PhD Candidate in materials science – New Emission Surveillance Solutions for the Aluminium Industry

12 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Department

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Research Field

Physics » Applied physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

1 May 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37,5

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description
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 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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

About the job

A PhD research fellow position within New Emission Surveillance solutions for the Aluminium industry (NESA) is available. The PhD candidate will be part of our team at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTNU, and work on the NESA research project financed by The Research Council of Norway.

The NESA project is a part of the Norwegian aluminium industry’s work towards zero emissions and increased sustainability. To meet the increasingly stringent requirements for environmental monitoring and control, and to further reduce emissions, the industry needs systems for online emissions monitoring with predictive capabilities. Better emission models and measurements are needed to achieve this. The overall goal of the project is to develop and demonstrate methods for robust online measurements, modelling and prediction of heavy metal emissions associated with dust – from source to environment. The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with industrial partners Hydro Aluminium and Alcoa Norway, as well as Cybernetica, Nemko Norlab, SINTEF and SINTEF Helgeland to realize the goal of the project. The PhD candidate will be affiliated with the research group for Resources, Energy and Environment  at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

The PhD candidate will focus on mathematical modelling of emissions from industrial sites, aiming to predict the evolution of the emissions faster than real-time. This will involve the use of reduced order models, in order to characterize the emission source, and tools for atmospheric dispersion modelling, validated by experimental measurements obtained through the project.  For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

Your immediate leader/supervisor will be Prof. Kristian Etienne Einarsrud.

Duties of the position

The PhD candidate will through numerical studies participate in the development of a new digital solution for the surveillance of emissions from the aluminium industry together with the NESA team. The PhD student will develop and validate new numerical models and frameworks according to the project objectives with support from the supervisors and the project team. The numerical simulations will involve computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and reduced order models for pot-room ventilation, atmospheric dispersion modelling, and estimation methods, as well as the coupling between these. The results of the project are expected to be published in scientific journals and at conferences as well as presented to research partners in the NESA project.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in atmospheric sciences, applied physics, mathematical modelling or fluid mechanics.
• You must have a strong background in modelling, programming and data management.
• 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.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by 01.09.2024.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program .
• You must be able to communicate fluently in English and have good communication skills.

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

Hands on experience with atmospheric dispersion modelling and development of reduced order models from numerical or experimental data is considered highly beneficial. In addition, the ideal candidate would have some experience from (or knowledge of) the aluminium industry. Knowledge of a Scandinavian language is considered a plus.

Personal characteristics

The candidate should:

• Be creative and innovative.
• Take responsibility for own progress and work independently.
• Be able to collaborate closely with other members of the research team.
• Be diligent and show initiative on behalf of own work.
• Be structured, targeted and solution-oriented.
• Have personal and intrapersonal skills like a positive and friendly attitude, and contributing to a sustainable social environment

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 532 200 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.

Starting date: 02.09.2024

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Materials Science and Engineering  within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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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 be attached to 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: 

• A cover letter describing your personal motivation, summarizing prior scientific work and you the applicant sees their background as suitable for the position.
• A draft research proposal (1-2 pages) for the PhD study, presenting ideas for the PhD-work and how it can be applied, based on the project description given in this advertisement. Note that this proposal will be neither final nor binding for the project.
• CV and certificates
• 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 contact information 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

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

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 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 Prof. Kristian Etienne Einarsrud, telephone +4797007236, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Marie Kristiansen, 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: 01.05.2024.

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 Materials Science and Engineering  

We are Norway's leading educational and research environment in materials engineering, materials chemistry and materials science.  In collaboration with business and industry, we are a driving force for the development of innovative materials as well as new applications and manufacturing processes.  Activities in our disciplines are vital for the green shift. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .

Requirements

Research Field

Physics » Applied physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Postal Code

7491

Street

Høgskoleringen 1

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/259800/phd-candidate-in-material…

Contact

City

Trondheim

Website

http://www.ntnu.no

Street

Høgskoleringen 1

Postal Code

7491

STATUS: EXPIRED