Sommerstipend
Hver sommer deles det ut sommerstipender til fremragende studenter på bachelor-nivå. Studentene vil i perioden juni – september 2026 være en del av forskergruppene ved SMN og gjennomføre et avgrenset prosjekt, se oversikt under over mulige prosjekter.
Hvert stipend er på 50.000, - kr for 6 uker. Dersom man ønsker en kortere tid, er dette mulig, og det gis da et mindre stipendbeløp. Vær oppmerksom på at stipendet er skattepliktig i henhold til norsk lov. Hver enkelt student er ansvarlig for å oppgi nødvendig informasjon relatert til skatt. Stipendet utbetales etter at oppstart er bekreftet.
Det forventes bakgrunn i kjemi, fysikk eller materialvitenskap, og studenter som planlegger å ta en mastergrad ved en av gruppene tilknyttet UiO/SMN prioriteres. Vi ønsker fortrinnsvis kandidater med gjennomsnittskarakter tilsvarende B eller bedre.
Tema for oppgavene kan ikke være del av studentenes eventuelt planlagte masterarbeid.
Det vil bli et avslutningsarrangement hvor studentene vil presentere sine prosjekter og funn.
Studenter som tidligere har mottatt et sommerstipend fra Senter for materialvitenskap og nanoteknologi er ikke kvalifisert for et andre prosjekt.
Søknadsinformasjon
Søknadsbrev og CV må være på engelsk.
Søknaden må inneholde:
- Motivasjonsbrev som bør inneholde
- motivasjon for å søke sommerstipend ved SMN.
- faglig interesse, spesifiser hvilke(t) sommerprosjekt tema(er) som passer med dine interesser. Om du er interessert i flere av temaene må du sette opp en prioritert rekkefølge.
- relevant erfaring for å gjennomføre et forskningsprosjekt.
- tilgjengelighet i perioden juni – august og om du ønsker fullt eller redusert stipend.
- CV
- Karakterutskrift for avlagte eksamener fra universitet/høyskole
Søknaden sendes på e-post til k.h.nygard@smn.uio.no. Skriv «SMN sommerstipend 2026» i emnefeltet.
Søknadsfrist: tirsdag 24. mars 2026
Aktuelle søkere kan bli invitert til en samtale.
Spørsmål?
Har du spørsmål til søknadsprosessen kan du kontakte Kristin Hubred Nygård på e-post: k.h.nygard@smn.uio.no. Skriv «SMN sommerstipend 2026 spørsmål» i emnefeltet.
Om du har faglige spørsmål til et av forskningsprosjektene kan du ta kontakt med en av personene oppgitt som veileder for hvert prosjekt.
Mulige temaer for årets sommerstipend-prosjekter
(Merk at SMN kun vil tildele et begrenset antall stipend.)
Characterization of electrically active defects in gallium oxide α- and β- polytypes
Supervisors: Orazio Samperi and Lasse Vines
Availability: June-July, August-September
Gallium oxide exists in at least five polytypes and is one of the major candidates for next generation power electronics due to the ultra-wide bandgap and high breakdown field. Among the various crystalline phases, the β-Ga2O3 is by far the state-of-the-art polymorph due to its thermal stability and the ability to grow in bulk using conventional methods. Nevertheless, other polytypes are attractive as well and the effort to achieve good quality epitaxial growth is constant with significant progress reported in recent years. For example, though metastable, with a tendency to convert to the β phase, α-Ga2O3 has gained attention due to the high bandgap and its potential optoelectronics applications, like in UV photodetectors.
In this project, we will analyse both α- and β- Ga2O3 epitaxial layers by Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) to detect the presence of electrically active defects in virgin substrates and samples exposed to ion implantation. The goal of this study is to characterize the thermal properties of deep levels and to investigate the response of the different polytypes to irradiation induced damage and intentional introduction of chemical impurities.
The candidate will work mainly at the electrical and optical characterization laboratory (e-lab) and will use the cleanroom facilities available at MiNaLab-NorFab UiO. They will be responsible for carrying out the electrical measurements and will learn how to:
- Fabricate a Schottky diode
- Use DLTS and related capacitance techniques to characterize defects in semiconductors
- Design an ion implantation study
Design of a reactor for the study of catalysts under reaction conditions with advanced spectroscopies
Supervisors: Petra Agota Szilagyi, Amani Ebrahim and Gabriel Antoine Alexandre Jeantelot
Availability: June (week 2nd and 3rd week), July, August and September
Heterogeneous catalysis literally surrounds us, over 90% of products around us will have gone through at least one catalytic cycle in their lifetimes. However, we have precious little understanding of how catalysts behave at the atomic scale under reaction conditions. Using advanced spectroscopies, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy at large-scale experimental facilities, such as the European Synchrotron Light Source in Grenoble France, we can study catalyst behaviour under chemically and industrially relevant conditions. The successful applicant will partake in a 6-weeks project in collaboration with spectroscopists and engineers to develop a specialist reactor, enabling the direct study of the chemical state and coordination sphere of solid catalysts operating in the solution phase.
