Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Health 

The Onsager fellowship programme 

The Onsager fellowship programme – 16 tenure-track positions 

The Onsager Fellowship programme at NTNU is designed to attract talented early-career scholars with a track-record of high quality published research, ready to work independently and with the potential to become a research leader. 

The tenure-track associate professor’s duties will primarily include research, but also include supervision, teaching, and other duties necessary to qualify for a permanent professor position within 6-7 years.  

In the NTNU tenure-track programme, associate professors are subject to two types of review during the tenure-track period: 

• a mid-career assessment after 3-4 years  
• a final tenure assessment at the end of the tenure track period 

If the ‘final tenure assessment” is positive, s/he will be employed as a full-time professor. 

The overall purpose of the review system is to ensure and maintain the high academic standards of the university’s senior faculty staff. To help meet these standards, the associate professor is offered an international mentor and favourable terms.  

NTNU is now announcing 16 tenure-track positions.  

About the job

The field of research should focus on the application of AI in public health and health care settings. The appointee is expected to take a leading role in research and research-based teaching within this field in collaboration with staff at the Department of Public Health and Nursing and the Department of Computer Science at NTNU. Employment will be at the Department of Public Health and Nursing, anchored in the Musculoskeletal Research Group, and connected to the Norwegian Open AI Lab (NAIL) and the Data and Artificial Intelligence (DART) unit at the Department of Computer Science. The collaboration between these entities has promoted the development and implementation of knowledge-based AI solutions for prevention or treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.

Relevant topics for the position include but are not limited to:

• Knowledge-based AI methods for clinical decision support systems and personalized care
• Performance evaluation of AI-based applications in public health and healthcare settings
• Explainable AI in public health and healthcare settings (e.g., data quality, transparency, robustness, and performance)
• Trustworthy AI in public health and healthcare settings (e.g., data access, privacy, bias, and fairness)

Your immediate leader is the leader for Public Health and Community Medicine section at Department of Public Health and Nursing

Duties of the position

The appointee will be a regular member of the department’s scientific staff, with associated privileges and duties, including teaching and student supervision. The responsibilities of the position include the following:

• Being active in promoting and contributing to excellent research and learning environment in collaboration with colleagues and students.
• Contributing to the development of university courses within the field of AI and health. The appointee is expected to teach courses at all levels and to supervise master’s and Ph.D. students.
• Initiating and actively engaging in publishing and other means of disseminating research.
• Establishing and strengthening collaborations with relevant colleagues at other departments at NTNU, especially at the Department of Computer Science and the Norwegian Open AI Lab.
• Initiating collaboration with international partners in the field of AI and health.
• Participating in administrative activities at the department and faculty (e.g., hiring committees, educational and research boards, etc.).
• Staying up to date with national and international priorities related to applications of AI in health and being active in application processes for external research funding, including from the EU, the Norwegian Research Council, or other relevant external research funding sources.

Required qualifications 

The Onsager Fellows programme is designed to attract talented early-career scholars, with documented excellent supervised work, with ambitious research plans to work independently and with the potential for scientific breakthrough.

Associate professor: 

You must have the qualifications required for the position of Associate Professor in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), as outlined in the regulations concerning appointment and promotion to teaching and research posts 

• Your Ph.D., or comparable academic work, must be within the field of computer science, data science, medical technology, or a comparable relevant field 
• Experience from cross-disciplinary research within AI and health (documented through research projects or publications)
• Peer-reviewed publication(s) from the top venues within relevant areas
• Excellent oral and written English language skills

You must document relevant basic competence in teaching and supervision at a university/higher education-level, as referenced in the Norwegian national Regulations. If this cannot be documented, you will be required to complete an approved course in university pedagogy within two years of commencement. NTNU offers qualifying courses. 

New employees who do not speak a Scandinavian language by appointment is required, within three years, to demonstrate skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level three of the course for Norwegian for speakers of other languages at the Department of Language and Literature at NTNU.  

Preferred qualifications

• Teaching experience from institutions of higher education
• Research experience on clinical decision support systems and personalized care
• Documented experience with methods, software tools and open-source technology relevant for AI and health
• Documented international research collaboration within the field of AI and health
• Obtained research funding from external sources

Personal qualities

• Good communication skills
• Ability and willingness to lead and conduct research within a multidisciplinary team
• Strong motivation for contributing to a good working and social environment
• Good strategic abilities, innovative and result-oriented

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

• A start-up package, including one PhD position and a yearly research fund of up to NOK 200 000 for the first four years
• Help with immigration and accommodation, if relevant
• Exciting and challenging 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

As an Associate Professor (code 1011) you are normally paid from gross NOK 593 500 - NOK 728 100 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. As required by law, 2% of this salary will be deducted and paid into the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

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.   

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

Application Process

You can find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

About the application

Your application and supporting documentation must be in English. 

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

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. Leave to which the candidate is entitled by law or collective agreement shall be excluded when calculating the time since finishing the PhD. 

Your application must include:

• CV, diplomas, and certificates
• A teaching portfolio, in which your teaching competence is compiled and presented systematically,   (See guidelines for applicants: Documentation of teaching qualifications in applications and appointments to academic positions at NTNU)
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you wish to be considered during assessment of your application (up to 10 items)
• A description of the scientific works you consider most relevant, which you particularly wish to be factored into the assessment
• A list of your previous works, with details on where they have been published
• Details of projects for which you have been a partner or served as project manager, including information on financing, duration, your role and scope
• A short description (1 page) of how you foresee to develop the field of AI and health in collaboration with staff at NTNU
• Names and contact information for three relevant references

Joint work will also be considered. If it is difficult to identify your specific input to a joint project, you must include evidence of your contributions.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. Our assessment of the pedagogical skills will be based on documented pedagogical material, forms of presentation in your academic works, teaching experience, PhD, and Masters supervision, and any other relevant pedagogical background. Both quality and scope will be taken into consideration.

NTNU is obliged by the evaluation criteria for research quality in accordance with The San Fransisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA. This means that we will pay particular attention to the quality and academic range demonstrated by your scientific work to date. We will also pay attention to research leadership and participation in research projects. Your scientific work from the last five years will be given the most weight.

Your application will be considered by an expert committee. Candidates of interest will be invited to an interview, and to deliver a trial teaching session.

General information

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

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 continually maintain and improve your professional development and be flexible regarding any organizational changes.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

For the sake of transparency, candidates will be given the expert evaluation of their own and other candidates. As an applicant you are considered part of the process and is stipulated to rules of confidentiality.

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Paul Jarle Mork, tel. +47 90104615, e-mail paul.mork@ntnu.no

If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Anita Finserås Bretun, e-mail anita.f.bretun@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation. 

Application deadline: 01.02.2023

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 Public Health and Nursing (ISM) is responsible for research, teaching, innovation and dissemination in community medicine, nursing, primary health care and public health. The Department’s activities in both research and education focus on the needs of the primary health service.

ISM is one of eight departments at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and has about 360 employees in permanent and temporary positions. For more information on ISM, see:  www.ntnu.edu/ism.   

Deadline 1st February 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Permanent
Place of service