About the position

The Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA), Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT) at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant three year PhD–position related to research within the area of pasture grazing and feed additives as a greenhouse gas mitigation option in dairy and beef cattle production systems.

This PhD-project, Sustainable cattle production: grazing and feed additives as mitigation options in dairy and suckler cow production, is linked to the project MethanePasture - increased sustainability from dairy and meat from ruminants, funded by the Research Council of Norway (2023-2028). This project is conducted in close cooperation with partners from the dairy, meat, and feed industry (Animalia, Nortura, TYR, KLF, Tine, Felleskjøpet Fôrutvikling). The project also includes international collaboration with Agroscope (Switzerland) and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (Canada).

The main objective of MethanePasture is to improve the sustainability of ruminant livestock production, as well as national inventory and whole-farm greenhouse gas (GHG) estimates. This will be achieved by identifying the methane mitigation potential of pasture grazing and assessing the effectiveness of feed additives supplied to dairy cattle during both early and late pasture seasons. The expected outcome is to fill critical knowledge gaps regarding whether pasture grazing itself can reduce methane emissions, and whether methane-reducing additives show greater efficacy early compared to late in the grazing season—information that may offer practical and economic benefits to both society and industry.

The focus of the PhD position is twofold. First, the candidate will quantify enteric methane emissions from suckler cows grazing cultivated pasture and outfield pasture during early and late pasture seasons. This will be investigated in an experiment planned for summer/autumn 2026 using GreenFeed technology. The PhD candidate is expected to participate actively in this experiment, together with the project team. Second, the candidate will work with modelling greenhouse gas emissions using whole-farm models for cattle production systems. Based on data from the suckler cow experiment, as well as data from two completed dairy cow experiments in MethanePasture, the models HolosNor (dairy) and HolosNorBeef (suckler cow) will be improved to better account for grazing effects on enteric methane emissions. The net effect of different feeding strategies (pasture types, grazing vs. cut-and-carry vs. grass silage, and the use of feed additives) will also be explored.

The applicant is made aware that an application for a PhD position at NMBU is at the same time an application for admission to a PhD programme at the institution. The documentation that is necessary to ensure that the admission requirements are met must be uploaded as an attachment.

Main tasks

Take part in conducting an experiment with grazing suckler cows (measure methane emissions by using GreenFeed technology, body weight registrations, collect pasture samples)
Improve estimates of enteric methane on pasture in current whole-farm cattle models (dairy and suckler cow)
Estimate the net effect of pasture and feed additives on net farm GHG emissions from grazing dairy cows and beef cattle
Write and publish scientific articles in reputable international journals in collaboration with the supervisory group.
Participate in meetings with the industry partners in the project
Complete and submit a PhD-thesis within three years.

The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to complete a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.

Competence

The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a five-year master’s degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background relevant to the position and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.

The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.

Required Academic qualifications

Master’s degree in animal science or comparable fields
Strong communication skills in English, written and spoken.

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

Experience in ruminant nutrition, dairy or suckler cow production
Experience within handling of large ruminants
Experience in experimental work within agriculture and livestock.
Experience in GHG calculations and modelling
Great interest in ruminant nutrition and physiology and mitigation options in cattle production.
Good skills in processing data and statistics

You need to:

Be highly motivated for a PhD education
Be accurate and patient when performing experimental work.
Have good communicative skills, both written and oral.
Have good ability to work both independently and in teams.

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD Fellow, and is remunerated with a starting annual salary of NOK 550,800.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact Dr. Bente Aspeholen Åby (Researcher, main supervisor).

E-mail: bente.aby@nmbu.no; phone +47 67232695, or Dr. Margrete Eknæs (questions related to suckler cow experiment). E-mail: margrete.eknas@nmbu.no; phone: +47 67232670.

Information for PhD applicants and general information to applicants

Application

To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.

Application deadline: 22.03.2026

Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.

In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.

Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.

The following documents must be attached to the application:

About The Faculty of Biosciences

The Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT) aims to shape the future of food and bioproduction through teaching and research in biology and sustainable production and use of plants, livestock and fish. The faculty has a large project portfolio and an annual turnover of approximately NOK 250 million.

BIOVIT is organized into seven research groups: Genome Biology, Breeding, Genetics and Food Production Systems, Ruminant Nutrition and Physiology, Ethology and Animal Welfare, Nutrition and Physiology for Monogastric Animals, Plant Biology, Sustainable Food Systems and Integrated Plant Protection, and Genetics, Evolution and Sustainable Plant Production. Additionally, the faculty has seven research support and laboratory units.

BIOVIT is responsible for bachelor’s and master’s programs in aquaculture, biology, animal science, and plant science, as well as English-language master’s programs in Agroecology, Plant Sciences, Feed Manufacturing Technology, and Genome Sciences. BIOVIT also offers Ph.D. programs in animal science and plant science. Currently, the faculty has about 550 bachelor’s and master’s students and 90 Ph.D. students. BIOVIT employs approximately 230 staff members and has its own faculty administration.

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