Phd Position Within The Chemical Looping Oxidation Of Ammonia On Functional Materials

About the job

A PhD position is available at the Department of Chemical Engineering in the field of fast discovery of new functional materials for the greening industry. The position is affiliated with the research ongoing in the catalysis group within a large project supported by Yara AS. and the Norwegian Research Council. The research will be focused on the discovery of a functioning anode for the oxidation of ammonia to NO by a new approach with combined theoretic and experimental study, microkinetic modeling, and machine learning. The overall goal will enable the development of a H2 technology that gives a step-change reduction in the energy required to produce green H2, while coproducing NOx for green nitric acid and fertilizer production.

The Project

Fast discovery of new functional materials for greening industry

The main objective of the project is speed up the discovery of functional materials for green industries. The project will use a combination of computational and experimental methods to achieve its target. DFT calculations will be used to determine key properties of perovskite-structured oxides; including electrical conductivity, oxygen ion mobility, thermal expansion and stability in terms of reduction. The calculations will be validated by comparison with experimental data on perovskite physical properties from the existing literature (where available) and from data generated in the GreenH2Chem project. A DFT study of ammonia oxidation as a function of oxide composition and oxygen vacancy concentration will be carried out, with input from a kinetic study of ammonia oxidation, focusing on transient techniques that has been successfully applied by the group in the study of chemical looping reactions over perovskites. The key objective of the PhD position here is kinetic study of the chemical lopping oxidation of ammonia on oxides. 

Duties of the position

• Development of oxide materials: including preparation, characterization, and testing of catalysts in the chemical looping process.
• Transient kinetic study of ammonia oxidation on oxides.
• Better understanding of the relationship between the catalyst properties and performance.
• Find a descriptor for the activity and selectivity of oxides with a link to DFT and microkinetic study.
• Contribute to deliverables and reports.
• Report to team and stakeholders.
• Perform literature reviews and be able to synthesize knowledge.
• Communicate and disseminate results to academic and non-academic stakeholders.
• Publish in international conferences and journals in the relevant fields.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in chemical engineering or related fields.
• You must have completed a Master degree or a degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian Master
• You must show the ability and willingness to conduct research in a multidisciplinary setting and team
• Good written and oral English language skills 

Specific selection criteria

You must have strong experimental skills in the laboratory including

• Good knowledge and experimental skill of catalysts preparation and characterization
• Good knowledge and experimental skills of kinetic study

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

• Good knowledge of chemical reaction engineering and catalysis.

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

Personal characteristics

The candidates must:

• Be able to work independently and take responsibility for the progress and quality of projects.
• Have enthusiasm for working in collaboration in the catalysis group.
• Have well-established skills to work in a team

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 with the possibility of a further 1 year extension with 25% teaching duties in agreement with the Department of Chemical Engineering..

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Chemical Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/chemeng)  within three months of employment and that you participate in an organized PhD program 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 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:

• Motivation letter or statement of purpose
• CV, certificates, and diplomas
• Transcripts and diplomas for and master's degree.
• 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.

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.

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

Professor De Chen, Department of Chemical Engineering, telephone (+47) 73 59 31 49, email [email protected]

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-consultant Unni M.Myhre, 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: 12.02.2024

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 Chemical Engineering 

We take chemistry from laboratory scale to industrial production. This demands a wide range of knowledge, from molecular processes and nanotechnology to building and operation of large processing plants. We educate graduates for some of Norway's most important industries. The Department of Chemical Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  

Deadline 12th February 2024
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Sem Sælands vei 4, 7491 Trondheim