Postdoctoral Fellowship in Small Cell Lung Cancer

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 multidisciplinary lung cancer research group  at the Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine  has a vacancy for a postdoctoral fellowship. The group collaborates closely with the Department of Oncology at St. Olavs hospital, and members of the research group include, among others, physicians and researchers of oncology, pathology, bioinformatics and molecular biology.

The overall aim for this project is to develop a clinically relevant classification system for small cell lung cancer by identifying prognostic and predictive biomarkers in biological material collected in international clinical trials. We are looking for a person with experience and interest in laboratory work.

Your immediate leader is Professor Bjørn Henning Grønberg

Duties of the position

To some extent the research activity can be adapted to applicants’ qualifications and interests, however the position includes the following tasks:

• Take part in the development and updating of procedures for collection, handling and processing of biological material such as tissue, blood, urine and stool samples
• Isolation of DNA and RNA from different kinds of samples, e.g. formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, fresh frozen tissue, serum, plasma and whole blood – followed by relevant quality assurance procedures   
• Next-generation sequencing of DNA and RNA
• Analyses of next-generation sequencing data
• Testing and optimizing new protocols for such analyses
• Other related laboratory work
• Statistical analyses
• Interpretation of results, especially with respect to clinical relevance
• Presentation and publication of results
• Organize and take responsibility for progress in the group’s projects

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD. 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. 
• Good written and oral English skills.
• Documented experience with relevant laboratory work and research activity listed under tasks. 

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

• Doctoral degree in molecular biology or medicine in a research field mentioned in this call
• Experience with next-generation sequencing
• Experience with statistical analyses of large data sets and using R
• Experience with clinically relevant cancer research
• Experience with planning and conducting research projects
• Experience with applying and being granted research funding

Personal characteristics

• Ability to work independently, but also interact well in a team
• Critical thinking
• A curious nature with ambitions of acquiring new knowledge and skills
• Analytical
• Structured, able to organize workflow and handle large amounts of data and samples

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 3 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.

The position 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 and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the 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.
• Research plan
• 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. 

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 Professor Bjørn Henning Grønberg, telephone +47 47 29 78 78, email [email protected] o or Professor Pål Sætrom, telephone +47 98 20 38 74, email [email protected]. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Elisabeth Myrvang, 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: 15.09.2022 

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.

The Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (IKOM):

The Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine (IKOM) is NTNU’s largest department, with 450 employees. Our research and teaching help to improve treatment and health.

IKOM has expertise in basic, clinical and translational research within broad disciplinary areas. We study children’s and women’s health, cancers, blood disorders and infectious diseases, gastroenterology, inflammation, metabolic disorders, laboratory sciences and medical ethics. The Department offers teaching in medicine at master’s and PhD level. We also offer continuing education for employees in the health services.

Deadline 15th September 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service