Postdoctoral Fellowship in Decentralised Systems Engineering

Updated: over 2 years ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 20 Dec 2021

This is NTNU

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.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 42,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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


About the position 

The successful candidate should be able to conduct empirical research, development and engineering tasks in the area of computer systems dedicated to distributed and decentralised systems. The successful candidate will work within the Decentralised Systems Engineering Lab (DSE Lab). DSE Lab activities cover a broad area of modern applied computer science focused on the emerging trends in distributed and decentralised systems such as blockchain and distributed ledger technology, decentralised governance, decentralised finance (DeFi), distributed and decentralised payment networks, smart contracts, distributed autonomous organisations (DAOs), data privacy and governance, decentralised identity systems (SSI), as well as privacy preserving technologies and protocols. 

The Decentralised Systems Engineering Laboratory  has members from multiple research units based in Trondheim and Gjøvik. It also has several research initiatives and courses at the faculty/ departments and relies on a tight collaboration with several partners from the public and private sector. The existing projects include partners from the economic crime unit and cybercrime units from Norwegian police, tax administration, Digital Identity Foundation (DIF) and Digital Identitet Norden (DIN), Macau University of Science and Technology, University of Helsinki, and others.


Duties of the position
  • Explore, develop and evaluate the use of various existing and emerging decentralisation technologies
  • Participate in the management and coordination of the Decentralised Systems Engineering Laboratory, within areas relevant to the position
  • Organize cross unit workshops to enhance collaboration between various members and partners 
  • Lead/support research proposals from IDI in the area of decentralised technologies
  • Communicate and disseminate results to academic and non-academic stakeholders
  • Publish in international conferences and journals in the relevant fields
  • Support in teaching, academic and training activities”

Required selection criteria

A postdoctoral research fellowship is a qualification position in which the main objective is qualification for work in academic positions. The postdoc’s main objective is to enhance and further develop research skills acquired during the PhD. 

Completion of a Norwegian doctoral degree in Information Systems or Software Engineering or a related area, or equivalent foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree is required. Preferably, the PhD degree should have a focus on distributed and decentralised technologies, blockchain, smart contracts, autonomous organisations, DeFi protocols, privacy preserving technologies, decentralised identity systems (SSI), or other related fields related to decentralisation. 

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   

Other qualifications we seek for this position are the following: 

Mandatory/Core requirement:  

  • A good, documented understanding of the relevant research fields and experience with latest distributed and decentralised technologies.​​
  • Software engineering and system development skills. 
  • Proven skills in applying qualitative, quantitative, or mixed research methods in real-world organizations.
  • Demonstrated research capability via a good publication record in the relevant areas.
  • The ability and willingness to conduct research independently as well as collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
  • Excellent written and oral English language skills.

Preferred selection criteria
  • Hands-on experience with blockchain on layer 1 and layer 2.
  • Hands-on experience with DeFi protocols and technologies.
  • Experience from documented research and open source project will be considered an advantage


Personal characteristics
  • Ability to interact, also independently, with various stakeholders including external organizations
  • Ability to deal with cross-disciplinary challenges
  • Demonstrated ability to quickly acquire knowledge in new topics
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as in a team-based environment
  • Passion for uncovering new knowledge and explaining it to others

We offer 
Salary and conditions

Postdoctoral candidates are remunerated in code 1352, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 553 500 per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The employment period is 3 years, one of which is dedicated for compulsory work.

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. 


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.  

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 contain: 

  • CV, including a list of all publications in peer-reviewed conferences and journals
  • Certified copies of diplomas
  • The 5 most significant publications attached as pdf files, including an explanation in the below mentioned research statement, of their relevance to this position
  • Any links to open source public git repositories/projects
  • A research statement of 3 to 5 pages. The statement must include the following sections:
    • A short presentation of the motivation for applying to this position
    • How the candidate sees her/his background as suitable
    • Theoretical and methodological knowledge about the research area
    • A sketch of important research problems in the research area
    • A summary of the candidate’s role and involvement in previous projects relevant for the research areas
  • Name, phone number and email address of three referees.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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. 


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 Gjøvik has a population of 30 000 and is a town known for its rich music and cultural life. The beautiful nature surrounding the city is ideal for an active outdoor life! The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. 

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply.   

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. 

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate Professor Mariusz Nowostawski, phone number +47 48 432 678, e-mail [email protected] , or the Head of Department Professor Heri Ramampiaro, email [email protected] .

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 2021/58168  when applying.  

Application deadline: 20.12.21

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 Computer Science 

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science  is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering  .



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