Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Epidemiology

Universitetet i Tromsø

  • Tromsø, Troms og Finnmark
  • Midlertidlig
  • Fulltid
  • 22 dager siden
Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental EpidemiologyFaculty of Health SciencesThe positionA full-time position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow is available for a period of three years at the , .The position is affiliated with the project “Lead exposure in children and pregnant women in Georgia”.The position is a fixed term position for a duration of three years. Appointment to the position of Postdoctoral Research Fellow is mainly intended to provide qualification for work in top academic positions. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period.No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution. The position can be assigned additional teaching and related work for UiT equivalent to a maximum of 25 % of full- time employment. The position could be extended to four years if the candidate is involved in teaching activities at UiT.Whoever gets the position must be able to take up work within a reasonable time after receiving the offer. Unless special circumstances indicate otherwise, postdoctoral projects should include stays abroad. The duration should be at least 6 months.The position’s place of work is UiT in Tromsø. Parts of the work will also be conducted in Georgia.The project's field of research“Lead exposure in children and pregnant women in Georgia” is an on-going project. In 2018, a national survey in Georgia, Caucasus, found that over 60% of children between 2-7 years had blood lead levels (BLLs) above 5 μg/dL. These numbers are alarmingly high as lead may cause damage to the brain and nervous system, especially in young children and fetuses. Lead exposure sources in Georgia are currently not adequately identified, and consequences of high BLLs in children have not been thoroughly assessed. Associations between maternal exposure during pregnancy and BLLs in childhood are not sufficiently studied, although some data exists.Since 2014, UiT had an essential role in the creation and implementation of a national birth registry in Georgia. To date this registry covers more than 350,000 deliveries and has resulted in two completed, and four on-going PhD projects, several master theses, and scientific articles. In 2022-2023, researchers at UiT took part in the development and implementation of a national surveillance system for lead in Georgia using cutting-edge technology for blood sampling and analyses of BLLs. Data collection for the surveillance system started in September 2023. Through collaborations, UiT also has access to other lead-related data such as BLLs from over 10,000 mothers and 500 mother and child pairs collected from 2021 to date. This project will make use of both available and continuously collected data on BLLs to study the extent of lead exposure in pregnant women and children in Georgia, study geographical differences in BLLs and identify risk factors and possible exposure routes for lead in Georgian children.ContactFor further information about the position and project, please contact Professor Karin Charlotta Maria Rylander:
  • Email:
  • Phone: +47 77 64 48 31
QualificationsThe main emphasis in the assessment will be on the applicant's academic work. Experience in dissemination, academic policy, and administrative activities will also be considered.The candidate must have a PhD degree in the field of epidemiology or public health. Knowledge of environmental contaminants and experience in conducting research with health registries are advantageous, but not a requirement. Project initiation and leadership experience will also be counted as assets as well as a medical background. The candidate must have experience in statistical analysis and proficiency in using statistical software like STATA or R. Experience with qualitative research methods will be considered positive.The candidate must have excellent oral and written communication skills in English. Experience with writing scientific publications in English is also a requirement. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma. Knowledge of the Georgian language is a desired asset since the candidate will carry out field work in Georgia. We are seeking a highly motivated and responsible candidate who:
  • Can work independently
  • Has excellent analytical skills
  • Has great work capacity and enthusiasm for research
The candidate must also be highly motivated by cross-cultural collaborations, and adaptable to different work environments. Possessing the personal skills mentioned above will be highly emphasized.To achieve a targeted use of the postdoctoral position, and to strengthen the employee’s career development, a development plan must be available no later than three months after the appointment contract is signed. The development plan must be approved by the immediate leader with personnel responsibility.At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment ( ).Inclusion and diversityUiT The Arctic University i 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 is 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 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
  • Exciting work tasks in an interdisciplinary research field.
  • 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
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 which also include .More practical information for working and living in Norway can be found here:ApplicationYour application must include:
  • Application letter, explaining your motivation to apply for the position, research interests, and relevant education
  • CV containing a complete overview of education, experience, and professional work
  • Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
  • Documentation of
  • Contact information to 3 references, including your PhD supervisor
  • A list of your academic production
  • Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important
  • The academic works you wish us to take into consideration in the assessment
  • Your PhD thesis
In order to achieve a targeted use of the postdoctoral position, and to strengthen the employee’s career development, a development plan must be available no later than three months after the appointment contract is signed. The development plan must be approved by the immediate leader with personnel responsibility.Qualification with a PhD is required before commencement in the position. If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. You must have dissertated before the start-up date of the position.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. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.AssessmentThe 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.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. A trial lecture may also be held.General informationThe appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find .The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: .The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.Eallju - Developing the High NorthUiT The Arctic University of Norway is a multi-campus research university and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.The Faculty of Health Sciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway represents a newly created entity gathering almost all possible health study programs. This facilitates an unique interdisciplinarity and innovation in health education and research. We work closely with the services in the North to solve tomorrow's challenges.Read more about us at

Universitetet i Tromsø