PhD Candidate in Structural Integrity and Life Assessment of Materials for Hydrogen Applications

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Video: About the position A PhD position is available at the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering within the field of structural integrity and life assessment of metallic materials for hydrogen energy applications.

Hydrogen is considered as a clean alternative to fossil fuels in heat and electricity production. However, significant knowledge and technical gaps must be addressed before the transition from fossil fuels to hydrogen can take place. This PhD position is affiliated with the FME HYDROGENi center, funded by the Research Council of Norway, which aims to build a sustainable hydrogen economy in line with Norway's 2030 and 2050 hydrogen roadmap targets.

Within the Research Area of Safety and Material Integrity, we are seeking a motivated PhD candidate to conduct research on the structural integrity of metallic materials for hydrogen energy applications, with a focus on predicting their service life and failure mechanisms. The research will be carried out in close collaboration with fellow researchers and industrial partners within the research area.

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education programme

• Carry out high quality research
• Develop material integrity predictive framework using different experimental and simulation approaches
• Participate in project meetings with supervisors and colleagues
• Write journal papers and present scientific work at conferences
• Write and defend a PhD thesis

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria • You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in materials science, mechanical engineering or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position
• You must have a strong and relevant 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 academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• Experience in mechanical testing
• Experience with programming in Python or Matlab
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria • Hands-on experience with one or more advanced characterization techniques such as SEM, EBSD, FIB, and TEM

• Prior knowledge/experience in hydrogen embrittlement
• A record of peer-reviewed publications in relevant scientific journals and/or conference presentations

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

• Motivated, enthusiastic and result oriented
• Work independent
• Motivated to embrace challenges
• Good collaborative capabilities
• Good communication skills
• Motivated to conduct research in a multidisciplinary setting and team

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
• 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.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite