About the Job
The Department of Ocean Operations and Civil Engineering (IHB) at NTNU has a vacancy for a PhD candidate within the topic of modelling and advanced control in demanding marine operations.
The digital agenda is one of the pillars of the European Strategy for Growth, which proposes to better exploit the potential of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order to foster innovation, economic growth and progress. It lists “marine operation” as one of the main areas through which to achieve growth. In marine system and transport, digitalisation can significantly improve design, operation, and management through more accurate information on operational and infrastructure conditions and on the location of vehicles and/or system behaviour models. Better access to and sharing of digital data (traffic, travel, vehicle, cargo etc.) for both public and private stakeholders could open up a wide range of new opportunities toward digital marine operations. Modelling, sensor fusion and advanced control are considered in this study, with a focus on different levels of autonomy for demanding marine operations, ranging from being completely controlled by human, i.e., tele-operated, to being fully autonomous and without any interaction from human.
The project will collaborate closely with key industry players and has ambition to utilize full-scale closed-loop experiments utilizing state-of-the-art infrastructure. Examples of relevant topics include sensor fusion of cameras, radar and maps, situational awareness, trajectory planning with collision avoidance, automated docking, control design for the whole operational domain, control allocation, etc.
This project consists of one PhD positions with associated supervisors. The candidate will also be connected and cooperating with several research groups at NTNU.
Your immediate leader is Head of the department.
Duties of the position
The candidate will develop novel methods and models for autonomous navigation and control of marine surface vessels and test these experimentally considering common constraints typically applied in industrial systems. A key part of this is to be engaged in building up laboratory facilities in order to carry out experimental work related to his/her research, as well as relevant systems for managing prototype and development software. The main goal of the PhD project is to develop new knowledge and methods that will be a cornerstone for complex autonomous functionality and validate these experimentally.
Also, the candidate will be expected to:
- present findings at project meetings and national and international workshops and conferences
- write scientific papers
- participate actively in the maritime control community at NTNU
Required selection criteria
- the PhD-position’s main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) in Mechanical/Electrical/Construction/Civil Engineering, Architecture, Computer Science, Data Science with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale
- you must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral program (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv)
- if you have not completed your master’s degree yet, you must prove its imminent completion
- strong capabilities in analytical thinking, mathematical and physics-based modelling
- strong capabilities in either control design, sensor fusion, computer vision or machine learning
- strong programming skills, preferably in C/C++, Python, and/or Matlab
- knowledge on statistical techniques and being able to work with them in data assessment and reporting
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written and oral fluency in English. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:
– TOEFL: Minimum score of 90 points on the internet-based test, minimum score of 600 points on the paper-based test
– IELTS: Academic test with a minimum overall band score of 6.5
– CAE/CPE: grade B or A
– Pearsons Academic English test (PTE): The academic version with a minimum score of 62
The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant
Preferred selection criteria
- documented capabilities in development of robotic systems
- documented experience from relevant industry
- experience with the Robot Operating System (ROS)
- experience with scientific experimental work
- knowledge of hydrodynamics and familiarity with different common maritime navigational systems
- experience in software development and management
Personal characteristics
- good communications skills
- being proactive and creative
- ability to work independently as well as being a good team-worker
- ability to conduct research at an international level
- keen interest in the wider context of own research, and an ability to engage in cross-disciplinary teams
Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities and motivation for the position.
Offer
- exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
- an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
- favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- employee benefits
Salary and conditions
As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532 500 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
The period of employment is 3 years.
Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Engineering within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.
The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.
It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.
About the application
The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.
Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.
The application must include:
- CV and certificates
- motivation letter
- transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s and master’s degrees. If you have not completed the master’s degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master’s thesis has been submitted
- copy of the master’s thesis. If you recently have 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 (2 pages)
- name and contact information of three referees
- if you have publications or other relevant research work
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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.
We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.
In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.
NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA.
Further information on this opportunity can be found here.