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PhD Position in Monitoring of Drainage Systems for Roads

Employer
NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Closing date
8 Mar 2020

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Academic Discipline
Engineering & Technology, Civil Engineering
Job Type
Academic Posts, Postdocs
Contract Type
Temporary
Hours
Full Time

About the project

The vision of Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA, Norw.: Statens vegvesen) is to contribute to national goals for the transportation system being safe, promoting added value in society and change towards lower global emission. The road system in Norway represents a very large value, and maintenance of the existing roads will in the coming years be given priority compared to new large road investments.

The Norwegian National Transport Plan is aimed towards mobility, traffic safety, climate and environment conditions. To meet the target for a high-quality road infrastructure it is important to choose effective maintenance actions within operation, maintenance and rehabilitation. Hence, the development of new technology and new digital concepts is essential to enable a more efficient monitoring and analysis of road objects and road network condition and qualifies the use of information across areas of expertise to improve sector vise all proficiency.

Today there is a technology shift taking place towards a more digitalized society. This technology shift will contribute to the overall goals for safety, low emissions and increased resource efficiency. The Vision of NTNU is Knowledge for a better world and is addressing this goal in education, research and innovation. In transportation, NTNU has an extensive activity in several relevant engineering fields connected to infrastructure, maintenance and digitalization. 

NPRA established a research and development project with the title "Smarter maintenance". In this project on road maintenance and road infrastructure will be a close cooperation between the domain knowledge in civil, transport and structural engineering, the enabling technologies in digitalization and maintenance besides economics. The cooperation will take place within thematic areas related to condition registration, data analysis and modelling, Big data, artificial intelligence, strategic analysis and planning, maintenance, social economics and Innovation. The need and possibilities for innovation is high in this research program where 7 PhD candidates in several engineering fields are meeting to solve specific challenges connected to maintenance of transportation infrastructure.

Cluster establishment ensures close cooperation between PhD-candidates, supervisors, NPRA-experts and master/bachelor students.

We are seeking candidates being motivated for the multidisciplinary approach and the innovation focus in an area of large national and international importance.

About the position

We have a vacancy for a PhD position at Department of Civil and environmental engineering. To contribute to a well functioning drainage system for roads this PhD study will focus on:

  • Analyzing the condition of culverts and other drainage elements by using remote sensing equipment like Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
  • Develop and test instrumentation methods for drainage elements
  • Develop automated methods for analyzing new data from measurements and sensors as decision support for infrastructure owners

The position reports to Professor Inge Hoff.

Main duties and responsibilities

  • Independently set up research plans and conduct them accordingly
  • Take lead in writing research papers under supervision
  • Contribute in supervising master students within the field
  • Comply with the PhD training programme of the Faculty
  • Establish close cooperation with the other PhD candidates within the “Smarter Maintenance program”

Qualification requirements

PhD candidate:

Essential qualifications:

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree.

  •  A relevant Master’s Degree in Civil engineering
  • Work experience within pavements and/or drainage systems
  • Programming experience
  • Strong analytical capabilities
  • Good understanding of the connection between technology, process and human interaction
  • Fluent in English language, good written and oral communications skills

Candidates completing their MSc-degree in the Spring 2020 are encouraged to apply. The position is also open for integrated PhD for NTNU students starting their final year of their Master’s Degree in Autumn 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

Desirable qualifications:

  • Evidence of ability to handle large complex datasets will be seen in a positive light
  • Exposure to social science research, econometrics, and/or operations research will be evaluated positively
  • Basic Scandinavian language skills are considered an advantage, but not a requirement

Personal characteristics

  • Innovation driven, enthusiastic and ambitious
  • Self-motivated, focused and goal-oriented    
  • Ability to solve complex technical tasks independently
  • Excellent collaboration with different disciplines

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

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

We offer

Salary and conditions

PhD candidate:

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600 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 3 years without required duties. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Engineering Cybernetics. 

As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

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

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.

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life (http://trondheim.com/). Having a population of 200 000, Trondheim is a small city by international standards with low crime rates and little pollution. It also has easy access to a beautiful countryside with mountains and a dramatic coastline.

Questions about the position can be directed to Professor Inge Hoff, e-mail inge.hoff@ntnu.no.

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.

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): http://www.chsi.com.cn/en/).

Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters.

Please refer to the application number IV-78/20 when applying.

Application deadline: 08.03.2020

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.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

We conduct research and teaching in civil and transportation engineering, technical planning, structural engineering, water and wastewater engineering and hydraulic engineering. Graduates from our programmes become employees – in both the public and private sectors – with a sustainability mindset combined with competitive knowledge and skills. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 8th March 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

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