PhD Candidate in AI-Driven Spectroscopy, Digital Twins and Autonomous Control for Bioprocesses

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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

Autonomous microbial bioprocesses are limited by a lack of fast, reliable measurements of the cultivation medium. Most key variables are still obtained through slow, off-line analyses, which restricts real-time decision-making and feedback control.

The AINA project is recruiting two PhD candidates to address this challenge by developing and experimentally validating AI-enabled monitoring and control for microbial fermentation. The goal is to transform rich sensor signals into reliable state information and use this information to enable real-time, closed-loop operation.

A key strength of these projects is that your work will not remain “simulation-only.” You will develop algorithms and test them in an advanced, automated microbial feedback control laboratory, enabling rapid iteration from concept → implementation → experimental validation.
 

These PhDs sit directly on today’s high-impact themes:

• AI for scientific instrumentation: extracting reliable quantitative information from complex spectral signals in real time.
• Digital twins and hybrid AI: combining mechanistic process models with machine learning for accuracy, generalization, and interpretability.
• Uncertainty-aware AI: robust inference under noise, drift, and changing conditions; knowing when a model is out of scope.
• Autonomous laboratories: closing the loop from measurement to inference to control to accelerate learning and improve reproducibility.

The scope of the work (What you will work on)

You will develop an end-to-end framework that links advanced optical spectroscopy (including laser-based methods such as Raman and complementary NIR/MIR techniques) to state estimation and autonomous feedback control in microbial fermentation.

Typical tasks include:

• AI for spectroscopy analytics: spectral pre-processing; chemometrics and ML (PLS baseline; modern ML/deep learning as appropriate); drift handling, calibration transfer, novelty detection, and uncertainty quantification.
• Hybrid modeling and digital twins: grey-box models (first principles + learned components), residual learning, model adaptation across operating regimes, and physics-guided ML.
• State estimation and soft sensing: real-time estimation using Kalman-filter variants (EKF/UKF/augmented KF), probabilistic inference, and multi-sensor data fusion.
• AI-enabled monitoring and control: closed-loop strategies (e.g., MPC, adaptive and learning-augmented control) with emphasis on robustness and constraints.

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.


 

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 the research group Process System Engineering, Microbial feedback control laboratory. 
• Teaching and teaching assistant is a possibility. 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.
 

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in at least one subject: data science, engineering cybernetics/control, chemical/bioprocess engineering, biotechnology, applied mathematics, or applied physics. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than September 2026. 
• 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 maybe 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/nv/phd)
• The position requires documented spoken and written fluency in English.

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 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

• Foundations in machine learning / modeling (or clear evidence of rapid upskilling)
• Programming experience (preferably Matlab, Python is also relevant)
• Knowledge (e.g. from master level courses) in time-series inference, Spectroscopy, estimation, control, digital twins, industrial microbiology or fermentation.
• Previous laboratory experience (e.g., fermentation, microbiology, analytical chemistry) and familiarity with basic cell biology/microbial physiology are an advantage, but not required. Training and onboarding will be provided for candidates with strong quantitative skills and motivation to work in an experimental environment

Personal characteristics

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

• Problem-solving mindset under uncertainty: able to troubleshoot issues calmly (contamination, sensor drift, unexpected process behavior) and propose corrective actions.
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject, both algorithms and laboratory work
• Careful and methodical working style: pays attention to detail in preparation, sampling, and data logging; understands that small mistakes can invalidate experiments.
• Team-oriented collaboration: communicates clearly with colleagues across disciplines (bioprocessing, analytics, control/AI), shares results transparently, and contributes to a positive lab culture.

We offer

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

• Two PhD projects at the intersection of AI, spectroscopy, and automated control, with strong experimental grounding.
• Access to an automated microbial feedback control laboratory and advanced sensing infrastructure to test algorithms in realistic conditions. 
• Close supervision and collaboration across AI/ML, sensing, modeling, and control.
• A publication pathway spanning AI for science/instrumentation, process systems engineering, and control.
• 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.

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.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Chemical Engineering  (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phkjpros) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out 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 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 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 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), explaining how you fit the scope of the work
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• 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 Bar (nadi.bar@ntnu.no).

Application deadline: 05.03.2026

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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.