PhD Research Fellow in Space Physics

24th May 2026
Languages
English

• English
• Norsk Nynorsk

English
PhD Research Fellow in Space Physics 
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PhD Research Fellow in Space Physics 

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Space Physics at the Department of Physics and Technology . The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year with career-promoting work (e.g. teaching in the Department). The position is subject to financing by the project GRAIL (“Gamma Radiation from the Atmosphere for Investigation and Learning”), Maria Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network funded by the Horizon Europe programme. 

About the project/work tasks:

Thunderclouds are the most energetic natural particle accelerators on Earth, capable of accelerating particles to relativistic energies and producing gamma-rays on different time scales, from sub millisecond to tens of seconds and more. Gamma-ray glows and Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements are long-duration emissions associated to intense large-scale electric fields in thunderclouds.

The successful candidate will carry out a project entitled: “Experimental investigation of gamma-ray glows and Thunderstorm Ground Enhancements”. Throughout the project the candidate will carry out ground-based observations at facilities abroad with additional and complementary instrumentation, and will analyse the results in relation to current aircraft and ground-based observations. The candidate will also study the feasibility of the deployment of gamma-ray instrumentation at other sites. We expect the findings to appear in top-tier peer-reviewed journals and to be presented at prestigious international conferences. 

The PhD project is part of 15 GRAIL PhD Europe-wide projects, of which 2 will take place at the University of Bergen. More information about GRAIL can be found at grail.physik.tu-dortmund.de.  The successful candidate will benefit from extensive interaction opportunities with several groups within the Horizon Europe GRAIL network. This includes funding to attend international conferences, access to a wide range of personal development opportunities through the network’s transferable‑skills training, and comprehensive academic training offered via summer and winter schools, online seminars, and PhD‑level courses.  Secondments at ASEC laboratory, Armenia (ground deployment of radiation instrumentation) and ASTRON, the Netherlands, are planned.

The successful candidate will join the Space Physics group at the Department of Physics and Technology and will carry out the activity under the supervision of Professor Martino Marisaldi. The team is currently managing several funded projects, including the ERC Advanced Grant project ENLIGHTEN. The team has a strong international reputation and a wide network of collaborators across Europe and in the USA.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in Physics. Master students can apply provided they complete their final master exam before 01.08.2026. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• Documented experience from or competence in radiation detectors (design, construction, operations or data analysis) is a requirement. 
• A general knowledge of programming languages aimed at scientific data analysis and visualization is a requirement.
• Documented general knowledge of the near-earth space environment, atmospheric or lightning physics is an advantage. 
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• Applicants must have good written and oral English skills. 

Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Research experience, ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Special requirements for the position: 

The University of Bergen is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications. 

Please note that candidates for this position are subject to the Horizon Europe mobility rule. A candidate must not have resided in Norway for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the date of recruitment (and not have carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Norway).

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

About the PhD Research Fellow position

The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years, with the possibility for a 4th year contingent on the qualifications of the candidate and the teaching needs of the department and will be decided by the Head of department upon appointment. If a 4th year is granted, one year of career-promoting work associated with teaching, dissemination or research infrastructure/services, will be distributed over the full employment period and thus corresponding to 25 per cent of the time each year.

The employment period may be reduced if you have previously been employed in a qualifying post (e.g. research fellow, research assistant).

About the research training

As a PhD Research Fellow, you must participate in an approved educational programme for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Science and Technology is 2 months after you start your position or after the start of the research project that will lead to the PhD degree. It is a condition that you satisfy the enrolment requirements for the PhD programme at the University of Bergen.

We can offer:

• a good and professionally stimulating working environment 
• salary as PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 568 700. Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position.
• enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• a brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• a detailed justification of your qualifications in relation to the listed requirements, explaining how you meet each criterion. Additionally, you should address the "advantages" mentioned above, as these will be taken into account when ranking the candidates.   
• the names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis. 
• CV
• transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not yet completed your master's degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master's degree. Your master's degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position.
• relevant certificates/references
• approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf. English language requirements for PhD admission ).
• a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list with links)

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact Professor Martino Marisaldi, Department of Physics and Technology, University of Bergen, e-mail: martino.marisaldi@uib.no , or Head of Department Kjetil Ullaland, e-mail: Kjetil.ullaland@uib.no . 

For HR related questions contact Vivian Stegen Jacobsen, vivian.jacobsen@uib.no .  

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. For further information about the recruitment process, click here .

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Life as a PhD candidate at UiB

Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.

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About UiB

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad. 

There are seven departments and several centres at Faculty of Science and Technology. Read more about the faculty  and departments.  

Questions about the position

Martino Marisaldi

professor

martino.marisaldi@uib.no

Kjetil Ullaland

instituttleiar

kjetil.ullaland@uib.no

Apply for this job
Deadline

24th May 2026

Employer

University of Bergen

Municipality

Bergen

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Fixed Term

Place of service
Allégaten 55, 5007 Bergen

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