About the position

We have a vacancy for a PhD candidate at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, in the water resources/hydraulic research group. 

Climate change and land use change are major environmental threats worldwide, with implications for clean water and flood controls, productivity of agricultural and forest ecosystems, and human health. In Norway, hydro-, wind and solar power with an integrated electricity grid are central to green energy production for domestic use and export, but future development requires a better understanding of the tradeoffs among different options.

The project will address two core scientific challenges identified by UN Intergovernmental Panels: i) to manage the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energies that is central to mitigating the threat of climate change (IPCC 2012), and ii) to minimize the potential effects of land use change associated with renewable energies on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES 2019).

The project will involve both data collection in the field and extensive in-house data processing with use of various analytical tools. 

You will report to supervising professor. 

Duties of the position

• Development of new methods for comparison of environmental impacts between energy technologies
• Demonstrate the use of the methods on a portfolio of energy projects
• Preparation of journal and conference papers and presentation of results on national and international conferences
• Participation in project meetings
• Involvement in internal scientific and social affairs in the research group and at the department

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in civil and/or environmental engineering 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.

• Experience in water resources modelling
• Strong skills/experience in data science/programming (MATLAB, R, Python or similar)  
• Experience with Geographical Information system (GIS)
• Knowledge about the Norwegian energy/hydropower system
• Good written and oral English

Preferred selection criteria

• Knowledge about Scandinavian language

Personal characteristics

• The successful candidate should be enthusiastic and highly motivated
• The candidate should be capable to work both independently and with other researchers and partners in the project
• The candidate should be open to inter-disciplinary scientific cooperation 
• The successful candidate must fulfill the requirement for admission to a doctoral program

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 482 200 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 civil and environmental engineering  (https://www.ntnu.edu/ibm/phd) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme 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 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.

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 application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Research plan or project proposal 
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 works)
• Name and address of three referees

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.

In accordance with The Public 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.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Tor Haakon Bakken, telephone +47 95156944, email tor.h.bakken@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Hege Johansen, e-mail: hege.johansen@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 IV-103/21 when applying.

Application deadline: 20.04.2021

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 20th April 2021
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service S.P. Anderssens veg 5