About the position

There are two new PhD/Postdoc positions available at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Faculty for Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU in Trondheim, Norway from autumn 2020 onward. The work carried out in this project will be financed by the Research Council of Norway’s Centre of Excellence Scheme and an Independent Researcher Grant. If successful, the candidates will be offered a three-year PhD position or a post-doctoral fellowship lasting 2-4 years.

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. It was established as a Centre of Excellence in 2002 and designated as a Kavli Foundation Institute in 2007 (www.kavlifoundation.org). The scientific goal of the Institute is to increase the understanding of neural circuits and systems along with their role in generating psychological functions. Through our widespread network of international collaboration, we offer unique career opportunities. For further information, see: www.ntnu.edu/kavli.

Duties of the position

The Whitlock group (https://www.whitlocklab.org/) at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience (https://www.ntnu.edu/kavli) has an opening for two outstanding PhD/Postdoc candidates in behavioral neurophysiology. The successful candidates are expected to perform neural recordings in a laboratory setting while tracking multiple aspects of animal behavior. They should have a good intuition for rodent behavior, steady hands, and strong motivation for analyzing large neural & behavioral datasets. The project will advance the group’s recent work measuring neural tuning to body posture (published in Science), with the present aims of understanding (i) how dynamic posture affects sensory processing in visual cortex, or (ii) how limbic cortical systems integrate egocentric & allocentric representation. As a member of the Whitlock group, the positions will likely interact with the group of Assoc. Prof. Benjamin Dunn in the NTNU mathematics department, with whom we collaborate on statistics and machine learning.

Required selection criteria

Postdoctoral fellow:

Completion of a Norwegian doctoral degree (or foreign doctoral degree recognized as the equivalent) in neuroscience or related quantitative science discipline.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result. It is imperative that the candidate can communicate effectively in English, both orally and written.

PhD candidate:

Completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in neuroscience, animal behavior, other area of quantitative sicence or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. It is imperative that the candidate can communicate effectively in English, both orally and written.

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, post doctor and research assistant.

Preferred selection criteria

• Prior experience recording from awake behaving animals (the current projects will utilize Neuropixels probes)
• Experience with computational and statistical methods for analysis.
• Analysis of behavioural and/or neurophysiological data.
• Post-doc candidates should be able to document prior productivity (e.g. publications, abstracts, conference proceedings).

Personal characteristics

In the evaluation, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability in relation to the qualifications specified in the advertisement. We will place great emphasis on the candidate’s motivation for the position in addition to:

• strong personal initiative, self-motivation and work ethic
• the ability to work collaboratively to accomplish common research goals
• being solution-oriented, able to solve problems independently
• responding to direction & research strategy

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 fellowship:

The employment period is 2-4 years.

Postdoctoral candidates are placed in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 542 400 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

PhD candidate:

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Should you be short-listed, validation for admission as a PhD will be checked with NTNU. A condition of appointment is that you are qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months. As a PhD candidate, will participate in an organized PhD programme through the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience during the employment period.

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 whose applications conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. It is also to be understood that after the appointment there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with (i) current CV, (ii) statement of research interest, (iii) diplomas and certificates, (iv) at least one letter of recommendation. Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts, and references may be contacted.

The application must include the following:

• Information about education background and work experience.
• A short research statement explaining the experience and the interest of the candidate for the research topic and describing the relevance of the candidate’s background to the research project (maximum 1 page).
• Any relevant publications. Joint work will only be considered provided that a short summary outlining the applicant's contributions is attached.
• Certified copies of relevant transcripts and diplomas. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway which describes in detail the program of study, the grading system, and the rights to further studies associated with the degree obtained. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI): http://www.chsi.com.cn/en/).
• Contact information for the candidate’s references.
• Should it be deemed necessary, documentation of proficiency in the English language (equivalent to a TOEFL score of 600 or more).

Application deadline: 30.09.2020

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.

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

General information

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. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

Questions about the positions can be directed to Associate Professor Jonathan Whitlock: Phone +47 4516 4390, e-mail jonathan.whitlock@ntnu.no

For information about the recruitment process, you can contact HR-consultant Ole Kristian Indergård, e-mail ole.k.indergaard@ntnu.no

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI).

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number when applying.

Application deadline: 30.09.2020

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.

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. It was established as a Centre of Excellence in 2002, and designated as a Kavli Foundation Institute in 2007 (www.kavlifoundation.org). The scientific goal of the Institute is to increase the understanding of neural circuits and systems along with their role in generating psychological functions.

Today, the Institute consists of the Centre for Neuronal Computation (CNC) as well as the Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two of the Institute’s professors, Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser. The Institute is responsible for an international master's programme and is affiliated with a doctoral programme in medicine. Through our widespread network of international collaboration, we offer unique career opportunities. For further information, see: www.ntnu.edu/kavli.

Deadline 30th September 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 jobs)
Duration Temporary
Jobbnorge ID 191559