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PhD position
There is a vacancy for a PhD position in System Dynamics at the Department of Geography.
About the project/work tasks:

The position is part of the Belmont Forum project “ComDisp: Community-Centered Modeling of Housing-Related Health Disparities.” ComDisp develops a grassroots modeling framework to predict health disparities under different climate change scenarios. Addressing housing-related health risks in the USA, Vietnam, Turkey, and Ecuador, the project integrates community engagement, data science, and computational modeling. The key objectives of ComDisp are:

• Identifying and understanding housing, air quality, and respiratory health issues in each case study.
• Linking climate change models to housing, air quality, and respiratory health outcomes.
• Designing a grassroots scenario-planning process.
• Exploring and analyzing housing and health issues under climate scenarios through interactive tools and resources.

This PhD position is part of a Norway-Vietnam collaboration, funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN). The successful candidate will use public health data from Vietnam to develop hybrid agent-based and system dynamics models. These models will then be adapted and applied to other ComDisp case studies in the USA, Ecuador, and Turkey.

The PhD candidate will be responsible for:

• Developing, testing, and analyzing hybrid simulation models.
• Integrating empirical health data with computational models.
• Collaborating with research partners in Vietnam and other ComDisp teams.
• Preparing reports and scientific publications.
• Frequent travel to Vietnam to work closely with local researchers and ensure seamless integration of data and models.

Applicants are expected to submit a research proposal that outlines relevant research questions and perspectives aligned with ComDisp’s objectives. To prepare a strong application, candidates are encouraged to review the full project description, which is available upon request.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• The applicant must hold a master’s degree or the equivalent in system dynamics or a related field such as economics, systems engineering, information sciences, etc. The degree must be completed by the application deadline.
• The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the master’s degree in total.
• The applicant must be proficient in both written and oral English.
• The applicant must have strong quantitative and computational foundations.
• The applicant must demonstrate a strong background and interest in multi-method dynamic simulation modeling.
• The applicant must be able to work independently and in a structured manner.
• The applicant must be able to work as a member of a multidisciplinary and multicultural research team, and demonstrate good collaborative and communication skills.
• Experience in interdisciplinary research, linking social, economic, and environmental sciences, is desirable.
• Proficiency in programming languages and software commonly used in modeling (e.g., NetLogo, AnyLogic, Mesa, InsightMaker, etc.) is desirable.
• Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the department for an interview.
About the PhD position:
The duration of the PhD position is 3 years. Starting date is August 2025.

ABOUT THE PHD TRAINING:

As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.

• Developing, testing, and analyzing hybrid simulation models.
• Integrating empirical health data with computational models.
• Collaborating with research partners in Vietnam and other ComDisp teams.
• Preparing reports and scientific publications.
• Frequent travel to Vietnam to work closely with local researchers and ensure seamless integration of data and models