PhD Candidate in Computational Porous Media Physics

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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.

   

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About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open 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.

We have a vacancy for a PhD candidate in Computational Porous Media Physics at PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU. The appointment has a duration of 3 years with the possibility of extension for teaching duties in agreement with the department. The PhD candidate should start no later than October 2026.

The PhD Supervisor will be Associate Professor Gaute Linga, PoreLab / Department of Physics. 

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the Department of Physics

The Department of Physics incorporates a broad activity within physics with activities in solid state physics/material physics, soft/complex and biopolymer physics, medical physics, statistical physics, optics, atmospheric physics, university didactics and astro-particle physics. The department is also since 2017 the hosting institution of two national centers of excellence - PoreLab and QuSpin. The department is responsible for the best recruiting physics study programmes in Norway, both within applied and fundamental physics. It also provides a large set of courses within physics for other study programs at NTNU.

About PoreLab

PoreLab is a Norwegian Center of Excellence under the auspices of the Research Council of Norway. It was created in 2017 and it is situated at NTNU in Trondheim and the University of Oslo.

PoreLab is an interdisciplinary center with joint efforts in theory, computer simulations and experiments, both in fundamental and in more applied directions. The center works to advance the understanding of porous media by developing theories, principles, tools and methods to replace ad hoc approaches to porous media with a fundamental understanding of porous media with relevance in biology, chemistry, geology and geophysics based on fluid mechanics, non-equilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

Duties of the position

The PhD project will focus on uncovering the emergent physical mechanisms driving chemical transport, mixing, and reactions in multiphase flow through porous media. You will develop and apply computational techniques and theoretical models to resolve and study interface motion, flow dynamics and solute mixing across a broad range of 2D and 3D porous media. In addition to fundamental insights, the output of the project will be large-scale flow models with improved predictive power, relevant to contaminant spreading and CO2 sequestration in porous media.

The position will benefit from the expertise and computational facilities at both hubs of PoreLab, NTNU and UiO, as well as our international network of collaborators.

The candidate is expected to develop and apply computational fluid dynamics methods for pore-scale multiphase flow using high-performance computing facilities, and to develop robust data analysis routines to process the simulations results. Further, the candidate is expected to contribute to developing theoretical models to describe and rationalize the findings. The candidate will interact directly with ongoing experimental work. The candidate will also engage in outreach activities connected to the research at PoreLab and the Department of Physics.

Core duties of the position include:

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of high quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in PoreLab’s activities both in Trondheim and Oslo
• Participate in international conferences and research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Physics, Fluid Mechanics, Applied Mathematics, 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.
• 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.
• Good oral and written skills in English.
• You must have experience in computational physics, scientific computing, or computational science.
• Documented experience with programming languages such as Python, Julia, Matlab, C/C++ or similar.

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 for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with multiphase flow and/or porous media
• Experience with fluid mechanics, statistical mechanics, nonlinear dynamics, and/or stochastic methods (documented via courses, academic work or professional experience)
• Experience from cross-disciplinary work
• Experience with theoretical descriptions of transport in porous media
• Interest in physics / fluid mechanics of porous media
• Interest in integrating deep learning and agentic AI methods into the development/simulation pipeline

Personal characteristics

The successful candidate:

• Works independently and has an intrinsic scientific drive
• Has an eye both for detail and for the bigger picture
• Can efficiently learn and combine concepts from different disciplines
• Can work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Is eager to learn to communicate scientific ideas, both to scientific and non-scientific audiences
• Is flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

PoreLab and the Department of Physics actively work to create a welcoming work environment, and the applicant is expected to actively contribute to this.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• An open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• 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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have several 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. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years with the possibility of extension for teaching duties, in agreement with the department. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Physics within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout 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, 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 based on 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
• 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.
• CV
• Short letter of motivation (250 words)
• A 1-page project description outlining your key research questions within the framework outlined for the position, including theoretical and methodological approaches and a brief progress plan.
• Publications and other research work (software, datasets, etc.), if applicable.
• Names and contact information of minimum two 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 encouraged to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate professor Gaute Linga, PoreLab, Department of Physics, email gaute.linga@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Anja Isaksen, HR Consultant, email anja.t.isaksen@ntnu.no. 

Application deadline: 21.06.2026

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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.