PhD Candidate in sustainable built environment

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

We have a vacancy for a a PhD in sustainable built environment, focusing on “Information chain for synergetic utilization of resources for built environment” at Department of manufacturing and civil engineering- Civil engineering and Geomatic group.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The person hired will specifically focus on information chain and work with the LIFELINE-2050 project, as it is the LIFELINE-2050 project that funds the PhD position.  

The LIFELINE-2050 project aims to optimize the utilization of resources in a synergetic way during the life cycle of built environments, this includes the design, construction, operation, and demolition phases. 

LIFELINE-2050 project in the Centre for Green Shift in the Built Environment

Centre for Green Shift in the Built Environment (GREEN2050, https://www.ntnu.edu/green2050 ) is a newly established centre at NTNUs Faculty of Engineering. The centre aims to be an arena of networking and collaboration between academia and the industry. A hub for accelerating existing, planned, and new projects. The goal is to transition into a carbon neutral built environment within 2050.  GREEN2050 will provide research of excellence and educate candidates with high digital- and sustainability competence ready to take on the green shift.

Resource efficiency is one of the major focus areas of the centre. At least seven PhD positions are funded for the project LIFELINE-2050: Optimal Utilization of Resources towards Neutral Climate Built Environments in Europe by 2030-2050 under the umbrella of GREEN2050. The aim of LIFELINE-2050 is to optimize the utilization of our limited resources (i.e., materials, water, energy, ICT, spaces, and humans) in synergetic ways during the life cycle (i.e., the design, construction, operation, and demolish phases) of built environments in the line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 3 (Healthy lives and well-being), 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), and 17 (Partnerships for the goals)

The main objective of the project LIFELINE-2050 is to develop a holistic assessment framework, digital optimization toolbox (including number of sub-digital twins), and education-innovation hub for achieving resource-effective built environments (e.g., university campuses, district areas) where complex resource-intensive sociotechnical systems need to be holistically optimized. The PhDs in LIFELINE-2050 will work together as a multidisciplinary team across six departments at the Faculty of Engineering at NTNU addressing various type of resources including material, water, spaces, energy, ICT, as well as human. Where, each PhD is expected to focus on one or two resources and collaborate with the other candidates for developing a holistic framework, a digital toolbox, and an education hub, aiming at optimizing the utilization of resources in built environments.

About the research topic 

Crossing it life cycle (design, construction, operation, renovation and end of life), building generates large amount of data which act as a type of asset could leverage great value to all stakeholders. With the help of smart sensors and devices, cloud platform and digital twin environment, construction industry is able to move towards a data driven ecosystem.  Current information on resource use and its consequence at sustainability perspective are fragmented. To keep the updated building information, especially for circularity, all related information on material, energy and water use need to keep integrated and updated at building information modelling.  Furthermore, all these relevant information should be fused in effective and secure way. In this context, the main objective of this PhD position is to develop effective and secure approaches to fusing semantic and non-semantic information crossing whole life cycle of buildings.  

You will report to the head of department

• Develop the effective scientific approaches to ensure a high level of integrity of multi-resource information of building (BIM, IoT, reports etc.) 
• Create building information chain models for synergy the resource of building crossing the life cycle for selected cases from the project’s pilots. 
• Participate in developing new education materials based on the research findings. 
• Collaborate closely with the other PhD candidate in the LIFELINE-2050 project. 
• Publish the research outcomes in at least three internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals. 

• You must have a professionally relevant background in Architecture, Building and Planning, Civil engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Building information modelling, construction engineering and management, Computer Science and technology 
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, 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.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program (https://www.ntnu.no/iv/doktorgradsutdanning )
• Have a consolidated background in building technologies, data analytics, as well as architecture and construction engineering. 
• Knowledge and experience with building information modelling (BIM) 
• Fluent English skills, both written and spoken, 
• Ability to publish the research results in high reputation international journals. 

Non-English native speaker applicants who do not master in English or a Scandinavian language must provide evidence of good English language skills, written and spoken. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are: TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test); IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted); CAE/CPE: grade B or A. In extraordinary circumstances, formal documentation of language skills can be relinquished. In such cases, the candidate’s language skills will be assessed in a personal interview.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants  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  

• Knowledge on ISO 19650 
• Knowledge on information management 
• Experience and Knowledge on scan to BIM
• Knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language 
• Experience with Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)
• Experience with semantic web

• The candidate must be independent, have great work capacity and enthusiasm for research. 
• The candidate is expected to contribute to a good research and work environment. 
• Personal qualities such as creativity, analytical, and structured reasoning, as well as the ability to carry out projects will be considered in the selection process.  
• The applicant must be motivated to work closely with teams and external partners

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 491 200 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 .

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in 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.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

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. 

The application must include : 

• CV, certificates and diplomas 
• 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. 
• Project proposal  
• Research plan 
• Name and address 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.

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

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

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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.

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.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Prof. Lizhen Huang, telephone +4740380958, 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 IV-17/22 when applying.

Application deadline: 15.02.2022

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 Manufacturing and Civil Engineering

Our profile of expertise can help to solve the world’s most important societal challenge: the development of sustainable solutions in industry and society. This profile includes research on modern industrial processes, use of new and recycled materials, new technological solutions and the application of new forms of organization and business models. The Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.