PhD Candidate in “Development of Probabilistic Reliability Criteria in Distribution Grids”

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

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.

   

Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0

About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? Do you have a background in electric power systems and are you interested in power system reliability? 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. 

The Department of Electric Energy (IEL) at NTNU is seeking a highly motivated candidate for a full-time (100%) PhD position for 3 years in “Development of Probabilistic Reliability Criteria in Distribution Grids”. You will join the research group Power System Operation and Analysis (PSOA) at IEL, where we foster an open, inclusive, and collaborative working environment.

Our working environment is characterized by a friendly, supportive atmosphere, with regular gatherings such as professional meetings within the research group, weekly research colloquia, shared lunches, and “Friday coffee” sessions to wrap up the week. Formal and informal gatherings provide opportunities to exchange ideas, celebrate milestones, and strengthen connections. PhD candidates also arrange social activities, open to everyone who wishes to join, creating a welcoming and inclusive community.

Your immediate Line Manager will be the Head of Department.

The PhD position is funded by SecurEL.

About the project

About SecurEL

SecurEL is a Centre for Environment-friendly Energy Research, facilitating a secure, resilient, and sustainable electricity distribution grid that ensures both the security of electricity supply and a path to a net-zero-emissions society. SecurEL aims to develop new knowledge addressing research challenges arising from accelerated electrification and increased use of the existing grid. Reaching these goals requires strong interdisciplinary collaboration among research institutions, user partners, and experts with diverse areas of expertise.

The Centre brings together experts from fields such as electrical engineering, energy systems, information and communication technology, cybersecurity, engineering cybernetics, industrial economics, and the humanities and social sciences to develop effective solutions for the power grid. SecurEL is a consortium of 42 partners, including 7 research partners. The centre period is 2025-2032, and the total budget is 398 million Norwegian kroner (NOK). NTNU is represented as a partner mainly by the Department of Electric Energy (IEL) and the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management (IØT).

Recruitment and research education are an important part of the mission of SecurEL. The PhD candidates funded by the Centre will contribute with cutting-edge knowledge and research. Overall, the Centre will directly finance 17 PhD and postdoc positions, and also have several associated PhDs from closely related projects. As a SecurEL-funded PhD candidate, you will be employed by NTNU, a university partner in the Centre, and take active part in the research activities. Through the Centre, you will have access to a forum with other PhD candidates affiliated with the Centre, and opportunities for research stays with partners, both nationally and abroad, through its international network.

Read more about the Centre and its research at the website: https://www.securel.no

About the project

The PhD position is associated with Work Package 1 (WP1) in SecurEL, which has the title “Security of electricity supply”. The overall objective for the PhD work is as follows: How can probabilistic reliability criteria be designed and applied in the planning and operation of evolving distribution systems, such that Security of Supply would be ensured? The work of the PhD candidate will be integrated with the ongoing work being carried out by the research partners in WP1. In the initial phase, the supervisors, the candidate (based on the candidate's profile), and research partners in SecurEL will work together to identify the comprehensive research questions to be addressed to meet the overall objective of the PhD work.

To provide a context for the overall objective of the PhD work, the motivation and background for WP1 is briefly given below:

There are increased operational stresses on the power system due to various factors such as evolving complexity of the power system, increasing electrification needs of the society, climate change, cyberthreats, and digitalisation. There is limited knowledge available on the consequences of these factors upon the Security of Supply. (Note: Security of electricity Supply, also simply referred to as Security of Supply, is the ability of the power system to continuously deliver electrical power of the desired quality to the end user. Power system reliability is an aspect of Security of Supply and is related to the frequency and duration of power supply interruptions.) The current practice is to manage Security of Supply using variants of the deterministic N-1 criterion. However, probabilistic or risk-based principles and criteria, inspired by those developed for transmission systems, are now being advocated for use in the planning, operation, and maintenance of distribution systems. Some of the goals of WP1 in SecurEL deal with the development of

• Methods and indicators to monitor and predict Security of Supply including risk, vulnerability, and cybersecurity, integrating resilience as an explicit aspect of security of electricity supply; tools to increase situational awareness. 
• Methods for risk analysis of the complex interdependencies arising in the intelligent electricity distribution grid designed to promote flexibility.  

