PhD Candidate in Hybrid Dynamical Modelling for Ship Response Predictions

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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.

   

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About the position

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.

About the project

Norway's maritime industry is recognized globally for its skill in creating specialized ships and offshore structures, especially for challenging operations where safety and protecting the environment are key priorities. As offshore operations grow more complex, the safe transfer of personnel and equipment to offshore structures for maintenance, repair, and monitoring has become increasingly important. For example, current offshore wind turbines typically require planned maintenance 1-2 times per year with each activity involving two engineers. With the increase in installed wind energy capacities offshore the need for a safe, cost-effective, and efficient method of personnel transfer is essential. Gangways from service operation vessels have emerged as the preferred solution, accounting for over 90% of personnel transfers in offshore operations

Despite the widespread adoption of gangways, stability and safety can be compromised in harsh weather conditions, where excessive ship movements or sudden wave impacts create hazardous situations. As a result, operations are often suspended during such weather to ensure safety. However, harsh weather does not always mean that ship movements are constantly large. For instance, with a significant wave height of 2 meters over a 20-minute interval, there is 1% chance that waves could exceed 3.02 meters, resulting in the period is unsafe from a statistical standpoint. There are often quiescent periods, known as the periods of calm within rough seas, during this “unsafe” period. If these quiescent periods can be identified and utilized, the operation window could be extended by over 60% in harsh weather without compromising safety. 

The goal of this project is to enhance the operability and safety of gangway systems by enabling the vessels to identify and utilize quiescent periods during harsh weather conditions. To this end data from navigational radars and other relevant sensor channels will be used as input to models that can be used to forecast motion. 

Duties of the position

During the PhD project the candidate will connect analysis and processing of sensor data from ships with models describing the local environmental state as well as its influence on the current and future dynamics of the ship. In addition, the below bullet points describe general duties required of the candidate;

• 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 the maritime technology research group within our department
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within data science, cybernetics or marine technology
• You must have a Master's degree or equivalent education. 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 : IVe81910a4-558b-c56c-7dcb-8daa7ba91f48

Preferred selection criteria

• Proficient in programming
• Experience in developing AI models
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level 

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• 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
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• 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  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 3 years. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Admission requirements for PhD programmes - Kunnskapsbasen - NTNU within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding

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 withthe principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control(legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technologyand services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein 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 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.
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) 
• 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).

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 Associate professor Robert Skulstad Robert.skulstad@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Synnøve Sunde, synnove.sunde@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 31.05.2025

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

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