PhD in applied digitalisation of smart materials for energy efficient buildings

About the position 

A Doctoral Research Fellowship is available at the Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics at Østfold University College. This PhD candidate will play a central part in the institutional research area of priority The Digital Society and the new institutional PhD programme, Digitalisation and Society. Perhaps you are the one we are looking for?

The PhD candidate will work on a Horizon Europe project related to energy efficiency in buildings combined with human comfort and circular economy. The project is in collaboration with national and international industrial partners and other universities. The candidate will work interdisciplinary in collaboration with the research groups Advanced materials and Building and Environment at the Department of Engineering as well as within the research focus area DigiTech.

The doctoral position is part of the research initiative “The Digital Society” at ØUC.

Project description 

The candidate will be a part of a research team investigating how to use digital tools to improve the energy efficiency, human comfort, and circular economy of buildings. This includes providing the users of the buildings with digital tools to enhance their indoor environment in a sustainable and cost-effective way. Simulations in combination with IoT sensors and devices, real-time data collected from pilot-scale and a residential building will be utilized to optimize the human comfort in combination with energy efficiency.

The first part of the PhD will be the optimization of a web application used to control a smart floor of a building. The floor contains phase change materials, which act as a passive thermal storage medium. The digital tool should control the heating system of the floor to reduce the energy consumption and electricity cost while keeping a comfortable temperature according to the user preferences. A smart system that utilizes next day electricity prices in combination with weather data and temperature data obtained from the considered floor to control the floor heating should be developed. 

The application will utilize real data that are collected from two sites: a mock up laboratory and a real apartment. 

The second part will be the development of a phone application for the occupants of the building, taking the information that the web application provides in order to offer to the occupants, the best optimization of power consumption and heating strategies to reduce their energy consumption while keeping a comfortable indoor climate. 

About Research fellowship  

The Doctoral Research Fellowship is a full time (100%) fixed term position for 3 years funded by Østfold University College. 

The candidate will be employed at Østfold University College. The candidate is expected to apply and be accepted in our Doctoral Programme “Digitalisation and Society”. Read more on our website: Digitalisation and Society 

Estimated starting date: 1st of October 2025

The candidate is expected to:

• actively take part in research activities relevant to the research groups "Advanced Materials" and "Building and Environment" at the Department of engineering, as well as inter- and multi-disciplinary research activities relevant to AI Hub hosted by Østfold University College.
• disseminate research results on the project through high-quality scientific publications.

. Video: https://youtu.be/UDMirdRpu4w

Qualification requirements 

The successful candidate is required to have 

• completed a master's degree or second degree (normally equivalent to 120 credits according to Norwegian standard definitions) within the fields of engineering, computer science or other fields relevant for the position before the date of employment. Candidates that are close to completion may also be evaluated. Documentation must be submitted as soon as it is available. Any potential job offer will not be made until the documentation is provided and the master's degree meets the requirements.
• been awarded the grade B or better for the Master thesis - in terms of the Norwegian grading scale. If the research summary is of excellent quality, grade C candidates can be considered.  
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English and sufficient oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language. For international candidates (outside of EU/EEA area), approved TOEFL English proficiency test with min score 90 or IELTS test with min. score 7.5. 
• strong and demonstrable interest in web programming, UI/UX Design

Desired qualifications

We would like you to have

• an average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree of B or better in terms of the Norwegian grading scale.
• relevant work and/or academic experience.
• good oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language.

It is an advantage if the candidate also has experience with the following: 

• simulations of energy efficiency of buildings, specially in IDA ICE and Energyplus
• optimizing energy efficiency and indoor climate of buildings by combining simulations with experimental data
• investigate human comfort based on the experience of the occupants of buildings
• building information modelling and digital twins
• development of user-friendly digital tools

Personal qualifications

The successful candidate has

• motivation and potential in the field of research.
• the ability to work in a project team and take responsibility for own research goals.
• good communication and collaboration skills and the ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities.

Daily presence at the workplace is expected. 

Emphasis will be placed on the following

In the evaluation of the applicants, 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.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:

• quality of the research experience and publications
• prior academic output and/or research performance (Master thesis and papers in journals/conferences and citations)
• the applicant’s own ideas of research themes and research design that would be relevant for the project

We offer

• a gross annual salary of minimum NOK 590 000,- and automatically development with a 3 % annual increase during the period. In addition to taxes, a further 2% is deducted for the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. 
• an exciting job opportunity at Østfold University College. 
• participation in a new interdisciplinary doctoral program and a research group where the project is located. 
• beneficial pension arrangements with the Norwegian State Pension Fund. 
• good employee welfare arrangements. 
• working locations at Østfold University College, Fredrikstad (Norway).

Submitting an application  

Please submit your application electronically via our recruitment system Jobbnorge.no. All attached documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or in English.

Application must include the following: 

• A short (1-2 page) cover letter describing your motivation, your suitability, relevant qualifications and research interests for this position. The cover letter must also state your reasons for applying to the project and what makes you particularly qualified to carry out this PhD work.  
• A copy of your CV.
• A list of publications (if applicable). Include a short description of your contribution in multi-authored publications.
• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records. Higher education taken outside the Nordic countries must be documented by the submission of a dated and signed diploma/certificate and a transcript of grades in the original language. If the original language is not English or a Nordic language, you must also enclose an official translation. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• A copy of your master thesis.
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number). 

All attachments should be included electronically within the application deadline. Other documentation may be claimed at a later stage, e.g., proof of claimed English proficiency.

Documents to be sent as hard copies by post

Applicants with degrees from: Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA must send their transcripts and diploma of master’s and bachelor’s education as hard copies directly from the relevant college/university, in addition to uploading them online. The hard copies must be received by us within 4 weeks after the application deadline expires. 

To send hard copies to HiØ, please use the following address:

Høgskolen i Østfold
HR-section
Postboks 700
1757 HALDEN

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

Admission and appointment 

Admission to the doctoral programme Digitalisation and Society is a condition for appointment as a research fellow. The final plan for research training shall be approved and regulated by contract at the latest three months after the appointment is taken up.

The successful candidate will receive assistance in the application process to the PhD programme Digitalisation and Society at Østfold University College when starting in the position.  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the State Employees law, the act relating to Universities and Universities Colleges and the national guidelines for appointment as a PhD student, a postdoctoral fellow or a research assistant. 

Contact persons 

You are strongly encouraged to contact the main supervisor for a discussion about the position, relevant references and the project. For other information, please contact the Dean or the advisors:

• Main supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Susana Garcia, e-mail: susana.g.sanfelix@hiof.no 
• Dean: Susanne Koch Stigberg, e-mail: susanne.k.stigberg@hiof.no
• Senior Advisor for the PhD programme: Liv Simensen, e-mail: liv.simensen@hiof.no  
• HR Senior Advisor: Hilde Gunn, e-mail: hilde.g.avloyp@hiof.no

Other information

The university college is committed to fostering a diverse and gender-balanced workforce. We seek employees with diverse skills, academic backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives. If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview.

In accordance with the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25, paragraph 2, information about the applicant may be disclosed even if the applicant has requested not to be included on the list of applicants.

If you disclose that you have an immigrant background, disability, or gaps in your CV, this information, in anonymized form, may be used for statistical purposes.