PhD Fellow in Pharmacy Practice – UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Application Deadline: 24 May 2026 – 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

A PhD position is available at the Department of Pharmacy (IFA), Faculty of Health Sciences with the Clinical pharmacy and pharmacoepidemiology drug – IPSUM.

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The research group

The IPSUM (Identification and Prevention of Suboptimal Use of Medication) research group perform research within various facets of pharmacy practice, clinical pharmacy, and pharmacoepidemiology to identify suboptimal use of medications and related factors, and promote appropriate medication use and management.

Our research projects range from pharmacoepidemiologic investigations that use data from national registries, pharmacy practice and quality studies in community pharmacies, to patient-centered studies aimed at identifying medication-related problems and devising solutions. Additionally, we conduct interdisciplinary intervention studies to determine the most effective ways for healthcare professionals to collaborate in the best interest of the patient, and we delve into health economics to establish models for cost savings in healthcare.

Our research methodology encompasses a blend of both quantitative and qualitative approaches, which we employ as necessary to explore our research inquiries.

The project 

The position is affiliated with the project Quality Indicators in Pharmacies. The pharmaceutical profession, the pharmacy sector, regulatory authorities, and service users have long discussed the possibility of establishing quality indicators in pharmacies.

The overarching aim of the research project is to develop and implement quality indicators that measure the quality of services in pharmacies. The project will be organised into three distinct work packages, the first of which will comprise a review article examining methods for validating quality indicators in general, and for pharmacies in particular. The two remaining work packages will employ quantitative methods to test and validate quality indicators in Norwegian pharmacies, and to investigate the quality in Norwegian pharmacies. To date, two articles have been published within the project, and a third is in progress. An abroad stay during the project period is expected.

Applicants for the position are required to submit a brief project description outlining the academic rationale for the doctoral project. The project description shall not exceed 1,000 words, including references. It must contain a brief introduction to the topic, research questions, and a justified proposal for methodology. The final project description will be developed in collaboration with the supervisors.

Qualifications

The position requires a master’s degree or equivalent in a health-related discipline (e.g. pharmacy, medicine, nursing, psychology), statistics, public health, or a related field. If you are close to completing your master’s degree, you are also welcome to apply. A master’s thesis within one of the aforementioned health disciplines or research experience beyond the master’s thesis is considered an advantage, but is not a requirement.

Applicants must have documented proficiency in English. Nordic applicants may document this with their upper secondary school diploma.

The assessment will emphasize the applicant’s potential to complete a research training programme, based on the master’s thesis or equivalent, and any other scholarly work. In addition, professional experience and other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme will be taken into consideration. The project description will also be taken into consideration.

The evaluation will also place emphasis on personal suitability and motivation for the position. We are seeking candidates who, among other things:

• Are structured, meticulous, and preferably creative
• Have a passion for quality and quality improvement
• Work independently
• Possess strong collaborative skills
• Are capable of effective communication and interaction with pharmacy staff, colleagues, and students
• Are able and willing to contribute to a positive working environment

As many candidates as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme 

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Health Sciences and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• 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 corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master’s degree of 120 ECTS. 
• A master’s thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master’s degree of 300 ECTS. 

Applicants must have a grade of C or better on the master’s thesis and have a grade point average of C or better for the master’s degree. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

If you are employed in the position, you will be provisionally admitted to the PhD programme. Application for final admission must be submitted no later than two monthsafter taking up the position. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor’s degree and a 2-year master’s degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of 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 are 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 at 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

• 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 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 550 800 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

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 National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Diploma for bachelor’s and master’s degree
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for bachelor’s and master’s degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• References with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
• Project description (maximum 1000 words)

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 

Assessment 

The 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. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

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. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. 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: spk.no.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure. 

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.

Eallju – Developing the High North

UiT 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 uit.no/helsefak

Questions about the position

Kjell H. Halvorsen, professor, +4790768688, kjell.h.halvorsen@uit.no

Beate H. Garcia, professor, +4790802361, beate.garcia@uit.no

APPLY HERE: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/297904/phd-fellow-in-pharmacy-practice