Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.
A PhD position is available at the Bruheim lab at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science which focuses on Deep Phenotyping of prokaryotic and eukaryotic model systems using Advanced Cultivation Technology and Mass Spectrometry (MS) based Metabolomics, Fluxomics and Lipidomics (https://www.ntnu.edu/ibt/research/micphys#/view/about). We have developed a suite of target and untargeted MS methods, which we apply on a range of biological model systems and research questions.
Your immediate Line Manager will be the Head of Department.
About the project
The PhD position is part of the research project “Early prevention of childhood obesity via maternal exercise (Sugar Mama)” and is internally funded by the NTNU strategic research area Health and Life Science. The overall objective of the project is to discover bioactive components that are induced by exercise during pregnancy and after childbirth. The research group of Sugar Mama project leader Trine Moholdt (https://www.ntnu.no/ansatte/trine.moholdt) at the Exercise, Cardiometabolic Health and Reproduction (EXCAR) research group, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging (ISB), MH-faculty, NTNU has established a large collection of serum, breastmilk, fecal samples from several past and ongoing exercise studies. These samples are available and will be analysed in Sugar Mama.
The main aim and task of the PhD position is to develop analytical methods (mainly LC-MS based and both targeted/quantitative and untargeted/ qualitative methods) and apply these methods on the already available samples. There will be a particular focus on abundance and diversity of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) and how these bioactive compounds vary with exercise both during pregnancy and after birth/ during lactation. HMOs are a diverse class of carbohydrates that can be found in high concentrations in human milk and induce multiple benefits for the infant via prebiotic effects, meaning that they feed the microbes in the infant gut. The gut microbiome and its metabolites are emerging as an important player in the pathogenesis of obesity.
Duties of the position
- Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
- Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
- Academic publications and popular science dissemination
- Participate in both the Bruheim and Moholdt research groups
- Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
- Other career-promoting work Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.
Required selection criteria
- You must have an academically relevant background within biotechnology, cell and molecular biology, analytical chemistry/ biochemistry also including basic competence in Bioinformatics, Statistics and working with large data sets, and Basic programming skills
- You must have a Master’s degree in above mentioned subject areas or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master’s level. Master’s students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position no later than September 1st 2025.
- You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your 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 may be considered 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 Programme (PhD Programme Biotechnology)
- Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English
PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.
If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment, you must complete Norwegian courses corresponding to at least 15 credits before the end of the employment period. NTNU will facilitate this.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.
Preferred selection criteria
- Background in Analytical chemistry/ biochemistry/ Cell and Molecular Biology
- Experience in LC-MS
Personal characteristics
To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:
- Work independently and in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
- Present and discuss your research with other professionals
- Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
- Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
- Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.
We offer
- An exciting job with an important mission in society
- Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
- Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
- Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
- As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.
Diversity
Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population’s collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.
We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.
If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.
Salary and conditions
In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 532 200,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.
The employment period is 3 years. If learning Norwegian (level A2 corresponding to at least 15 credits) is to be completed before the end of the employment period, the employment period can be extended by 10 weeks.
For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Biotechnology (PhD education – Faculty of Natural Sciences – NTNU) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.
As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.
For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.
About the application
The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English.
Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates. The application must include:
- Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees
- CV
- Copy of 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.
- Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
- Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
- Possibly certificates
- Names and contact information of three relevant referees
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. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.
Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.
When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.
NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU’s social mission).
The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.
General information
A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted.
If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Per Bruheim, email: per.bruheim@ntnu.no
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Cecilie Skagfjord, e-mail: cecilie.skagfjord@ntnu.no.
If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.
Application deadline: 01.03.2025
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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.
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NTNU – knowledge for a better world
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 Biotechnology and Food Science
Our activities contribute to increased exploitation of existing and new ingredients for sustainable food production as well as next-generation energy solutions and medical technology. We educate graduates for a wide range of careers in industry, public administration and academia. The Department of Biotechnology and Food Science is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.