PhD student in biotechnology (marine biomass conversion) at the Norwegian College of Fishery Science

Application deadline: 15.11.2016
Ref. no 2016/1999

The Norwegian College of Fishery Science (NCFS) has a PhD student position vacant for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is attached to the project MARVAL: From unexploited marine biomass to high value products.

The appointment is for a period of four years.

The MARVAL-project aims at studying conversion of marine biomass (harvested and by-products) to higher value products. The project is a joint effort among 4 faculties and is connected to the thematic strategic topic “Sustainable use of resources” at UiT – the Arctic university of Norway. The project is divided into several work packages, covering analysis of biomass (characterization of biomolecules), microbial conversion of biomass, identification and development of enzymes for biomass conversion, theoretical modelling of enzyme mechanisms and enzyme design, application of biomolecules, and responsible research and innovation (RRI) in the field. The PhD candidate will be attached to one of the work packages, but he/she is expected to interact with researchers and fellow PhD-students on other work packages. This will provide the candidate with interdisciplinary training in the field, including RRI.

The PhD position is for a fixed term, with the objective of completion of research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to a PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The PhD Candidate shall participate in the faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD project shall be completed during the period of employment. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD programme and regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) are available at the following address: The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics.

Further information about the position is available by contacting Professor Ragnar Olsen, 776 46126/41519280, ragnar.olsen@uit.no or Professor Terje Larsen, 77644694/90518896, Terje.larsen@uit.no or Professor Arne Smalås, 77644070, arne.smalas@uit.no

The position’s affiliation
The position is organized under the The Norwegian College of Fishery Science but part of the experimental work will be carried out at the Department of Medical Biology (Cardiovascular Research Group). The successful candidate will be enrolled in the National graduate school in biocatalysis (BioCat).

The position’s field of research/research project and other duties
The PhD-student will have her/his main work within conversion of marine biomass. The work will involve processing and determination of chemical composition of marine biomass or specific harvest. In particular, he/she shall examine potential biological effects of end-products from biomass processing, e.g. their effect on intermediary metabolism (fatty acid and carbohydrate consumption in muscle, liver and adipose tissue) and their potency as drugs for preventing metabolic diseases. Thus, the project will include work at the cellular, organ and whole animal level. The PhD candidate’s research will also include some applied bioinformatics. The work may contribute to improved utilization of marine resources harvested and processed in a sustainable manner.

Qualification requirements
The successful applicant must document knowledge and a Master’s degree in biology comprising biochemistry, molecular biology or biotechnology. Working experiences with experimental animal models and gene expression analyses (real-time PCR and Western blot) will be an advantage. The successful candidate should be highly motivated for scientific work and have good analytical, writing and collaboration skills. Qualified candidates with good command of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language may be preferred. Applicants must also have a good command of English, both written and verbal. Read more about how to document your language skills.
Emphasis is attached to personal suitability.

Working conditions
The normal period of employment is four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year, distributed as 25 % of each year, shall be used for teaching or other duties for the University, cf. Guidelines for the research fellow’s duties.

The position will especially be assigned teaching duties in molecular biology and/or biochemistry. The candidate may however have to contribute on other relevant subjects depending on the current situation. Suitability for teaching will be emphasised.

Shorter periods of employment may be approved if the PhD Candidate has already implemented parts of the PhD programme or when the appointment is based on previous appointments in teaching positions (PhD candidate, Research Assistant or the equivalent), such that the total time of the PhD programme is three years.

Remuneration for the position of PhD Candidate is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017 (or code 1378) (or both codes depending on qualifications). A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted from the gross salary.

Assessment
The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. During this assessment process, emphasis will be attached to the applicant’s potential for research as shown by:
Master’s thesis or equivalent
Any other academic works
In addition, consideration may be given to work experience or other activities of significance for the implementation of the PhD studies, and to any teaching qualifications. This includes teaching education, teaching experience, experience from popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination. Information and material to be considered during the assessment must be submitted by the stipulated deadline.

The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview shall among other things aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position.

Application
The application must be submitted electronically via the application form available on www.jobbnorge.no
The application must include:
Letter of application
CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
copies of:
– diploma and transcript from your Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
– diploma and transcript from your Master’s degree or equivalent
– diploma supplement for completed degrees
– documentation of English language proficiency
List of works and description of these (see below)
The list of works shall contain the following information:
author(s), the work’s title
for articles: the journal’s name and volume, the first and last page of the article, year of publication
for publications: publisher, printer, year of publication, number of pages
The works (published or unpublished) which the applicant wishes to be taken into consideration during the assessment process must be submitted
List of references with contact information.
All documentation must be certified and translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

It is required that the documents mentioned above are enclosed in Jobbnorge before the specified deadline.

Applicants invited for an interview should bring original certificates and diplomas.

General information
Applicants shall also refer to the Supplementary regulations for appointment to postdoktor (Postdoctoral Fellow), stipendiat (PhD) and vitenskapelig assistent (Research Assistant) positions at UiT and to the Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of postdoktor (post-doctoral research fellow), stipendiat (research fellow), vitenskapelig assistent (research assistant) and spesialistkandidat (resident).

Questions concerning the organisation of the working environment, such as the physical state of the place of employment, health service, possibility for flexible working hours, part time, etc. as well as questions about the PhD programme can be directed to the telephone references in this announcement.

UiT has HR policy objectives that emphasize diversity, and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background.

UiT is an IW (Inclusive Workplace) enterprise, and will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.

Personal data given in an application or CV will be processed in accordance with the Act relating to the processing of personal data (the Personal Data Act). In accordance with Section 25 subsection 2 of the Freedom of Information Act, the applicant may request not to be registered on the public list of applicants. However, the University may nevertheless decide that the name of the applicant will be made public. The applicant will receive advance notification in the event of such publication.

In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.

We look forward to receiving your application!

UIT THE ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY
NO– 9037 TROMSØ

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