PhD Fellow in Pharmacoepidemiology

About the position

At the Department of Pharmacy,The Faculty of Health Sciences there is a vacant position as a PhD fellow affiliated with the research group forclinical pharmacy and pharmacoepidemiology (IPSUM).

The position is for a period of four years. The Ph.D. studies are standardized to three years. The fourth year, distributed as 25% per year, shall be used for teaching or other career-promoting tasks by agreement. The PhD fellowship is a training position and has completed researcher training up to a doctorate as its goal. Admission to the doctoral program is a prerequisite for employment, and the study period begins upon commencement of the position.

The place of work is UiT in Tromsø. An international stay is planned during the employment period.

You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving an offer.

About the project

The research group IPSUM(Identification and Prevention of Suboptimal Use of Medication) researches various aspects of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, and pharmacoepidemiology to identify suboptimal medication use and related factors, and to promote correct medication use and management.

Our research projects range from pharmacoepidemiological studies based on data from national registries, pharmacy practice and quality studies in community pharmacies, to patient-centered studies aimed at identifying medication-related problems and developing solutions. Additionally, we conduct interdisciplinary intervention studies to investigate how healthcare professionals can best collaborate for the patient's benefit, and we work with health economic analyses to establish models for cost savings in the healthcare service.

Our research methodology includes a combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches, which we utilize as needed to illuminate our research questions.

The position is affiliated with the GENESIS project "Generating real-world evidence on early-life medication exposure and strategies to support better health outcomes across lifespan". Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are increasingly prescribed to women of childbearing age for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Clinical guidelines recommend that treatment with GLP-1RA be discontinued when planning a pregnancy. However, pregnancy can occur in women who are still using or have recently discontinued treatment with GLP-1RA. Knowledge regarding safety outcomes related to exposure to GLP-1RA in the period around conception is currently limited. The Ph.D. project will utilize linked Norwegian health registries and advanced statistical methods to develop a solid knowledge base for evidence-based recommendations regarding pregnancy planning in women treated with GLP-1RA, with the potential to improve health outcomes for both mother and child.

Applicants to the position must submit a short project description of the academic foundation for the doctoral project. The project description must not exceed 1000 words, including literature references. It must contain a short introduction to the topic, research questions, and a reasoned proposal for the method. The final project description will be developed in collaboration with the supervisors.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• Master's degree or equivalent in health sciences (e.g., pharmacy, medicine, nursing, psychology), statistics, public health, or similar. If you are soon to complete your master's degree, you may also apply.
• Documented good knowledge of English. Nordic applicants can document this with transcripts from upper secondary school.

A master's thesis within one of the mentioned health sciences or research experience beyond the master's thesis is an advantage, but not a requirement.

In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on the applicant's potential to complete researcher training based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific works. The project description will also be taken into consideration. In addition, professional practice and other experience of significance for the conduct of the doctoral studies will be taken into account.

In the evaluation, we will also emphasize personal suitability and motivation for the position.

We are looking for candidates who, among other things:

• Are structured, accurate, and preferably creative
• Work independently
• Have good collaborative skills
• Possess good communication and interaction skills with pharmacy staff, colleagues, and students
• Possess and desire to contribute to a good working environment

As many as possible should be given the opportunity to undergo researcher training. If you have already achieved a doctorate or have equivalent competence, you are not eligible for employment in this position.

Admission to the Ph.D. program

For employment as a PhD fellow, it is a prerequisite that you are admitted to the Ph.D. program at The Faculty of Health Sciences and that you participate in organized doctoral studies during the employment period.

Admission normally requires that the applicant has:

• A Bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a Master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated Master's degree of 300 ECTS.
• A Master's thesis with a scope equivalent to 30 ECTS or more if the applicant has a Master's degree of 120 ECTS.
• A Master's thesis with a scope equivalent to 20 ECTS or more if the applicant has an integrated Master's degree of 300 ECTS.

The applicant must have a grade of C or better on the Master's thesis and as a grade point average for the Master's degree. A more detailed description of the admission requirements can be found here.

If you meet the admission requirements and are employed in the position, you will simultaneously receive provisional admission to the Ph.D. program. The application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after commencement of the position.

