PhD Candidate in Spectral Imaging

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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.

You will be joining the Colourlab, an exciting research environment for colour and spectral imaging, at NTNU in Gjøvik, Norway. You will also be a member of the European MSCA Doctoral Network UNVEIL , where you will work together with 11 other PhD candidates employed at different leading universities, research institutes, companies and museums throughout Europe, towards a common goal of transforming the diagnostics and preservation of cultural heritage by developing innovative non-destructive evaluation techniques and advanced digital tools for diagnostics, conservation and public  engagement.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of the Colorlab unit. 

About the project

Within the UNVEIL project, the individual research project associated with this position (DC7) is entitled Multiscale and multimodal spectral image acquisition, integration, analysis and visualization.

Objectives: This project will develop strategies for the acquisition, integration, analysis and visualisation of spectral images, for scientific analysis of wall paintings. The data for this study will come from various multispectral/hyperspectral imaging technologies, covering various spectral ranges, such as VNIR, SWIR, and MWIR. Based on these heterogeneous datasets, spectral libraries with an extended spectral range will be generated and used for material mapping and classification, employing multivariate analysis (MVA) and advanced data-driven approaches, including artificial intelligence (AI) methods. The material mapping results will be validated using complementary analytical techniques applied to the same artworks. In addition, style characterization of the paintings will be conducted by extracting both local and global features, such as texture, brushstrokes, cracks, and other surface patterns. This will support the study of artists’ techniques, enable enhanced visualization, and facilitate change monitoring over time. The project will also develop a visualization architecture for presenting multiscale and multirange hyperspectral datasets, tailored to the needs of different user groups including conservation professionals. The fused HSI data will be applied to investigate painting stratigraphy and to detect superficial as well as subsurface disorders, supporting improved understanding of the artworks’ condition and conservation needs.  

Expected Results: 1) Multimodal and multiscale spectral imaging framework, including acquisition methodology, data architecture, analysis, visualisation tool 2) A new method for mapping materials (substrate, pigments, binders...) from spectral image data and a combination of traditional material/imaging models and modern ML-based approaches; 3) Spectral library of painting materials over VNIR-SWIR-MWIR ranges  

Key exploitable results (KER): Open-source software suite for material mapping based on multimodal-multiscale spectral imaging
 

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 Colourlab
• Participate in common research and training activities, online and on site at different UNVEIL partners, and contribution to UNVEIL deliverables, as described in the UNVEIL Description of Action and agreed by UNVEIL decision procedures
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions. Particularly, secondments of a few months duration are foreseen to Newcastle University (UK) and CNRS-LRMH (Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques) near Paris, France
• Other career-promoting work

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have experience with  imaging, image processing, and/or visualization, as well as excellent programming skills. 
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in computer science, electrical engineering, imaging science 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 students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than October 1, 2026
• At the date of recruitment, you must NOT have been awarded a doctoral degree.
• 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 in computer science.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• You must comply with the MSCA mobility rule: you must not have resided or carried out your main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting organisation for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before recruitment (short stays such as holidays are not taken into account).
   

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

• Knowledge of and experience with spectral imaging.
• Knowledge of and experience in conservation science will be an added advantage. 
• Experience working in an interdisciplinary and international research environment.
   

Personal characteristics

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

• Have a high level of personal responsibility, initiative, motivation and ability to work in a project team as well as 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 
• Think, write, and code creatively and outside the box.

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
• 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.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Computer Science 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, 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 be in 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.
•  Project proposal containing an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan, aligned with the research objectives and expected results described above (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) 
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Scientific publications or other documentation of previous 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 Jon Yngve Hardeberg (email: jon.hardeberg@ntnu.no) 

 If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR at the department: Hr@idi.ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 15.04.2026

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

Gjøvik, a charming town by the shores of Lake Mjøsa, is known for its beautiful nature and rich cultural offerings. The town boasts a vibrant community with excellent schools, modern healthcare services, and a variety of recreational activities. With its strategic location, just a short drive from Oslo, Gjøvik combines the best of urban life and natural experiences. Here, you'll find a dynamic business environment and exciting career opportunities in a setting that values work-life balance.