PhD Candidates in Plant Cell or Plant Stress Biology

About the positions

Two positions for PhD students, funded for three years, are available in the Hamann research group in the ERC SYNERGY project HYDROSENSING at the Department of Biology in Trondheim The project aims to determine how plants perceive drought stress and will involve close collaborations with three other research groups in Germany, Israel and the United Kingdom. The PhD projects will characterize the molecular processes responsible for induction of abscisic acid, a phytohormone modulating plant responses to drought. The work will involve either functional characterization of candidates derived from omics experiments or development and application of novel biosensors to characterize cellular processes. Further information about the research areas of the groups involved in the SYNERGY project can be found in the following publications: Hu et al., Nature Plants 2023; Mehra et al., Science 2022; Bacete et al., PNAS 2021; Vaahtera et al., Nature Plants 2019.

The newly hired PhD students will join an international team with members coming from seven different countries on three continents. The Hamann research group belongs to the multiscale biology section consisting of six research groups. The section performs research on different levels of biological organization ranging from the molecular to the ecosystem level to understand how molecular processes influence events taking place on the ecosystem level.

Duties of the positions

• The PhD candidates will be expected to conduct research in plant biology leading to a PhD degree in Biology.
• Complete the doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.
• Attend international conferences, workshops and courses.
• Contribute to academic publishing and popular science dissemination.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in Biology or Physics.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian university 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.
• Very good knowledge about plant molecular, cell and/or stress biology in model and/or crop plants.
• Very good expertise in light microscopy, biophysical, molecular or cell biological methods.
• Very good written and oral English language skills.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program  

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 Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Preferred selection criteria

• Bioinformatics skills and training in statistical methods
• Basic knowledge in biophysics / biological modelling
• Active involvement in academic outreach activities

Personal characteristics

• Reliable
• Proactive and problem-solving attitude
• Eager to collaborate within and across sections and contribute to joint projects
• Self-motivated and able to work independently
• Organized / structured

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

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.

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

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: 

• 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
• One page summary describing how you meet the required selection criteria listed above
• 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.

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 Thorsten Klaus Hamann, email: [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Emilie S. Mikkelhaug, 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: 21.01.2024

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 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 21st January 2024
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 positions)
Duration Fixed Term
Place of service Trondheim, 7491 Trondhei