About the job

We have a vacancy for a PhD position at Department of Chemical Engineering. The position is part of the FRIPRO project “Establishing next-generation pioneering models for interface mass transfer, breakup and coalescence in turbulent flow”, funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The understanding of droplet dynamics in turbulent flow is important for a variety of industrial processes. In this project we are interested in the detailed analyses of drop-turbulence interactions. We are particularly interested in understanding the drop-turbulence interactions in the cases where such interactions result in breakup of droplets. Numerical simulations of turbulent flow (resolved scales) with dispersed droplets (described by the phase field method) can provide the necessary flow fields needed to analyse the drop-turbulence interactions. Canonical flows such as the channel will be adopted for the multiphase flow simulations.

The qualified candidate must have deep interest in high-performance computations of physical phenomena of multiphase turbulent flows. This requests that the candidate must hold good knowledge of turbulence theory. The work will include programming (modification and further developments of existing codes). Basic codes written in Fortran will be provided to the candidate. The candidate must expect to communicate the work to both the research group at NTNU and international collaborating groups.

The position will include stay abroad with collaborating groups, mainly TU Madrid.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

You will report to your supervisor.

Duties of the position

• Conduct high-quality research
• Communicate the research work with others
• Take the leading role in writing research papers
• Comply with the Ph.D. training program of the faculty
• Conduct short stays abroad with collaborating research groups
• The candidate must expect to perform programming in Fortran to modify existing codes and develop new programs for data analyses.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in fluid mechanics, computational physics, aerodynamics, chemical engineering, or similar.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program
• You must have strong interest and experience with programming languages: Fortran or C, and Matlab or Python
• You must have good knowledge of turbulence theory
• You must have good written and oral English language skills.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with direct numerical simulations (DNS) is advantageous
• Experience with high-performance computing (HPC) is advantageous
• Experience with numerical methods is advantageous
• Experience with multiphase flows is advantageous, and particularly interfaced resolved methods such as the phase field or volume of fluid
• Experience with coherent turbulent structures is advantageous

Personal characteristics

• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively
• Demonstrated ability to quickly acquire knowledge in new topics
• Dedicated for scientific and academic work
• Passion for uncovering new knowledge and communicating it to others

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

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

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 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 with the possibility of a further up to 1 year extension with teaching duties in agreement with the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in [subject area] (Link to website, if applicable) 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.

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 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.

The application must include: 

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Name and address of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

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. 

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.

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.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Jannike Solsvik, email jannike.solsvik@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-advisor Nina Sandberg, e-mail: nina.sandberg@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: 13.05.2023

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.

Department of Chemical Engineering 

We take chemistry from laboratory scale to industrial production. This demands a wide range of knowledge, from molecular processes and nanotechnology to building and operation of large processing plants. We educate graduates for some of Norway's most important industries. The Department of Chemical Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  

Deadline 13th May 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Gløshaugen, Trondheim