Researcher in plant Sciences/Controlled environment agriculture

About the position

The Department of Plant Science (IPV), Faculty of Biosciences at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant two-year researcher position related to plant sciences/controlled environment agriculture.

The researcher will be connected to the FlexiFarm project: “Flexible Farming Solutions to Minimize Energy Expenditure and Create New Revenue Streams in Vertical Farming”, which is a collaboration between NMBU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (SINTEF), and vertical farms in Norway.

The project aims to understand the energy flexibility of vertical farms (VFs) by modeling how fluctuating lighting and temperature affect productivity. By integrating this knowledge with various energy markets such as spot, flexibility, and balancing markets, VFs can drastically reduce their energy costs, though this is only viable if crop yield is not affected by fluctuating conditions.

The research will focus on growth experiments with selected plant species in controlled environment chambers and involve growth analysis, stress detection, and modeling of plant growth under different light and temperature regimes. Results from plant experiments will be used to model the energy flexibility of VFs (in collaboration with researchers at NTNU/SINTEF).

As photosynthesis is such a crucial factor underlying crop yield in both open and closed production systems, understanding photosynthetic responses and acclimation to fluctuating conditions is essential. The researcher will be involved in exploring how leafy green crop species acclimate their photosynthetic processes to dynamic environmental conditions, with a focus on light and temperature fluctuations.

The position will be part of a growing working group connected to photobiology and production physiology research at IPV.

Main tasks

• Conduct growth experiments with selected plant species/cultivars in controlled environment chambers
• Establish standard experimental protocols including irradiance, light quality, temperature regimes, nutrient solutions, growing system parameters, relative humidity, and CO₂ levels
• Identify cultivars of lettuce/leafy greens with high tolerance to light fluctuations
• Carry out growth analysis and plant modeling
• Perform photosynthetic phenotyping of plants grown under steady-state and fluctuating light conditions
• Map temperature-dependent development of photosynthetic phenotypes and identify photoacclimation components in different species and genotypes through NPQ analysis

Competence

Required qualifications

• PhD equivalent to a Norwegian PhD, or a master’s degree in plant physiology, plant science, plant biology, general biology, or similar fields
• The master’s degree must correspond to a five-year master’s degree or a cand.med.vet. degree, with learning outcomes corresponding to the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle
• Documented strong academic background relevant to the position
• Proficiency in both written and oral English
• Documented expertise and interest in the research subject

Qualifications considered an advantage

• Previous experience in controlled environment research with plants/controlled environment agriculture
• Previous experience in growth analysis and plant modeling
• Good computational skills and a working knowledge of programming in R or other relevant software
• Significant contribution to scientific publications
• Documented skills in public communication
• Good problem-solving capability and critical thinking

Personal qualities

• Be genuinely interested in research
• Have an interest in photosynthesis and its related processes
• Be willing to work both independently and as part of a team
• Bring your own creativity to the project

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in position code 1108 Researcher (NOK 540 000-680 000) or position code 1109 Researcher (NOK 670 000-700 000)   depending on qualifications. The position follows ordinary meriting regulations.

Interested in learning more about the position? We are happy to tell you more about life on campus. Contact Professor Sissel Torre, phone: +47 67232828, sissel.torre@nmbu.no. 

Information to applicants

Application

Send application electronically via the link "Apply for this job" at the top of this page. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form. 

Application Deadline: 01.10.2025

Your CV must be entered in Jobbnorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations in the Public Administration Act §15.

 Documents that cannot be sent electronically are sent in triplicate by ordinary mail marked still.nr. 25/04531 to Norwegian University of Life Science, Faculty of Biosciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within October 1st, 2025.

The following must be included in the application:

• Cover letter
• CV
• Copies of diplomas and other relevant certificates
• Up to ten publications selected by the applicant as most relevant must be attached to the application. If it is difficult to identify the contribution of the applicant in multiple-author publications, a short explanation about the applicant’s part of the work is suggested. 

Applicants who are invited to an interview must be able to present certified copies of diplomas and certificates. 

Please note that the report from the expert committee will be sent to all applicants.

About The Faculty of Biosciences

The Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT) aims to shape the future of food and bioproduction through teaching and research in biology and sustainable production and use of plants, livestock and fish. The faculty has a large project portfolio and an annual turnover of approximately NOK 250 million. 

BIOVIT is organized into seven research groups: Genome Biology, Breeding, Genetics and Food Production Systems, Ruminant Nutrition and Physiology, Ethology and Animal Welfare, Nutrition and Physiology for Monogastric Animals, Plant Biology, Sustainable Food Systems and Integrated Plant Protection, and Genetics, Evolution and Sustainable Plant Production. Additionally, the faculty has seven research support and laboratory units.

BIOVIT is responsible for bachelor’s and master’s programs in aquaculture, biology, animal science, and plant science, as well as English-language master’s programs in Agroecology, Plant Sciences, Feed Manufacturing Technology, and Genome Sciences. BIOVIT also offers Ph.D. programs in animal science and plant science. Currently, the faculty has about 550 bachelor’s and master’s students and 90 Ph.D. students. BIOVIT employs approximately 230 staff members and has its own faculty administration.