Postdoctoral Fellow in mechanism-based predictive models for safe hydrogen energy infrastructures

• English

The Department of Structural Engineering has a vacancy for a  

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

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

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The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position financed by the Faculty of Engineering, NTNU and the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

Hydrogen as a carbon-free energy carrier is playing an increasingly significant role in Norway and internationally for safe storage of surpass energy over finite period and efficient energy transport across long distances. A well-known but largely unsolved challenge with metallic materials is their degradation and loss of structural integrity upon exposure to hydrogen. Since most of the hydrogen energy infrastructure materials are metals, securing the safety and mechanical integrity while at the same time keeping the costs low is of utmost importance. In the past 10 years, together with SINTEF, the research group NTNU Nanomechanical Lab (NML) has achieved significant progress in understanding of hydrogen induced degradation of steels and nickel alloys, both at nanoscale and continuum scale.

The objective of the postdoc fellow project is to further develop the mechanism-based and microstructure-informed predictive platform initiated by NML in the past years, and to calibrate the models against realistic environmental and operation conditions through developing a novel critical parameter identification procedure. The advanced predictive models and the associated data generated will lay down the foundation for a much-needed guideline for material selection and structural integrity assessment of hydrogen energy infrastructures. It is hoped that the postdoc fellow can contribute to realize the ambition of the research group to become a world-leading player in structural integrity research for safe hydrogen infrastructures. The previous work of the research group has been published in top multidisciplinary as well as specialized international journals, such as Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Advanced Science, Materials Horizons, Nano Letters, Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), Acta Materialia, JMPS and others.

Your immediate leader is Professor Zhiliang Zhang.

• Perform excellent and independent research on the topic attached to the position
• Publish in top-ranking international journals
• Interact with the research group where this position will be hosted and with international leading groups in the same field
• Interact with relevant industry partners and facilitate the knowledge transfer

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in structural engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, physics or chemistry.  
• Excellent written and oral English.
• You can start the position as soon as possible, no later than 30th of April 2023, taking into consideration the visa application and travel.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

• Strong experience in modelling fracture and knowledge about hydrogen embrittlement.

• Motivated and ambitious
• Ability to work both individually and in a team environment, and a high level of personal responsibility

• Eager to disseminate research results through publications and presentations at international conference

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

• 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 

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 553 500 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 2 years.

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 on a daily basis.

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.  

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. 

The application must include: 

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. 
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment.
• A max 1 page research plan to outline your understanding of the field.

• Name and contact information of three referees

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. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well. 
 
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 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. 

Working at NTNU 

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 .  

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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.   

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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.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Zhiliang Zhang , telephone +47 93001979, email zhiliang.zhang.ntnu.no . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact June Hovde, e-mail: [email protected] . 

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: 20.12.2022 

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 Structural Engineering

We teach mechanical engineering, engineering and ICT, and civil and environmental engineering. The Department conducts internationally leading research and participates in several large national research projects. The Department of Structural Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering .

20th December 2022

NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Trondheim

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Temporary

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