About the position

A 3-year, full-time (100%) PhD position is open for an outstanding candidate to work with an interdisciplinary research team as part of the project “Personalised rehabilitation of stroke patients evaluated with multimodal quantitative tools (PROTEQT)”, funded by the Research Council of Norway. The candidate is expected to start by 1st October 2020.

Duties of the position

The candidate will work with evaluation of the effect of tailored training/rehabilitation on neuroplasticity and restoration of function in stroke patients.

Duties include:

• Training of stroke patients performing motor tasks in state-of-the-art 3D motion capture laboratories (NeXt Move core facility, INB, NTNU);
• Electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG) registration of stroke patients performing kinematic tasks in the 3D motion lab as part of tailored rehabilitation;
• Connectomics and kinematic motion analyses.
• Other duties of the candidate involve liaising with the doctors at the stroke unit, St Olav’s Hospital for the timely identification, recruitment, and follow up of stroke patients in the study.

The candidate will be part of the Sandvig group for Integrative Neuroscience (https://www.ntnu.no/inb/sandvig#/view/about), INB, NTNU and will work in close collaboration with the two postdocs working on associated connectomics studies and modelling as part of the PROTEQT project.

The candidate is expected to be fully integrated within a wider collaborative network and actively engage in relevant outreach and dissemination activities, including presentation of scientific results at national and international meetings and conferences.

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is that, by the time of appointment, you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background as described above or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you are unable to meet these criteria you may be considered only if you can document that you are particularly suitable for education leading to a PhD degree.

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.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, talented, creative scientist with a strong theoretical and practical background in the field of neuromedicine.

• Master’s degree in Neuroscience or Health Science or Movement Science or related discipline (granted, or expected completion by 01.08.20)
• A strong academic record with a weighted average grade of master’s education of B or higher, in accordance with NTNU’s grading system
• Proficiency in spoken and written English and Norwegian language skills
• Strong motivation for the position

Preferred selection criteria

Priority will be given to candidates with documented experience working with kinematic training/analysis and/or electrophysiological recordings/analysis involving human subjects. A background in computational modeling/neuroscience will be a strong advantage.

Personal characteristics

• Genuine interest in research with a high level of curiosity and willingness to learn
• Proven ability to work independently as well as in a scientific team
• Proven ability to work with interdisciplinary teams
• Problem solving skills

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

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

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.

The period of employment is 3 years 

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Medicine and Health Sciences (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmed) within three months of employment,

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 criteria 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.

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

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

The candidate’s motivation, skills and personal qualifications for the position and project should be described in a short application letter. The application should contain the following attachments:

• Applicants’ CV (including list of publications and relevant former positions) and copy of relevant transcripts and diplomas.
• Short statement from a former supervisor/tutor/teacher.
• Contact information for two references (including email addresses and telephone number)
• For applicants from non-English speaking countries: documentation of English competence (see section above)
• Other relevant information/attachments.

Chosen applicants will be invited to an interview.

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.

For further information about the position, contact: Associate Professor Axel Sandvig MD, PhD e-mail: axel.sandvig@ntnu.no

For further information about the application process, contact:HR Adviser Bente Kristin Årbogen Andersen, e-mail: bente.k.a.andersen@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. 

Application deadline: 10.08.2020

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 Department of Neuroscience and Movement Science (INB) is an ambitious department in strong development. Great diversity in medicine and health disciplines is a hallmark of the department. We give priority to social relevance and quality in both education and research.

Several of our groups of researchers and teaching staff are at the forefront of their fields in Norway and internationally. Our ambition: “Through interdisciplinary collaboration, INB creates forward-looking education and research that lead the way in improving health and function.”
Read more about the Department here: www.ntnu.edu/inb

Deadline 10th August 2020
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Jobbnorge ID 188695