PhD Candidate in Wind Turbine Noise Prediction in the Norwegian Context

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About the position

The Acoustics Group at the Department of Electronic Systems, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, NTNU has a vacancy for a PhD candidate in Wind Turbine Noise Prediction in the Norwegian Context.

The Acoustics Group studies the generation, propagation and reception of sound waves, as well as transducers and related signal processing, in a wide range of scenarios: sound for the communication between humans (speech and music); the influence of sound (noise) on humans and animals; and technical uses such as for remote sensing, designing materials and devices for noise abatement, biodiversity assessment and underwater communication networks.

The Acoustics Group offers a specialization in acoustics in the 2-year master programme Electronic Systems Design as well as the 5-year ELSYS master program. The Acoustics Group will offer a dedicated 2-year master programme in Sound and Vibration from 2026 on.

The Acoustics Group at NTNU works closely with the SINTEF Acoustics Research Group on the campus of Gløshaugen. This represents a workforce of 30 researchers, professors, postdocs, engineers and PhD candidates.

The PhD candidate is expected to develop an advanced engineering noise prediction model for efficient computation of sound propagation in a range-dependent atmosphere where the vertical sound speed gradient can deviate significantly from the standardized linear and log-linear profiles. The prediction model will consider typical Norwegian scenarios with a low density of buildings at the receiver, steep terrain between the turbines and the receiver with occasional diffraction during propagation. A source model to explore is a distribution of static monopoles (non-aeroacoustic sources) and moving monopoles (aeroacoustic sources). Among other factors, such a source model can be parameterized by the vertical wind speed profile at the turbine. The propagation model will rely on numerically efficient curved ray tracing to account for realistic altitude- and range-dependent sound speed gradients. The noise prediction model is expected to predict time series of sound pressure levels so that the conditions for the occurrence of amplitude modulation at the receiver will be investigated. The PhD project should also permit to evaluate the limits of established engineering methods like ISO 9613-2 or Nord2000 in such typical Norwegian scenarios and to propose amendments to these methods.

The PhD candidate will contribute mainly to WP4 and WP3 in the PreWinT project led by SINTEF and also support WP5 (see below).

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 the Acoustics Group

About the project

This PhD position is a part of the Prediction and mitigation of Wind Turbine noise and its impact on humans project (PreWinT, 2025-2028). PreWinT is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and by a large industrial consortium composed of 8 Norwegian public or private energy companies. These companies will provide data and access to their wind parks.

Wind turbines are a mature, affordable technology essential for increasing Norway’s renewable energy production by 2030. Despite these advantages, local communities often oppose new installations due to noise concerns, posing a significant obstacle to establishing and operating wind parks. Consequently, there is a pressing need for research-based knowledge, as well as methods and tools for more accurate and reliable predictions of noise and annoyance.

Noise prediction models are well-established for design, operation, and regulatory purposes. However, Norway’s unique topography and meteorology can cause these models to significantly underestimate noise (prompting community opposition) or overestimate it (leading to approval challenges or unnecessary production limits). PreWinT addresses these issues by improving the understanding and modeling of wind turbine noise, drawing on extensive measurements at Norwegian wind parks. While focused on Norwegian conditions, no doubt that the project’s findings will be broadly applicable. The project is divided into the following technical work packages:

• WP1 Annoyance from wind turbines
• WP2 Wind turbine noise data collection and analysis
• WP3 Wind turbine noise source modeling
• WP4 Wind turbine noise propagation modeling
• WP5 Wind farm noise model (Digital Twin)

Duties of the position

• 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 international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Teaching (optional but recommended, learning assistant in various master’s level courses offered by the Acoustics Group. In that case the duration of the contract would be 48 months, instead of 36)

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a Master's degree in acoustics 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 and no later than 30.11.2025.
• 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 Electronics and Telecommunications doctoral programme.
• You must have Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English.
• You must have documented proficiency In programming.
• You must have a broad background in mathematics, physics, signal processing and engineering sciences.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions 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

Background/experience within the following fields:

• Aeroacoustics 
• Fluid mechanics
• Numerical methods
• Wind energy

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
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• 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
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

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. (delete if not applicable)

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-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 without duty work (teaching-related activities) or 4 years with duty work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Electronics and Telecommunications.

The position is conditional on external funding from the Norwegian Research Council (Norges Forskningsråd - NFR).

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 professional 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 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 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 and diplomas upon request.

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.
• 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 work 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 Guillaume Dutilleux, +47 73 55 92 32, guillaume.dutilleux@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR hr@ies.ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 14.09.2025

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.