Up to 3 PhD Positions in Mathematics affiliated to the Lie-Størmer Center

The position

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has up to three PhD position vacant from 01.01.2027 for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is affiliated to the Lie-Størmer Center. The Lie-Størmer Center is jointly hosted by UiT The Arctic University of Norway (UiT) and University of Bergen (UiB), Norway. The center will employ up to 8 PhD Research Fellows, whose research will focus on the interaction between algebra, differential geometry, analysis and computational mathematics, as well as their applications to data science and computational dynamics. You can read more about the project on its homepage www.lie-stoermer.no. The project is funded by the Tromsø Research Foundation (TFS), UiT and UiB.

In this call, we are interested in hiring up to 3 candidates who will be employed at the Faculty of Science and Technology, UiT in Tromsø. The appointment is for a period of three to four years, depending on whether teaching duties will be assigned.

The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. If a fourth year is assigned, it will be distributed as 25 % each year to teaching and other duties.

The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within six months after receiving the offer.

The position’s field of research and other duties

Research at the Lie-Størmer Center (LSC) aims to explore uncharted territory at the interface of computational and pure mathematics, targeting foundational mathematical challenges relevant to the modern information society and geometric dynamical control in engineering. This project builds bridges between pure and computational mathematics, among

Mathematics departments in Tromsø, Bergen, and across Norway, and between high-level research and education within the ERCOM network of European mathematical research centers.

Computational mathematics is a cornerstone of modern science. Its methods are reshaping the foundations of pure mathematics, while abstract mathematical concepts generate fresh insights into algorithms and discretization techniques – critical for numerical computations and simulations. This convergence signifies a pivotal phase in the mathematical sciences, where the divide between pure and applied mathematics is narrowing. Advancing this integration demands collaboration across these fields, which the Lie-Størmer Center will champion.

The project is organized in multiple thematic areas and interaction between them. The candidate should specify 1 or 2 areas that they are interested in and qualified for. If a candidate has the ability to contribute to more than one work package, this is counted as a positive.

•  Area1 - Lie Theory: Analysis and Geometry of Nonholonomic Systems

  ○ Areas of Research: Sub-Riemannian geometry and Cartan geometry, Vector Distributions and Supergeometry

  ○ Considered a plus: research/course focus on differential geometry. Knowledge of Lie theory, sub-Riemannian geometry or Cartan geometry, as well as proficiency in symbolic packages will count as a strong positive.

  
   
• Area2 – Polynomials, Ideals and Algebra

  ○ Areas of Research: Monomial and polynomial ideals, toric varieties, tropical varieties, relations to combinatorics.

  ○ Considered a plus: research/course focus on algebra or algebraic geometry.

  
   
• Area3 – Magnus Expansions and Signatures in Data Science and Engineering

  ○ Areas of Research: Signatures (in the sense of rough paths) applied to curves and surfaces, Magnus expansion, Hopf algebras, applications.

  ○ Considered a plus: research/course focus on stochastic analysis, algebra or rough paths. Knowledge of Lie theory or Hopf algebra will be considered as a benefit.

  
   
• Area4 - Algebra, Geometry and Topology for Complex Data Analysis

  ○ Areas of Research: Algebraic methods in data analysis, optimization, topological data analysis, geometric deep learning.

  ○ Considered a plus: experience in programming or course work in computer science, algebra, real algebraic geometry, topology or differential geometry, topological data analysis or machine learning.

Qualifications

• The position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in areas of pure mathematics related to above mentioned areas. 

  If you are near completion of your master’s degree you may still apply, provided that you include draft of your master thesis, statement from your supervisor/institution indicating when the degree will be obtained, and transcript of your grades.

  
   
• Applicants must document fluency of in English and be able to work in an international environment. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. 
   
• You must specify 1 or 2 areas that you are interested in and qualified for. Research focus and/or experience as mentioned above related to the area you choose, will be considered an advantage. If a candidate has the ability to contribute to more than one of the areas, this is counted as a positive.
   
• In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. In addition, professional experience and other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme will be taken into consideration. 
   
• To obtain a four year position, any teaching qualifications will be counted as positive. This includes teaching education, teaching experience, experience from popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination.
   

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the documents submitted through www.jobbnorge.no by the application deadline. This includes documents that is needed to assess admission to the PhD programme. If necessary documents is missing, your application will not be evaluated. See under "Application" what documents you must submit.

Emphasis will also be attached to motivation and personal suitability.

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Science and Technology and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

In order to gain admission to the programme, the candidate must document sufficient potential for research. The applicant must have a grade point average of C (strong 3.0) or better for the master’s degree, which must contain an independent work. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 565 000/year with a 3% yearly increase
• If you have to relocate to Tromsø then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the documents submitted through www.jobbnorge.no by the application deadline. 

Your application must include: 

• A brief account of the your research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• CV
• Official diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language 
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for Bachelor's and Master's degree in the original language
• Official translation of diplomas and transcripts of records (ToR) to English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Two references with contact information. One of these should be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent.
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted from the salary. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years. 

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure. 

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position.