Overview

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad. At the Faculty of Medicine, four (4) open PhD positions are available along with four (4) positions for students at the Medical Student Research Programme starting 1 February 2026.

The successful candidates will be appointed full-time for a period of three (3) years or a maximum of four (4) months after completion of the PhD degree, should this be achieved by less than four years.

Part-time Option:

It is possible to combine a part-time (50 %) PhD position with another part-time (50 %) position, extending the total employment period to six (6) years. Applicants should indicate this preference in their application and ensure that both employers approve the part-time arrangement before the starting date.

The positions will be affiliated with a department at the faculty relevant for the project.

Four (4) positions are open PhD positions
The positions are available for applicants with a master`s degree relevant for the research at the faculty.

Four (4) PhD positions are designated for applicants that have participated in The Medical Student Research Program:

These positions are exclusively for participants who have completed the Medical Student Research Program. It is a requirement that you start in the position directly after the completion of your degree.
Candidates who graduate during autumn 2025 start on 1 February 2026. Candidates who graduate during spring 2026 start on 1 September 2026.

The successful candidates will be employed in a full-time (100%) position for a period of three (3) years, with the time required to complete the training component of the organized research training (PhD program) deducted, or until a maximum of four (4) months after the application period or upon completion of the PhD degree. The successful candidates will be required to work with the Medical Student Training Program for up to 20 hours per year. This work, which involves recruitment, public relations, and similar tasks, will be agreed upon with the Head of the Medical Student Research Program.

Evaluation of the applicants:

Applicants are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Applicant: The applicant’s competence, grades and relevant professional activity. Applicants must have obtained a master`s degree.
• Project: The scientific value of the project and its feasibility within the framework of the PhD program and research fellowship. 
• Research environment: The research environment’s ability to develop the candidate, relevant publication activity 
• Visits to international institutions for periods of 6-12 months will generally be valued positively. The application should include a description of how the visit abroad is integrated and how it will add value to the project

For further information about the evaluation criteria please visit here 

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• The positions are open to applicants with a professional education or a Masters’ degree relevant for research areas at the faculty.
• Please also see the requirements for English language qualifications

Organized research training (PhD programme):

A completed PhD degree is the purpose of the position. The candidate must be enrolled and complete the requirement in the PhD programme within the timeframe. The admission and final plan for the PhD programme, including a project plan outline for the training plan must be approved by the faculty no later than three months after starting the position. 

The PhD position: 

PhD positions are fixed-term positions. You cannot be employed in a PhD position for more than one fixed-term period at the same institution or have had similar employment at an institution in the region. 

At the PhD programme the teaching language is in English

Offer:

• Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment
  Salary NOK 570 000 (code 1017) in the state salary scale.
  For applicants with at least one year of employment in a position as a General Practitioner or Dentist, salary NOK 585 000 (For applicants who are licensed as medical doctors or dentists, documentation of Norwegian authorization must be submitted with the application.)
  Medical specialist starts on salary NOK 605 000 (For applicants with specialist training, a certificate of specialist approval from the Norwegian Directorate of Health must also be included.)
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include the following numbered attachments:

1. Application letter which includes the name of the project, name of supervisor(s) both main and co-supervisor(s), research group and the department where the project will be performed. The application letter should mention your motivation for a PhD-education with this project. You may apply for both open and earmarked position. Please inform us what you apply for in the application letter.
2. Project description (max 6 pages), including a summary and references, using this template. Please include area of research, research problems/questions, methods and use of theory
3. CV (max 3 pages). Use this template
4. Witnessed (certified) copies of diplomas and transcripts of all academic degrees (original) with certified translation and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language. Recognition of foreign higher education from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK – dir) concerning whether the education (bachelor and master) corresponds in scope and level to a Norwegian Master’s degree. Please see https://hkdir.no/en for more information. This will take some time and we recommend you to contact HK – dir as soon as you decide to apply for the position. If no review by the application deadline, please enclose a confirmation from HK – dir that they have received your application. Please note that the automatic recognition offered by HK-dir is not sufficient and will not be accepted as basis for admission to the PhD programme. Please also see the requirements for English language qualifications.
5. List of any scientific work (PDF) and publication with a brief overview of content and your own contribution for each of these
6. Any scientific work/publications
7. Statement from supervisors (max 1 page)
8. Main supervisor’s CV (max 4 pages) Use this template

• A description of the main supervisor`s experience with supervision (master- and PhD) must be included. The document must also contain a list of PhD and postdoctoral candidates that the main supervisor is currently main supervisor/mentor for, and that are financed by The Faculty of Medicine. Please list the names of the candidates, the start date, and the expected end date for each candidate. If you are not currently main supervisor or mentor for candidates who are funded by the Faculty of Medicine, this should be clearly stated. A person cannot supervise or act as mentor for more than four (4) PhD and/or postdocs funded by The Faculty at the same time. Please see guidelines here

  9. List of main supervisor’s publications over the last seven years

 10. Review of research group (max 1 page)

 11. Invitation letter for the candidate from a foreign institution (when a stay abroad is part of the project) where the content of the stay is stated

 12. Other relevant enclosures

Please note that we will not process your application if requested documents or information is insufficient. 

Relevant additional information (for example acceptance of submitted articles) can be forwarded until 30th of October 2025 to Selina Sia Hausberg

Also note that the course for PhD supervisors and Treatment of personal data in medical and health research are mandatory for all supervisors and mentors. These courses must be completed before the candidate can be admitted to the program.

Further information:

The main supervisor must hold a permanent position of at least 50 % at the Faculty of Medicine. Exceptions are made for persons in part-time position at the faculty, who holds a full position in Helse Vest, in NORCE or in the primary health service in Western Norway.  

The main supervisor must be employed at the faculty throughout the whole PhD period. Deviations from the rule on appointment for the entire period can be accepted, but then one must explain in the application how the supervision is to be handled by another person employed by the Faculty of Medicine. One cannot be main supervisor if retired or become emeritus within the period of the PhD position.

Please note that only one application from each main supervisor will be processed within each category (PhD and postdoctoral fellow). 

For more information regarding technical matters connected to the application process, please contact HR Adviser Selina Sia Hausberg (e-mail: selina.hausberg@uib.no, phone +47 55 58 61 42)

For more information on the positions, please contact the Dean for Research Silje Skrede (e-mail: silje.skrede@uib.no, phone:+4748 09 37 27).

University of Bergen must follow Norway’s export control regulations when processing applications for this position.

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principles of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions. Information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant must be notified if the request is not met.

Further information about our employment process can be found here.

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