Ph.D. position in Arctic Marine Ecology for Indian student at

The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)

(Available from 1. September 2009) As a follow-up of the 2006 Agreement between India and Norway on co-operation in the fields of Science and Technology, the Norwegian Minister of Education and Research has allocated 3 PhD grants, each of three years’ duration, at UNIS, Svalbard (Spitsbergen, Norway www.unis.no ) for students from Indian research institutions which have ongoing or planned research collaboration with a Norwegian research institution. The grants are administered by The Research Council of Norway (RCN www.rcn.no ). The grantees will enjoy Norwegian employee status including health insurance and social security rights, for which contribution and income tax will be deducted from the grant (cf. below).

General The Department of Arctic Biology of the University Centre in Svalbard has a vacancy for a PhD position for three years within Marine Ecology focusing on molecular ecology and evolution of marine arctic planktonic protists.

UNIS provides education and carries out scientific research based in Svalbard within the high Arctic, and benefits greatly from this geographical location. Approximately half of the staff and students are from abroad, and all teaching is in English. UNIS is located in a new building in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, with very good access to modern laboratories and equipment. UNIS is a state-owned limited company. For more information about Svalbard please see “About Svalbard” at www.svalbard.net

The Department for Arctic Biology presently consists of 1 full professor, 5 associate professors, 3 Ph.D. students, 6 adjunct professors, and 3 project positions (1 Ph.D. and 2 Post docs). Additional information about the Arctic Biology department can be found at www.unis.no

Description of the vacant position The successful candidate will use a combination of arctic field work, culturing of marine protists and molecular tools to investigate the diversity, distribution and winter ecology of arctic marine planktonic protists. The laboratory work will include procedures such as DNA and RNA extraction, PCR, creating clone libraries, creating EST libraries, and sequencing. Bioinformatic tools such as database searches and various phylogenetic analyses are an important part of the project. It is an advantage if the candidate has a background in the molecular and bioinformatic techniques that will be used as well as in culturing of microalgae.

Position information Field work for this project will be performed throughout the year, using large ships during fall/spring field campaigns and using snowmobiles during the arctic winter. It is an advantage if the candidate has experience in marine biological field work.

Qualifications: The successful candidate must have a Master degree in Biology or Biochemistry. Good command of English language (written and spoken) is a must. You must also have a valid car driver’s license. We encourage female students to apply.

Employment Conditions for the Ph.D. position The employment contract is of 3 years.

UNIS will supply:

• Furnished, reasonably priced housing

• Free life insurance

• Modern facilities and premises

• International working environment

The successful candidate must live in Longyearbyen. He/she is expected to contribute actively to ongoing scientific activities in the department. It is also expected that the Ph.D. student take an active part in the advancement of his/her field of research, and he/she must also be willing to contribute to the development of UNIS in a more general sense.

Salary All salaries are set in accordance with the Norwegian Government’s University salary scale, which starts at salary step 45 for Ph.D. students (at present NOK 353 200, equivalent to USD 50 210 per March 2009). A Social Security contribution of 2 per cent, to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, will be deducted from the salary. Income tax on Svalbard is 8 per cent, plus 7.8 per cent toward National Insurance coverage.

Selection and appointment An expert Committee appointed by the Director of UNIS will evaluate the qualifications of the applicants. The Committee will review the applications in detail. The appointment will be made by the Board of Directors based on the recommendation from the Director of UNIS.

Application and further information A more complete description of the project and other inquiries about this position may be directed to: Associate Professor Tove M. Gabrielsen, email tove.gabrielsen[at]unis.no

Deadline for application is 4. May 2009 Apply online by using our application form found at www.unis.no/vacancies In the end of the form, please attach copies of academic records, a list of published and unpublished work, copy of valid driver’s licence and other documentation you find relevant for the application.