Simula Research Laboratory AS

Position ID:

Simula-PHD [#28032]

Position Title:

PhD Position in Structure-Preserving Methods for Variational Inequalities

Position Type:

Fellowship or award

Position Location:

Oslo, Oslo 0164, Norway

Appl Deadline:

2026/03/08 11:59PM help popup

(posted 2026/01/28, listed until 2026/03/08)

Position Description:

We are pleased to announce a new PhD Research Fellowship in the Department of Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing at Simula Research Laboratory (Simula) for a highly-motivated and self-driven PhD student with strong intellectual curiosity and interest in numerical methods for variational inequalities. The position is part of the newly funded FRIPRO project The Latent Variable Proximal Point Method: A structure-preserving approach to constrained variational problems funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN) (2026-2029).

Simula is a leading Norwegian research institute known for its excellence in cutting-edge ICT with a strong track record of top evaluations, active international collaborations, and success in significant funding initiatives, including European and National RCN grants. Simula is committed to supporting talent through a variety of PhD and postdoctoral programs and provides valuable research infrastructure, such as the national HPC facility, eX3.

Job Description

We are looking for a PhD candidate to join our team to work on exciting new topics in the numerical analysis of constrained variational problems with pointwise inequality constraints such as elliptic and parabolic variational inequalities, nondivergence form nonlinear PDE, and select problems from PDE-constrained optimization. At Simula, the candidate will work in the research team led by Thomas M. Surowiec, which will include a postdoctoral fellow working on similar topics, two adjunct professors, and several international partners. The PhD candidate will also be expected to be enrolled in the PhD program at the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oslo, a premier European research environment that combines a rich academic heritage with a forward-looking focus on innovation in pure and applied mathematics. A strong background in mathematics is essential.

The successful PhD candidate is expected to carry out research in the following general focus areas:

Computational methods for evolutionary variational inequalities.
Numerical analysis of evolutionary variational inequalities.
Nonsmooth gradient flows and evolutionary Γ-convergence

Desired Skill Sets and Competencies criteria

We will consider candidates who have completed (or will have completed by June 2026) a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Computational Science, or Physics with a strong theoretical component. The successful candidate will have a solid theoretical foundation in one or more of the topics: Optimization, Calculus of Variations, Numerical Analysis, or Scientific Computing. Proficiency in a high-level programming language (e.g., Python, Julia, C++) is essential.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. Please read the PhD program information and the specific grade and language admission requirements.

For more information about the position, Simula, and all application details, please read the full announcement.

We are not accepting applications for this job through MathJobs.Org right now. Please apply at https://www.simula.no/careers/job-openings/phd-position-in-structure-preserving-methods-for-variational-inequalities .

Contact: Thomas Surowiec

Email: email address

Postal Mail:

: Kristian Augusts gate 23
0164 Oslo
Norway

Web Page: simula.no