PhD Research Fellow in atmospheric physics

EURAXESS Ireland; Bergen; Hybrid; NOK 505,000 - 683,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public Pension Fund enrollment

Good working environment

PhD salary (NOK 593,700)

Job summary

The University of Bergen invites applications for a PhD Research Fellow in atmospheric physics at the Geophysical Institute and the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research. The position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years with the possibility of a 4th year for teaching and related duties.

The fellow will work on the RAPTURE project, focusing on high-resolution simulations, machine-learning climate emulators, and the dynamics of weather and climate to understand extreme rainfall and its future

Qualifications

• Master's degree in physics, meteorology, mathematics, computer science or related field.
• Strong mathematical and quantitative skills.
• Experience or strong interest in meteorology.
• Proficiency with Python or similar programming languages.
• Geospatial data analysis experience preferred.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong written and spoken English skills.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to high-resolution climate simulations and machine-learning emulators.
• Investigate extreme rainfall processes and their projections.
• Publish scientific papers and present at international venues; attend workshops and summer schools.
• Collaborate across Europe within the RAPTURE project and with other researchers.

Skills

Mathematics

Quantitative skills

Meteorology interest

Python

Geospatial analysis

English proficiency

Education

Master's degree or equivalent (physics, meteorology, mathematics, computer science)

Job description

Organisation/Company University of Bergen Department Geophysical Institute Research Field Physics Mathematics Computer science Geosciences Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 12 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Country Norway Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37,5 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in atmospheric physics at the Geophysical Institute and the Bjerknes Center for Climate Research . 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 at the Department). The position is part of the project “Reaching AI Projections Trustworthy for Unseen Rainfall Extremes (RAPTURE)”, funded by a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.

About the project/work tasks

How can we simulate the properties and dangers of extreme rainfall under conditions we are yet to observe, in a trustworthy way? RAPTURE is a five-year project focused on addressing this question which lies at the heart of understanding high-impact flooding in an ever warmer and wetter world. RAPTURE brings together high resolution physical simulations, machine-learning climate emulators, and new perspectives on the dynamics of weather and climate to understand i) what current simulations of extreme rainfall can already capture accurately, ii) where they need to improve, iii) and how to improve them. Working as part of RAPTURE will build expertise in dynamical meteorology, machine learning for the earth system, and climate hazards research, with opportunities to engage in research collaborations across Europe.

The successful candidate will work with some of the most high resolution regional climate simulations produced to date, investigating what causes spatially localised extreme rainfall, how well are those processes represented in our simulations, and how are they expected to change in the future? They will also investigate whether physically-grounded and machine-learning based climate projections tell the same story—and if not, why not? The successful candidate will write scientific publications, have the opportunity to attend and present at international workshops, conferences and summer schools, and will develop strong technical qualifications to support future career ambitions in academia or industry.

Qualifications and personal qualities

• Applicants must hold a master's degree or equivalent education in physics, meteorology, mathematics, computer science or a related field, or must have submitted their master's thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master's degree has been awarded.
• Strong mathematical and quantitative skills are required.
• Experience and/or a strong interest in meteorology is an advantage.
• Demonstrated proficiency with scientific programming (e.g. Python) is an advantage.
• Demonstrated proficiency in geospatial data analysis 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 spoken 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 subject to the regulations for the export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications.

About the PhD position

About the PhD Research Fellow

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 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences 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 NOK593 700. Further increases in salary are made according to length of service in the position
• enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

(Note: Generative AI will not be used in evaluating applications and it is expected that your cover letter is likewise prepared without the use of generative AI).

General information

For further details about the position, please contact:

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

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.

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.