About the position

Two postdoctoral research fellowships within sound processing are available at the Department of Electronic Systems (IES) and Department of Engineering Cybernetics (ITK), Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). The positions are affiliated with the Artificial Pancreas Trondheim (APT) research group.

The long-term aim of the APT research group is to establish a robust artificial pancreas by combining continuous intraperitoneal (IP) glucose sensing, IP insulin delivery, and robust control algorithms. APT currently has two large research projects "Double Intraperitoneal Artificial Pancreas" and "Listening to the patients – Analysis of body sounds for diagnostics and monitoring" in the Centre for Digital Life Norway funded by the Research Council of Norway. The candidates will be part of an interdisciplinary research team with broad expertise in medicine (endocrinology, pharmacology, anesthesia and comparative medicine), biomedical cybernetics (modeling, identification and control), biosensor technology, and optical spectroscopy.

The positions are supervised by Professor Dag Roar Hjelme, Professor Øyvind Stavdahl, Associate Professor Anders Lyngvi Fougner and other APT faculty members.

The prospective startup for both positions is early 2020.

Main duties and responsibilities

These positions will develop sound processing methods related to health diagnostics and monitoring, with main focus on sounds from the digestive system and from the lungs. The primary target groups are patients with diabetes mellitus and patients with lung disease.

Qualification requirements

A postdoctoral research fellowship is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions.

The following qualification requirements are necessary for the announced postdoc positions:

• Completion of a Norwegian doctoral degree (or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree) within physics, computer science, electrical or electronics engineering, control engineering, biomedical engineering, or similar fields.
• Strong proficiency in oral and written English.
• Strong skills in at least two of the following fields:
  • Digital signal processing.
  • Pattern recognition.
  • Machine learning.
  • Data driven (statistics based) modelling.
  • Mechanistic (physics based) modelling.

Other qualifications

The following qualifications are desirable:

• Experience in:
  • Sound processing or speech recognition.
  • Acoustics.
  • Management and analysis of big data.
  • 3D ultrasound.
  • Biomedical instrumentation.
• Knowledge of biology in general and human physiology in particular.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to start within Winter/Spring 2020.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, postdoctor and research assistant.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

Personal characteristics

Applicants are required to justify their candidacy by explicitly explaining their personal motivation and academic aptitude.

This position is within a highly inter-disciplinary group. As a result, the candidate must be able to articulate her/his ideas and be open to those well outside her/his comfort zone.

Academic results, publications, relevant specialization, work or research experience, personal qualifications, and motivation and a desire to make an impact on critical societal problems will be considered when evaluating the applicants.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

Postdoctoral candidates are remunerated in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 523 200 before tax per year. From the salary, 2 % is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 2.5 years for each of the two positions.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criterias in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

General information

About the departments

The Department of Engineering Cybernetics (Institutt for teknisk kybernetikk, ITK) has 27 professors, 16 adjunct professors, about 27 postdocs and researchers as well as 70 PhD candidates. Approximately 160 candidates graduate annually from the three MSc programs in cybernetics, which comprise over 700 students in total. Also, about 35 candidates graduate annually from the BSc study in electrical engineering with specialization in automation.

The research and educational activities at ITK include both fundamental and applied activities in areas such as automatic control and systems theory; estimation and optimization; cyber-physical systems; autonomous unmanned vehicles; robotics; ships and marine systems; process control; smart grids; offshore renewable energy; automated drilling; biomedical technology; safety-critical systems; embedded and real-time systems; systems engineering; and fisheries and aquaculture cybernetics.

The Department of Electronic Systems (Institutt for elektroniske systemer, IES) currently employs 45 professors/associate professors, 70 PhD students, 25 researchers/postdocs and 25 engineering/administrative positions.

IES has the principal responsibility for education and research in electronics at NTNU. IES encompasses research and education within the areas of photonics, electronic devices and materials, acoustics, radio systems, signal processing, circuit and systems design (https://www.ntnu.edu/ies/research).

IES has an international profile with a strong ambition to be a leading international research unit within its field, and the department is involved in numerous externally funded research projects. IES works strategically to increase our research activities, and we aim to strengthen our capability and capacity through this position.

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

About the application:

Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the individual applicant's contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution.

Specifically, attach one significant academic publication where you are first author. Describe your contribution to this publication, and briefly (max. ½ page) describe its scientific impact.

Please provide at least two references (incl. email and phone number) who are familiar with your academic career.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates.

Please refer to the application number 2019/33591 when applying.

Applicants are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement or a similar document, which describes in detail the study and grading system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree.

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Anders Fougner, email: Anders.Fougner@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 03 November 2019.

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Engineering Cybernetics (ITK)

Engineering cybernetics is the study of automatic control and monitoring of dynamic systems. We develop the technologies of tomorrow through close cooperation with industry and academia, both in Norway and internationally. The Department contributes to the digitalization, automation and robotization of society. The Department of Engineering Cybernetics is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.

Deadline 3rd November 2019
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 stillinger)
Duration Project
Place of service Trondheim