The main supervisor of the PhD candidate will be Associate Professor Vijay Venu Vadlamudi (IEL). 
Co-supervisors will be Senior Research Scientist Iver Bakken Sperstad (SINTEF Energy Research), and Professor Poul Heegaard (Department of Information Security and Communication Technology, NTNU).

Duties of the position

• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above.
• Participate in activities of the research group Power System Operation and Analysis (PSOA).
• Complete academic training consisting of coursework corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS.
• Contribute to publications in relevant journals and to popular science dissemination.
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions.

Career-enhancing work, which is in addition to the research project and doctoral education, may be offered to a candidate who demonstrates clear motivation and ability for such work, and if the Department determines there is a need. Examples of career-enhancing work include, but are not limited to, contributing to teaching, laboratory and exercise teaching, supervision, and examination work within the employee's areas of competence. 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must hold a Master’s degree within Electric Power Engineering, with specialization in electric power and/or energy systems. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at the 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 autumn 2026.
• You must have proficient programming skills in one of the following: Python, Matlab, C/C++.
• Employment is contingent upon the candidate’s ability to obtain the required security clearance. See the last paragraph under "Salary and conditions" for more information. 
• 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, i.e., by having relevant work experience and/or published/publishable scientific papers.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• You must have English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Applicants who are not native English speakers are encouraged to document their English language proficiency. One of the following test scores could be documented for this purpose: 
  • TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 79 - 101. 
  • IELTS - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 5.5 - 6.0 
  • Cambridge English - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 160 - 179.

Further assessment of both written and oral English language skills and the ability to communicate fluently will be conducted in the continued selection process and during any interviews for all applicants.

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

• Master’s thesis relevant to the announced position.
• Proficiency in Python programming language.
• English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). See which scores are equivalent to the C1 level here.
• Proficiency in a Scandinavian language (Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish), both written and spoken, at B2 level or higher is considered an advantage. The candidate is expected to collaborate with stakeholders in the Norwegian industry and utility sectors, where Norwegian is the working language.

Personal characteristics

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

• demonstrate strong motivation, curiosity, and a learning-oriented mindset
• work independently, take initiative, and maintain good structure and discipline in their work
• communicate effectively and collaborate well with supervisors and peers
• show resilience and work constructively when facing challenges or setbacks
• demonstrate integrity and a strong sense of responsibility in their research conduct

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
• Social activities organized by PhD Students
• Weekly social gathering on Fridays (Friday coffee)
• 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. 

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, with the possibility of an additional 3 to 12 months of employment related to career-enhancing activities. 

The option for career-enhancing work may be offered to a candidate who has clear motivation and ability for such work, and if the Department deems it necessary. This will be clarified with the candidate during and after any interview.  

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Electric Power Engineering 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 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.

The nature of the work will, with a high degree of likelihood, involve the development of, or access to, assets and information that are considered particularly vulnerable to activities posing a security risk, and for which compelling security considerations apply. The selected candidate must therefore undergo an assessment of personal security suitability. In this context, verification of identity, academic transcripts, and other submitted documentation will also be conducted.

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: 

• A cover letter where the applicant describes personal motivation, summarizing scientific work, and how the applicant sees her/his background as suitable (400 words/1 page).
• 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, including references). This proposal will be neither final nor binding for the project.
• CV.
• If you have testimonials of work experience, submit them.
• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees. If you have not yet completed your Master's thesis, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the submission of the Master's thesis, or confirmation that your Master's thesis has been submitted.
  • Applicants from universities outside Norway are requested to send a diploma supplement or a similar document, which describes in detail the study programme and grading system. See also specific documentation requirements for education obtained outside of Norway, applicable to certain regions/countries, here. 
• A copy of the Master's thesis. If you recently submitted your Master's thesis, you are encouraged to attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position. 
• If you have publications or other relevant research work, submit them.
• You are encouraged to include documentation of English language proficiency if you are not a native speaker of English. 
• Name and contact information of three referees.

If all, or parts, of your education have 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 a “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 have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Vijay Venu Vadlamudi by email at vijay.vadlamudi@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact senior HR consultant Sven Robert Storø by e-mail at sven.r.storo@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 27.04.2026

-----------------

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.