PhD Position in Epidemiology

1 Mar 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU

Research Field

Biological sciences
Computer science
Medical sciences
Mathematics

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)
First Stage Researcher (R1)
Established Researcher (R3)

Country

Norway

Application Deadline

17 Mar 2024 - 00:00 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

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

About the job

The PhD candidate will work with measurements of the cardiovascular risk factor lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) that have recently been obtained in a large sample of participants in the Trøndelag Health study  (HUNT). The novel Lp(a) measurements in HUNT3 (2006-08) participants, combined with rich longitudinal data in the HUNT study and information from linked health registries, represent a unique opportunity to investigate the role of Lp(a) in cardiovascular disease in a contemporary and general population.  

The Department of Public Health and Nursing at NTNU is responsible for the HUNT study, which is a longitudinal population study that has collected extensive health information on residents of the northern part of Trøndelag county since the 1980s every 10 years. Data from participants in the HUNT study are readily merged with medical information recorded in electronic patient records and national health registries to facilitate medical research. This project offers an exciting opportunity for learning how to employ epidemiological methods to analyze large datasets for the purpose of answering medical and public health research questions. For more information regarding HUNT have a look at this video . 

Supervision for this PhD project will be given by public health researcher Eirin Haug (main supervisor) and by professor and endocrinologist Bjørn Olav Åsvold, head of the HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology (co-supervisor). Another co-supervisor may be appointed. 

The PhD position will be located at ISM in Trondheim in the newly established HUNT Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology  (HUNT MCE) where a diverse group of researchers in genetic, clinical and molecular epidemiology combine their different skills to answer medical research questions. The HUNT MCE research group has several long-standing collaborations with other national and international research groups that allow for extended skill development and networking opportunities. Video presentation of the former K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology  that is now a part of the HUNT MCE. 

The position lasts for three years and leads upon successful completion to the qualification of PhD in Medicine and Health Sciences.

Duties of the position

• Obtaining the PhD degree at NTNU requires publishing three research papers in scientific journals and completing 30 study credits in PhD-level academic courses.
• The PhD candidate employed in this project will be responsible for completing the required academic training, conducting epidemiological analyses, publishing research findings in scientific journals and presenting their work at national and international conferences.
• The work will be conducted with support and contributions from a group of national and international researchers.

Required selection criteria

• Master’s degree or equivalent in public health, epidemiology, medicine, biology, statistics or other relevant health or data science.
• 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.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program .
• University level training in biology and/or health science and in statistics and/or quantitative research methods.
• Very good skills in written and spoken English.

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

• Experience and interest in applying quantitative research methods.
• Experience in using statistical software programs such as Stata, R or similar.
• Knowledge in epidemiology.

Personal characteristics

• We would like you to be highly motivated for medical and public health research.
• Has the ability to work independently, systematically and manage own work.
• Has good skills in communicating and collaborating with others.

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 in a 100% position. 

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

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.

This position is financed by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU in conjunction with a grant from the Norwegian Research Council for research on Lp(a).

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

About the application

The application must include:

• 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.  

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 Eirin Beate Haug, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-Adviser Rebecca Hembre Storli, 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: 17.03.2024

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.

The Department of Public Health and Nursing (ISM) is responsible for research, teaching, innovation and dissemination in community medicine, nursing, primary health care and public health.

The Department’s activities in both research and education focus on the needs of the primary health service.

ISM is one of eight departments at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, and has about 360 employees in permanent and temporary positions. For more information on ISM, see:  www.ntnu.edu/ism.   

Questions about the position

Rebecca Hembre Storli
HR-rådgiver
+4773412365
[email protected]

Deadline 17th March 2024
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Mauritz Hansens gate 2 , 7030 Trondheim

Requirements
Additional Information
Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - NTNU

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/listing/366500/phd-position-in-epi…

Contact

City

Trondheim

STATUS: EXPIRED