Phd position in Population Biology

A fully-funded PhD position in Population Biology is available at the Gjærevoll Centre for Biodiversity Foresight Analyses (https://www.ntnu.edu/gjaerevoll) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

The Gjærevoll Centre is an interdisciplinary research center founded by NTNU and hosts internationally leading research activity in the interface between different scientific disciplines including ecology,  evolutionary biology, mathematics and statistics, informatics, economics and social sciences. We aim to apply advanced statistical and theoretical frameworks to analyse various kinds of field data to answer key questions regarding future changes in biodiversity.

The PhD position is associated with the Advanced Grant project “Eco-Evolutionary Rescue of Fragmented Populations” funded by the European Research Council and NTNU, with an overall aim of providing new understanding of factors affecting the viability of small populations in nature. The position is also expected to contribute to relevant research topics in the FME InterPlay (https://interplayresearch.no/), which aims to integrate energy system to reduce impact on biodiversity.

Specifically, the primary focus of the PhD will be to analyse and parameterize models describing the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of small and fragmented populations, and how the risk of extinction is affected by changes in the environment such as expected alterations of the climate and loss of critical habitat types. The primary model system for examining the validity of the models will be a unique long-term individual-based data set on house sparrows at the coast of Helgeland in Northern Norway. Here there will also be opportunities to contribute to fieldwork.

The PhD position provides an exciting opportunity to gain broad basic research experience and expertise in evolutionary ecology under a conservation biology context, while working in an interdisciplinary research environment. The successful candidate will acquire broad training in the necessary research skills, and the position will suit a candidate who is motivated to undertake high-level research in the interface between different research disciplines. The three-year position includes research time as well as course components corresponding to half a year of studies, and concludes with a PhD degree.

The position will be hosted within a dynamic research group based at NTNU, with strong collaborative links to many internationally leading research groups nationally and abroad. There will be opportunities for international mobility to the collaborating groups, and for conference and workshop participation.

The project supervisor will be Professor Bernt-Erik Sæther (Gjærevoll Centre, NTNU).

The co-supervisors will be Dr Yimen Araya-Ajoy (Department of Biology, NTNU) and Professor Henrik Jensen (Department of Biology, NTNU).

(Decide on this – remove what is not applicable.)

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a PhD.
• Learn and apply advanced statistical methods to analyse multi-year data from a house sparrow metapopulation to answer key questions in evolutionary ecology related to conservation biology, especially concerning factors affecting viability of populations
• Contribute to collecting, collating and managing field data.
• Produce a high quality PhD thesis, comprising manuscripts written for publication in peer-reviewed international journals.
• Interact with relevant research groups in FME InterPlay.
• Contribute to a collaborative and interactive local and international research team.
• Fulfil NTNU’s course credit requirements for the award of a doctoral degree (30 credits)
• Undertake teaching and other professional activities, as agreed with the leadership of the Gjærevoll Center.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

• You must have an relevant background in ecology, evolutionary biology, quantitative genetics or mathematical statistics.
• Capability to learn and apply models and advanced statistical analyses to field data is necessary.
• You must have strong quantitative skills, or willingness to learn, including basic competence in the R programming environment.
• Your previous education must be equivalent to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are obtained at master’s degree. This corresponds to an undergraduate Bachelor degree and typically a two-year master’s degree. Applicants with a non-Norwegian education who meet comparable requirements through other routes are welcome.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master’s degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Excellent communication skills in written and verbal English.
• Current master’s students are encouraged to apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the PhD position.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the PhD programme in Biology (Ph.d.-programmet i biologi – NTNU)

——————————————–

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 Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) 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.

• Some experience of, or evidence of interest in, ecological fieldwork is desirable.

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

• Ambitions to deliver high-quality research.
• Result-oriented, self-motivated, and independent.
• A good teamworker, with commitment to working as part of interdisciplinary research teams.
• Key characteristics:
• Reliable
• Communicative
• Self-motivated
• Organised
• Collaborative

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

• Exciting and stimulating work in a strong and international academic environment
• An open and inclusive working environment with dedicated colleagues
• Favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts.

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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK  540800,- 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 the doctoral work with a possibility of up to one year of career promotion work. (A minimum of three work years of the total term period must be dedicated to doctoral work).

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme 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 academic 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, technologyand services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

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 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 The application must include:

• A cover letter explaining your motivation for applying for the PhD position and outlining how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above
• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have recently submitted your master’s thesis, you can attach the submitted version. If you have not yet submitted your master’s thesis you can attach a short summary of your project and the expected submission date. Documentation of a completed master’s degree must be presented before taking up the PhD position.
• 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 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).

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 Bernt-Erik Sæther, email bernt-erik.sather@ntnu.no . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Gerd Flataas, email gerd.flataas@ntnu.no

Application deadline: August 15, 2025