PhD Fellowships in Department of Materials Science and Engineering

About the position

Two PhD fellowship is available at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU. The PhD research is about the pre-reduction of manganese ores by hydrogen, and the aluminothermic reduction of the pre-reduced ores.

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

We are seeking candidates with strong interest in metallurgical processes holding Master degree in materials science and engineering. The PhD research is about the pre-reduction of manganese ores by hydrogen, and the smelting-aluminothermic reduction of pre-reduced Mn ores at elevated temperatures. The research activities are in an EU project (HAlMan) in Horizon Europe program. In HAlMan manganese and manganese alloys, manganese oxides, and aluminum oxide are produced via new approaches, and are further used to make a variety of commercial products in different industries.

Duties of the position

The PhD research focus in experimental studies on high temperatures heterogeneous reactions and establishing fundamental kinetics and thermodynamics data. The project will require the use of high temperature furnaces for gas-solid reactions and liquid-liquid reactions, materials characterization by advanced techniques, data analysis, etc. Thermodynamic knowledge about reactive high temperature systems is important, and experiences on using thermodynamic software is advantageous. The candidates with research experience about metallurgical processes are highly recommended to apply. We search for persons that are creative, innovative and can work independently, possesses good communication skills, and integrate well into a team. 

Required selection criteria

•  You must have a professionally relevant background in materials science, materials chemistry or corresponding field
• 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.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by December 2022.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program  
• Excellent written and oral English language skills as well as presentation skills are required.

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

Previous experience in materials engineering (metallurgy), working with a variety of equipment in metallurgical lab. 

Personal characteristics

• The successful candidates can take responsibility for progress and can work independently.
• The candidates have good communication skills and can collaborate closely with other members of the research group.
• The candidates must be diligent and able to show initiative on behalf of their own work

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 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 Materials Science and Engineering  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 from the EU commission, and NTNU.

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. 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. The master's degree must be obtained and documented by December 2022. 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 Jafar Safarian, telephone +47 48061765, email [email protected] . 

Please refer to the application number NVD-292/22 when applying.

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: 25.09.2022

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 Materials Science and Engineering  

We are Norway's leading educational and research environment in materials engineering, materials chemistry and materials science.  In collaboration with business and industry, we are a driving force for the development of innovative materials as well as new applications and manufacturing processes.  Activities in our disciplines are vital for the green shift. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences .

Deadline 25th September 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime (2 jobs)
Duration Fixed Term
Place of service