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PhD Research Fellow in Hydrology and Climate Impacts in Mountain Regions
There is a vacancy for a PhD Research Fellow in Hydrology and Climate Impacts in Mountain Regions at the Department of Earth Science and the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of BergenThe position is for a fixed-term period of 3 years, with the possibility of a 4th year contingent upon additional work (e.g., teaching duties at the Department). The position is affiliated with the Centre for Mountains in Transition (CMT), a new interdisciplinary research centre based at the University of Bergen, funded by the Trond Mohn Foundation (TMF) and the University of Bergen.
About the project/work tasks:
CMT is dedicated to understanding and addressing the impacts of climate and environmental change in mountain regions. With a primary focus on the Scandinavian mountains, CMT brings together climate science, ecology, hydrology, geoscience, and social sciences to explore how mountain systems are changing—and how we can build resilience for the future. Mountains are sensitive to global change. Increasing temperatures, melting glaciers, shifting precipitation and snow patterns, changing biodiversity, and increasing human pressures are transforming these landscapes. CMT aims to generate cutting-edge knowledge and practical solutions to safeguard mountain ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Through four interconnected research themes—Trends, Seasonality, Extremes, and Resilience—CMT investigates long-term environmental changes, seasonal dynamics, extreme events, and strategies for sustainable mountain management. The centre collaborates closely with stakeholders, including national parks, local communities, and industry partners, ensuring that research is relevant, actionable, and impactful. The University of Bergen hosts CMT in collaboration with NORCE, NMBU, and other national and international partners.
This PhD project examines how glacier retreat and climate variability alter the terrestrial water cycle and impact hydroclimatic extremes—particularly floods—in mountain catchments. The goal is to understand long-term changes in runoff regimes and flood hazards by combining climate-driven (glacier-)hydrological modelling with reconstructions of past flood events. The candidate will apply (glacier-)hydrological models to simulate glacier-/snow- mass balance, runoff and extreme events from the past centuries (~1500) to the end of this century, using bias-corrected and downscaled climate data as input. The reconstruction of past floods from lake sediment records will be used to compare with model outputs, which will assess the models’ ability to reproduce long-term flood variability. This comparison will provide a basis for more robust future risk projections under different climate scenarios. The project will explore how glacier extent, snow cover, and catchment characteristics influence streamflow dynamics. This work will support and align with other research works in the CMT, including those focused on seasonal runoff in glacierised areas, as well as mountain resilience. The candidate will be part of the Centre for Mountains in Transition (CMT), embedded in a multidisciplinary team with expertise in Earth science, climatology, glaciology, and hydrology. The project will also collaborate with national agencies such as the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE), providing strong applied relevance and access to high-quality glacier and hydrological data.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
- Applicants must hold a master’s degree or equivalent education in Earth Science, Hydrology, Glaciology, Meteorology, Environmental Sciences, Climate Science, Geoscience, or a closely related field. Master’s students may apply if they complete their degree by 01.01.2026. Employment is conditional on the degree being awarded.
- Demonstrated experience with hydrological and/or cryospheric modelling, preferably at catchment or regional scales, is a requirement
- Strong skills in statistical analysis and the handling of large spatiotemporal datasets is a requirement.
- Proficiency in relevant programming languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB, R) is a requirement.
- Familiarity with downscaling and bias correction of climate data (e.g., from CMIP/PMIP) is an advantage.
- Experience with paleoenvironmental data or sediment-based climate proxies (e.g., lake cores, flood layers) is an advantage.
- Applicants must be able to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.
- Applicants must have excellent communication skills in English, both written and oral.
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 a period of 3 years. The deadline for applying for admission to the PhD programme at The Faculty of Science and Technology 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 a PhD research fellow (code 1017) in the state salary scale. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 568 700. Further salary increases are made according to the length of service in the position.
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Good welfare benefits
Your application must include:
- A cover letter outlining your motivation for applying for the position (1 page max).
- The names and contact information for two referees. One of these should be the primary advisor for the master’s thesis or its equivalent.
- CV
- Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have not yet completed your master’s degree, please submit a statement from your institution confirming the expected date of award of your master’s degree. Your master’s degree must be documented with transcripts and/or diploma before starting in the position.
- relevant certificates/references
- approved documentation of proficiency in English (if required, cf English language requirements for PhD admission)
- a list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge.
General information:
For further details about the position, please contact Researcher Lu Li, NORCE, (luli@norceresearch.no / +47 56 10 75 35).
For HR related questions, contact Adviser Mathilde Høgalmen (mathilde.hogalmen@uib.no)
Diversity is a strength that enables us to tackle our tasks even more effectively. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, 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 requested not to be included 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 CVs 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.
Further information about the employment process can be found here.
Life as a PhD candidate at UiB
Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.
About UiB
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.
There are seven departments and several centres at Faculty of Science and Technology. Read more about the faculty and departments.
