PhD Candidate in Microscale Fluid Mechanics – Acoustofluidics

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NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

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.

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About the position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering has a vacancy for a 3 or 4-year PhD position in microscale fluid mechanics. The start date is no later than August/September 2025. The location for this PhD position is Trondheim, at the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (http://folk.ntnu.no/cadorao/). 

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.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Non-contact manipulation of micro- and nano-size particles plays a leading role in diverse biomedical applications. Many of these applications require to perform several operations on particles and flow such as sorting, separation, isolation, rotation, transport, stretching, stimulation and lysis, of micro-organisms such as cells and biomolecules. 

This project focuses on the application of acoustic fields for controlling the flow and the interaction of the flow with micro and nano-size particles. The aim is to develop acoustic operators with the fluid and particles for trapping, transport, and lysis of nano- and micro-size synthetic and biological organisms.

The project involves (i) the design and construction of acoustofluidics devices in a cleanroom, (ii) the design, construction and running of experiments with nano- and micro-size synthetic and biological organisms like cells and exosomes, (iii) running diverse types of studies involving micro-PIV, IR-thermography, holographic and fluorescence microscopy, cell culture, (iv) modeling of the physics of the processes.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Design and fabrication of engineered surfaces and devices in the clean room
• Design, planning and running experiments
• Use and development of novel visualization techniques (micro-PIV, infrared thermography, holographic and fluorescence microscopy)
• Running experiments with synthetic particles and biological samples 
• Contribute to academic publications, project reports and other dissemination activities
• Participate in meetings with supervisors and colleagues

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within Engineering. 
• You must have a Master's degree in bioengineering, physics, applied science, nanobiotechnology, nanotechnology, mechanical engineering 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.
• 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 (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme).

Specific requirements for the proposed project:

• You must have an academically relevant background within either bio engineering, biomedical engineers, nanobiotechnology, nanotechnology, experimental micro scale fluid  mechanics or physics, demonstrated through courses, projects, activities, and/or theses. 
• Programming experience in Matlab, Python or similar packages.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English language.

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PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

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

• Good experimental skills.
• Experience with cell cultures and biological applications will be considered an advantage.
• Experience with micro and nano fabrication will be considered an advantage.

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Be enthusiastic and highly motivated
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Work independently and in teams
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• State-of-the-art laboratories and equipment
• A strong and international professional environment
• 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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK  536 200,-  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 for 3 or 4 years. The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work. If the employment period is for 4 years, the employment period includes 25 % career promoting work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme) 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.

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.

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 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.
• A brief introduction letter (no more than one A4 page) that summarizes the documents and the nature of the information provided for the selection. 
• The letter of purpose (no more than two A4 pages), describing why you want to apply for this precise position and including how your research interests/experience connect to this position. 
• 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).

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 think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Carlos A. Dorao, email: carlos.dorao@ntnu.no. or Professor Maria Fernandino, email: maria.fernandino@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-consultant Ingrid Wiggen e-mail: ingrid.wiggen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 20.05.2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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. 

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