For applicants with an international educational background, it will be assessed whether the education is equivalent to Norwegian higher education at the Master's level. The assessment follows national approval practice; see The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Applicants with education from certain countries must have more higher education to fulfill the admission requirements, for example, a 4-year Bachelor's and a 2-year Master's. UiT normally approves international higher education from countries that have ratified the Lisbon Convention.

Inclusive working life and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway has a personnel policy goal to be an employer that reflects the diversity of society and that utilizes the potential in the population's collective competence. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and we want employees with different competencies, combinations of subjects, life experiences, and perspectives.

If you have a disability, gaps in your CV, or an immigrant background, we encourage you as an applicant to check this in the job application portal. If there are qualified applicants, we call in at least one from each group for an interview, and if you get the job, we will make arrangements for you if you need it. Beyond selecting the right candidates, we do not use the checkboxes for anything other than anonymized statistics. Read more in the Employer Portal: arbeidsgiver.dfo.no/strategisk-hr/inkluderingsarbeid/bli-bedre-pa-rekruttering/hvordan-skrive-stillingsannonser-som-inkluderer/positiv-saerbehandling-nar-man-soker-jobb-i-staten

We offer

• You will become part of an exciting research project
• Good career opportunities
• A good working environment with dedicated colleagues
• Good welfare schemes
• Good pension, insurance, and loan schemes in Statens pensjonskasse
• PhD fellows normally receive 580,000 NOK in annual salary with a 3% increase per year

The application

Please note that the application is only assessed based on the attachments submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you attach all necessary documents that show your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter with a description of your research interests and motivation for the position
• CV
• Official transcripts for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the original language
• Official grade transcripts for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the original language
• Official translation of transcripts and grade sheets into English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• An explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English language skills. Nordic applicants can document this with transcripts from upper secondary school.
• 2 references with contact information
• The Master's thesis, and any other scientific works
• Project description (Maximum 1000 words, including literature references.)

Documented completed Master's degree is a condition for commencing the position. You can still apply if you are close to submitting or have recently submitted your Master's thesis. You must attach a draft of the thesis and a statement from the supervisor or the institution regarding when the thesis is expected to be completed. You must submit transcripts for the degree, even if it is not completed.

All documentation to be assessed must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If documentation of English language skills is missing at the time of application, it must be documented before commencement.

Assessment

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to perform an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the application documents and the announcement text. All applicants will receive a copy of the expert committee's assessment.

Applicants who are assessed to be the most qualified will be called for an interview. The interview shall, among other things, clarify personal suitability and motivation for the position.

General information

Employment takes place in accordance with the rules and terms that at any time apply to state employees, and guidelines at UiT. On our websites, you will find more information for applicants to positions at UiT.

A PhD fellow position is remunerated according to the state's regulatory code 1017. From the salary, a 2% contribution is deducted to Statens pensjonskasse. You will become a member of Statens pensjonskasse, which gives you many benefits in addition to lifelong old-age pension and AFP: 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 are insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you get good terms on home loans. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

A shorter employment period may be given if the PhD fellow has already completed parts of their researcher training program, or when the employment is based on previous employment in a training position, so that the total time for researcher training becomes three years.

Personal data provided is processed in accordance with the Act on the Processing of Personal Data. Applicants can request not to be listed on the public applicant list, but the university may nonetheless decide that the applicant's name shall be made public. The applicant will then be notified prior to publication.

In the event of any discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English versions of this announcement text, the English version shall prevail.

About the employer:

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a comprehensive university that contributes to knowledge-based development regionally, nationally, and internationally. We shall utilize our central location in the Arctic regions, our academic breadth and quality, and our interdisciplinary advantages to meet future challenges.

Credibility, academic freedom, proximity, creativity, and engagement shall characterize the relationship between employees, between employees and students, and between UiT and partners.

The Faculty of Health Sciences at UiT The Arctic University of Norway is a national innovation that brings together most health-related educations. This facilitates unique interdisciplinarity and innovation in health-related education and research. We work closely with services in the north to solve tomorrow's challenges.

Read more about us at uit.no/helsefak