First photoemission microscopy at UiO
Supervisors: Justin Wells
Availability: June – September 2026
This project involves the first demonstration of photoemission microscopy at UiO. MiNaLab and the section for “solid state physics and quantum technology” has recently received “quantum infrastructure” funding from the government to build a photoemission microscope. The instrument was test assembled in Germany in December, and and then been disassembled and shipped to us at UiO MiNaLab where we are rebuilding it in a slightly different configuration. In this project, we will carry out the first real measurements using this instrument and demonstrate its capabilities at measuring both real-space microscopy (like conventional electron microscopes), as well as mapping of (k-resolved) electronic band structure. The final goal of the project is to set up a demonstration and invite people to see the instrument performing live measurements.
Growth of vertical, TEM-compatible In₂O₃−Ga₂O₃ Thin Film Material Libraries by combinatorial PLD and their microstructural characterization
Supervisors: Javier Garcia Fernandez, Marte Løvoll and Holger von Wenckstern
Availability: June – July – August 2026
Group III sesquioxides, particularly In₂O₃ and Ga₂O₃, are wide-bandgap semiconductors with high potential for advanced optoelectronics and power electronics. This project uses a novel segmented target approach for combinatorial pulsed laser deposition (PLD) to design spatially-addressable material libraries with continuous vertical composition gradients. By growing a film that transitions from 100% In₂O₃ at the sapphire substrate interface to 100% Ga₂O₃ at the surface -and vice versa-, we can study the entire In₂O₃-Ga₂O₃ composition diagram in a single TEM lamella. Besides, exploring the structural evolution of these materials as their chemical composition changes this method is particularly effective for strain and bandgap engineering. The student will learn about the PLD growth technique and perform a comprehensive analysis of the materials using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) at the NORTEM facilities. Key research objectives include studying the layer thickness, the crystallographic relationship between the substrate and the film, miscibility limits and the presence of structural defects. Depending on the competence demonstrated by the student, they will have the opportunity to operate the TEM under the direct supervision of their tutors, allowing them to bridge the gap between thin film synthesis and atomic-scale characterization.
New Zirconium-based oxides for dental applications
Supervisors: Anja Olafsen Sjåstad and Asbjørn Slagtern Fjellvåg
Availability: June, July (1st week) , August (3rd + 4th week), September
Zirconium-based oxides (ZrO₂) is a leading choice in dental materials due to their exceptional strength, durability, and natural tooth-like appearance. These advanced ceramics combine high fracture resistance with excellent biocompatibility, making them ideal for crowns, bridges, and implants. Their superior wear resistance and low plaque affinity also support long-term oral health, while modern formulations offer enhanced translucency for highly aesthetic results. The successful candidate will work on synthesis (citric acid method) and characterization (SEM-EDS and XRD) of a new generation zirconium-based oxides, a joint effort between NIOM (Nordic Institute of Dental Materials; NIOM - NIOM) and SMN.
Novel electrode materials for industrial scale water electrolysis and green fuel production
Supervisors: Athanasios Chatzitakis and Amir Masoud Dayaghi
Availability: June – September 2026
The EU-funded REFINE project focuses on advancing next-generation materials and technologies for sustainable fuel production powered by renewables. Within this framework, we aim to develop and optimize perovskite-coated nickel foam electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis and green hydrogen production. Nickel foam provides a highly porous, conductive scaffold with large electrochemically active surface area, while perovskite oxides offer tunable electronic structure and catalytic activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The student will participate in synthesis and coating of perovskite materials for the OER and perform structural characterization, electrochemical evaluation using polarization curves and Tafel analysis to determine overpotentials, reaction kinetics, and charge-transfer behavior. The project offers hands-on experience in electrocatalysis, materials chemistry, and electrochemical measurements directly connected to our ongoing EU research activities with 9 partners across Europe. The student will work in close collaboration with PhD candidates involved in the REFINE project and senior researchers actively contributing to it, gaining exposure to an international research environment.