PhD position: Computational and Spatio-Temporal Statistics at the Centre for Geophysical Forecasting

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

About the job

The Centre for Geophysical Forecasting (CGF) at NTNU has vacancy for a PhD position in mathematical statistics.  The Centre is one of the Norwegian centres for research-driven innovation, funded by the Research Council of Norway and industry partners. The goal of the CGF is to become a world-leading research and innovation hub for the geophysical sciences, creating innovative new products and services in earth sensing and forecasting domains. As the global ecosystem enters a period of dramatic change, there is a strong need for accurate monitoring and forecasting of the Earth. Statistical modelling and methodologies play important roles here, enabling reliable predictions and uncertainty quantification that aid decision support. 

Key research and innovation areas include new ways to monitor the geological storage of CO2, reconfiguring Earth resources production, and to develop new geohazard early warning systems.  The primary focus for the CGF will be to bring valuable, cost-effective and robust geophysical monitoring and forecasting services. 

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

The PhD candidate will work at NTNU in Trondheim in our team of key researchers, and the fellowship will be hosted by the Department of Mathematical Sciences, NTNU. The successful applicant will be offered a three-year position. The project has close contact with industry partners Aker BP, ASN, BaneNor, CGG, Equinor, Magseis Fairfield, NPRA (Statens Vegvesen), NVE, Shearwater, SIKT and Tampnet’ til ‘NPRA (Statens Vegvesen), NVE, Shearwater, SIKT, Tampnet and TGS, as well as research partners NORSAR and Jamstec in Japan. 

Duties of the position

The PhD candidate will be conducting statistical research on spatial and spatio-temporal processes that can be used for extracting relevant information from various types of geophysical data. The study focus of the PhD project is on the development of new methodologies in computational statistics for analysing geophysical data. Such data include seismic measurements and fiber-optical sensing data. 

Core components of the PhD project include Bayesian hierarchical modeling and methods for conditioning such models to data. We aim for a coherent interpretable modeling approach honoring physical constraints and the large-size geophysical data.

An important part of the PhD projects is cooperation with centre partners, and in doing so disseminating statistical research and innovation results. The PhD research is in statistics, but the PhD candidate will also be part of a cross-disciplinary team working towards a common goal. 

The CGF is determined to deliver research-based innovation, and it strongly stimulates PhD candidates to create and develop innovative ideas into business potential both for the centre partners as well as in spin-off companies. 

Required selection criteria

• We are looking for a highly motivated candidate with a MSc degree in statistics or equivalent, with a keen interest in statistical methods and multidisciplinary scientific research. 
• Interesting candidates must have a solid background in multivariate mathematical and statistical modeling. They must further document strong skills in computer programming and computational statistics. 
• 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 summer 2025. Employment will then start when the MSc degree is completed.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program (http://www.ntnu.edu/ie/research/phd)
• Applicants who are not fluent in a Scandinavian language must document a thorough knowledge of English (equivalent to a TOEFL score of 600 or more).

The CGF work with data that are subject to export control. 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

• Knowledge and experience with spatial statistics or other large-scale uncertain systems is an advantage. 
• Good written and oral English skills.

Personal characteristics

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education and experience, as well as personal suitability for this position which include

• Ambitions to deliver high-quality research.
• Willingness to learn new fields in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Strong implementation and programming knowledge.
• Excellent communication skills. 
• Drive to transition new research results into innovative products and services.
• Excellent writing skills, capable of synthesizing and expressing complex ideas clearly.
• Self-motivated, resilient, resourceful, result-oriented, and independent.

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• strong contacts and work integration with industry partners
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

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 Mathematical Sciences (http://www.ntnu.edu/ie/research/phd) 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 which includes information about education background and work experience.
• Certified copies of relevant transcripts and diplomas. Candidates from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a Diploma Supplement or similar documentation, which describes in detail the program of study, the grading system, and the rights to further studies associated with the degree obtained.
• Contact information for two references. 
• Documentation of fluency in the English language.  

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 Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, 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.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

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 Jo Eidsvik, jo.eidsvik@ntnu.no .

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: 12.01.2025.