property
Sources and verification
Questions applicants ask
Is this position open to international applicants?
Yes. The advertisement is published in English, the university describes itself as open and internationally oriented, and it sets out how applicants with degrees obtained outside Norway should document their grades and grading system.
How much does the fellowship pay?
Between NOK 550,800 and NOK 595,000 as a Doctoral Research Fellow depending on competence and experience, with 2 percent deducted for statutory State Pension Fund contributions.
Can I add documents after the deadline?
No. The employer states clearly that documentation cannot be added after the application deadline, a rule applied equally to all applicants.
What is the research about?
The epigenomic mechanisms by which mutations in nuclear lamins cause lipodystrophies and associated metabolic diseases, combining wet lab three dimensional genomics with computational analysis of RNA sequencing, ChIP sequencing, ATAC sequencing and protein interactome data.
Important disclaimer
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