PhD positions within efficient numerical modelling of ship hydrodynamics in real sea conditions

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

As part of the NFR project “Improving Performance in Real Sea”, we have a vacancy for a 3-year PhD position at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering within the Marine Civil Engineering group.

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

In order to reduce the climate footprint of the maritime transport sector, a major improvement is required in the form of reduced energy requirements and increased efficiency at sea. This can be achieved through improved design and production of sea-going vessels. When vessels operate under real sea conditions with effects of wind and waves, the emissions are higher due to assumption of calm water conditions in the design phase. With the advances in computational methods and computational power, high-resolution numerical simulations can be carried out to overcome the limitations of the current standards of practice.

The proposed project will develop high resolution tools and couple high resolution modelling with efficient wave modelling to evaluate the added resistance problem in realistic sea states in more detail. The numerical model used for those activities is the open-source hydrodynamics framework REEF3D (www.reef3d.com ). The model is developed in-house and the candidate will be a member of the research team. The fully nonlinear potential flow model REEF3D::FNPF will be used within the area of ship hydrodynamics and further developed by the PhD candidate.

You will report to the supervising professor.

• advance modelling capabilities with nonlinear potential flow for ship hydrodynamics in real sea states
• contribute to the development of open-source hydrodynamics software
• publish in top-ranking journals and conferences
• perform excellent and independent research
• collaborate with the project team at NTNU and SINTEF Ocean

• you must have a professionally relevant background in computational physics, numerical methods and hydrodynamics
• 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://i.ntnu.no/doktorgrad 

Applicants are strictly advised to address the following additional qualification requirements in their application:

• strong background in numerical methods and scientific computing
• the candidate should have a strong interest in scientific computing, numerical modeling and in applying computational mathematics for interdisciplinary engineering problems
• excellent English skills, spoken and written

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  

• programming skills in C/C++, Fortran, Python or equivalent
• experience with high-performance computing aspects using MPI
• very good knowledge of fluid mechanics

• self-motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated
• motivated to solve computational physics problems
• ambitious and goal-oriented
• team player
• excellent communication skills

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: 

• cover letter specifically addressing how the candidate complies with the required qualifications for the position
• 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  
• research plan 
• name and address of three referees 
• if you have publications, unpublished 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 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.

In accordance with The Public 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 Professor Hans Bihs, email [email protected] or Associate Professor Arun Kamath, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Tone Måsøval Arntzen, e-mail: [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-120/22 when applying.

Application deadline: 20.05.2022

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 Civil and Environmental Engineering

We conduct research and teaching in civil and transportation engineering, technical planning, structural engineering, water and wastewater engineering and hydraulic engineering. Graduates from our programmes become employees – in both the public and private sectors – with a sustainability mindset combined with competitive knowledge and skills. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.