Postdoctoral Fellows in Neural Data Science

About the position 

The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.  

The focus of the group is the analysis of population neural data, developing and applying methods from statistics, machine learning and topological data analysis (TDA). We collaborate heavily with experimentalists with evolving projects that present interesting challenges in computational neuroscience, such as neuron ensemble identification, state space discovery, latent dynamics characterization and relation to animal behaviour and computational models, etc. These projects require the advancement of methods, beyond the state-of-the-art, as well as neuroscientific knowledge to properly develop the theory along with the experiments and findings. The ideal candidates will have a background in either statistical/machine learning or TDA- approaches for the analysis of population neural data, preferably from Neuropixel probes. Here is an example of this line of research: Gardner & Hermansen et al., Toroidal topology of population activity in grid cells. Nature 602, 123–128 (2022). The selected candidates will be involved in one or more such projects, but we also encourage new topics and independent thinking.

The selected candidates will be part of a research group focused on neural data science at the Department of Mathematics, currently comprising 1 postdoc, 5 PhD students, associate professor Benjamin Dunn and many joint members from other groups – in particular in close collaborations at the Kavli institute – with backgrounds in mathematics, statistics, computer science, statistical physics and neuroscience. We are also part of a much larger local community at NTNU that includes strong basic, computational and translational neuroscience as well as medicine, mathematics and related research fields.

One of the positions is funded internally and the other is through a collaborative project from the Norwegian Research Council on personalized rehabilitation of stroke patients evaluated with multimodal quantitative tools (PROTEQT).

The selected candidates will report to Benjamin Dunn concerning daily work, and to the Head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences in employee matters.

Duties of the position

• Advancement of statistical/machine learning and/or TDA methods
• Work with experimentalists from the experimental design stage, methods development, application and until completion of the project
• Discuss and contribute to the local scientific community
• Research work, in collaboration with other members of the group
• Dissemination of results

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in mathematics or statistics. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Documented experience in method development in statistics, machine learning, statistical physics or topological data analysis
• Documented experience with the analysis of neural data, preferably large-scale electrophysiological or calcium data
• Good written and oral English
• Completed application including document (CV, diplomas, cover letter, references)

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.

Preferred selection criteria

• Norwegian language skills
• Experience with computational modelling or statistical physics.

Personal characteristics

The ideal candidate is

• Highly motivated/hardworking
• Works/communicates well with others
• Enjoys the Norwegian lifestyle (e.g. hiking, nature, interesting weather)

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 563 500 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 for each position. The department might have the opportunity to offer up to 1 year with teaching duties in addition.

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.

One of the positions is subject to external funding.

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 include: 

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 3 items)
• Statement of research interests (ideally one page but longer is OK)
• Name and email address 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. 

General information 

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 . 

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 Benjamin Dunn, telephone +47-94147310, email [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: 21.08.2022.

NTNU

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 Mathematical Sciences 

We are Norway’s largest university environment in mathematical sciences.
The Department has a particular responsibility for all basis education in mathematical sciences for engineering and natural science students at NTNU. We focus on long-term basic research and applied research at a high international level. Our aim is to meet the society’s needs for mathematical and statistical expertise in business and public administration as well as in the research and education sector.  The Department of Mathematical Sciences  is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering  .

Deadline 21st August 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 jobs)
Duration Project
Place of service Trondheim