PhD scholarship within bioinformatics

About the position

The research group BIAS (Bioinformatics and Applied Statistics), Faculty of chemistry, biotechnology and food sciences (KBM) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant three-year PhD–position related to environmental microbial communities, with the possibility of extension for up to one year.

The primary goal of this project is to optimize methodologies that enable a more efficient analysis of environmental microbiota communities. While microbiota in closed environments is well-explored, the complexity of environmental samples introduces uncertainty, encompassing analysis methods, bacterial composition, and unknown taxon. Our aim is to address and simplify the analysis of these intricate datasets, making the process more accessible to users.

Taking the lead, the PhD candidate will pioneer the exploration, delving into the diversity of unknown elements in environmental samples consisting of 16S rRNA sequence data and exploring the feasibility of identifying unknown species. This research aims to enhance our understanding of environmental microbiota and contribute to the evolution of data analysis in this field.

The applicant is made aware that an application for a PhD position at NMBU is at the same time an application for admission to a PhD program at the institution. The documentation that is necessary to ensure that the admission requirements are met must be uploaded as an attachment.

Main tasks

• Build an R package with relevant analysis tool and includes a user-friendly way to operate VSEARCH.
• Explore the adaptability of existing methods to diverse bacterial compositions.
• Evaluate the stability and performance of methods in handling unknown samples.
• Provide insights into the uncertainties surrounding the observed data.
• Contribute to the development of methodologies for handling the high complexity of environmental microbiota data.
• The BIAS group has an extensive course portfolio. As a PhD candidate in our group you may get a broader experience and extend your PhD period by participating in teaching activities.

The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to completing a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.

Competence

The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year master’s degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.
The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required Academic qualifications

• Master's degree (MSc) in a relevant field (e.g., Bioinformatics, Statistics, Data Science, Microbiology)
• High proficiency in one or more programming languages, preferably R.

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

• Strong background in microbial ecology, bioinformatics, or a related field
• Proficiency in high-throughput sequencing data analysis.
• Excellent communication skills in Norwegian and English, oral and written, in and between different scientific fields.
• High proficiency in one or more programming languages, preferably R.
• Some experience with C++ code is preferred

You need to:

• Have a strong motivation for and understanding of the aim of the project. Use your previous experience to demonstrate a strong sense of self-efficacy and creative problem-solving.
• Demonstrate excellent scientific writing skills and communication abilities. Demonstrate your ability to do structured and tidy work when handling large data sets and complex analyses.
• Be able to make realistic plans and execute them in time.

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow. PhD. Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 532 200) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact Hilde Vinje, PhD, Associate professor.

E-mail: hilde.vinje@nmbu.no; phone +47 95901450

Information for PhD applicants and general Information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: 02.05.2024

Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.

In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.

Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.

The following documents must be attached to the application:

• Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
• Complete CV 
• Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Di-ploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in Norwegian or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
• Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement, or a similar document, which describes in detail the study program and grading system.
• Documentation of proficiency in written and oral English in accordance with NMBU PhD regulation section 5-2 (3). 
• Names and contact details for two references
• Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works). If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.

About The Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science

The Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science (KBM) employs about 160 people. Currently about 50 PhD students are enrolled into our PhD program. KBM represents a broad range of scientific fields encompassing basic natural sciences such as microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry as well as the application of these towards food chemistry, technology and safety, biotechnology, bioprocessing and environmental issues. The Faculty is responsible for education, research and information within our fields of expertise and also has state-of-the-art instrumentation to perform research within these fields. KBM collaborates in networks and research projects both nationally and internationally. 

Further information: https://www.nmbu.no/en/faculty/kbm 

The Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU will contribute to securing the future of life through outstanding research, education, communication and innovation. We have the country's most satisfied university students, who receive research-based education in a unique student environment. Our graduates gain a high level of competence in interdisciplinary collaboration and are popular in the labor market. NMBU has internationally leading research environments in several subjects. Together with our partners in society and business, we contribute to solving some of the biggest societal challenges of our time.

We focus on innovation, communication and entrepreneurship because we believe these challenges are best solved with joint efforts. We believe that a good working environment is characterized by diversity.If necessary, workplace adaptations will be made for persons with disabilities. More information about NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no/en