PhD Candidate in Integrated Aquaculture

About the position

The PhD position is within the "Aurora IMTA project" which is a research collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, Nord University and Folla Alger AS. In the project, new knowledge will be acquired about integrated aquaculture of salmon and kelp (IMTA) in northern Norway. Fully integrated production of salmon and kelp will be developed, and the PhD candidate will contribute to the development of industrial solutions for integrated marine facilities and characterize the IMTA effect in the form of uptake of nutrient salts in kelp and possible limitations when growing kelp integrated with salmon farming.

The PhD position reports to Professor Kjell Inge Reitan at NTNU, phone 73590841/93013045, e-mail: [email protected] and Research Manager Silje Forbord at SINTEF Ocean, phone 97122001 , e-mail: [email protected]

Duties of the position

• Characterizing growth conditions in brown macroalgae grown in an integrated facility together with salmon. Growth and fouling effects of the kelp plants must be described.
• Study the influence of different operating conditions in the production of salmon on the kelp plants.
• Record seasonal and geographical effects on kelp growth integrated with salmon farming.
• The work will take place in the field at Folla Alger's plant in Steigen municipality and in laboratories at NTNU and SINTEF in Trondheim

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in biological, biochemical, microbiological and or molecular biological methods or have an equivalent education.
• Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies, and have an average grade from the master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies , you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you will be able to be considered 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 before starting the position.
• It is highly desirable to have experience in marine biology/marine ecology from experimental trials in the laboratory as well as experience from work in the field.
• A good knowledge of the Norwegian aquaculture sector is desirable.
• Furthermore, they are desirable with knowledge and experience in the cultivation of macroalgae.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the PhD program in biology (https://www.ntnu.no/studier/phbi ) 

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  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

• The candidate must show a high level of motivation to complete the PhD study, and an ability for targeted work and delivery skills.
• The candidate must accept to work for periods in the field at the cultivation facility.
• The candidates must be able to master Norwegian, both spoken and written, and demonstrate good written and spoken English skills. Candidates from non-English-speaking countries outside the Nordic countries must present a public language test report. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).

Personal characteristics

• Ability and desire to collaborate in a research group will be given particular weight.
• You must be creative, with a strong ability to work with interdisciplinary issues.

Personal and interpersonal qualities will be emphasized.

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 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 biology . 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. 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.

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 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: 

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you have recently 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.
• Publications or other relevant research work, if you have it.
• Names and contact details of three relevant references

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.

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 Kjell Inge Reitan, phone 73590841/93013045, e-mail: [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Mari H.Hansen, 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: 27.11.2022. 

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 Biology 

We work with global challenges in natural diversity, climate, the environment, health and nutrition. Our expertise in biological processes at all levels – from molecules to ecosystems – contributes to a sustainable society. The Department educate graduates for a wide range of careers in public administration, business and academia. The Department of Biology  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .

Deadline 27th November 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Trondheim