With about 17,000 students, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest higher education institutions in Norway. A broad range of academic programmes are offered at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, spread out on five campuses Førde, Sogndal, Bergen, Stord og Haugesund.
Our ambition is to build stronger and more solid academic and research environments that will interact nationally and internationally. The aim is to become a recognized actor on the international higher education arena. Increased international cooperation and engagement in externally funded projects will work towards this goal.
The Faculty of Engineering and Science has approximately 370 employees and approximately 3,260 students. The faculty has a broad educational offer at both bachelor's and master's level in engineering and science, as well as PhD education in computer technology. The Mohns Center for Innovation and Regional Development researches innovation and offers master's education in innovation and entrepreneurship. The diving education offers a one-year vocational school education.
The main part of the faculty's activities are in Haugesund, Bergen, Sogndal and Førde, but we also offer decentralized education in Florø, Kristiansund and Stord.
The faculty's activities are internationally based and take place in close collaboration with regional companies, clusters, health trusts and the public sector, including other institutions in the university and college sector. This applies to research, development, innovation and not least education with student projects at all levels.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, The Faculty of Engineering and Science has one available position as researcher
About the position:
Proton therapy has the potential to offer the most conformal radiation dose to patients, and the number of proton therapy centers around the globe follows a significantly upwards and persisting trend. Adaptive proton therapy, by monitoring and adapting to changes in patient anatomy between treatment fractions, is required to enable safe delivery of proton therapy and to spare healthy tissues. However, truly personalized, dose-escalated treatments with proton therapy are not yet possible due to the lack of real-time dose verification technology to truly empower patient-centered cancer treatment, important to improve survival and quality-of-life.
The NOVO (Next generation imaging for real-time dose verification enabling adaptive proton therapy) project aims at making real-time dose verification an integral component of proton therapy-based cancer care in the long-term, allowing precise control over radiation doses delivered to the tumor, as well as preventing unintended exposure of healthy surrounding tissues. We will develop the first proof-of-concept of a groundbreaking real-time dose verification technology adaptable to any proton therapy treatment. The proof-of-concept detector system will be tested under pre-clinical conditions, bringing the envisaged technology concept to Technology Readiness Level 4.
Starting in March 2024 for a duration of four years, NOVO will receive European Union’s funding of almost 3.8 million € from the European Innovation Council as part of the EIC Pathfinder Open program, under Horizon Europe. EIC Pathfinder supports the exploration of bold ideas for radically new technologies and finances high-risk / high gain and interdisciplinary cutting-edge science collaborations for technological breakthroughs.
In this project, the appointed Research Engineer will be working on Work Packages 2 (Image reconstruction & AI-enhanced modeling) and 3 (Dose reconstruction in clinical settings) and will collaborate with international and national experts on AI, image reconstruction, and proton therapy. More specifically, the Research Engineer will be expected to work in close collaboration with project partners on the development of image reconstruction algorithms and AI techniques to predict phase spaces of secondary particles of relevance i.e., fast neutrons and prompt gamma-rays in computational phantoms. The candidate will also be expected to be involved in highly accurate Monte Carlo simulation studies to train the deep learning models that will be developed by the project team. In addition, the Research Engineer will be expected to work on detector trials, and quality tests in clinical settings. The Research Engineer will also be asked to take on some administrative tasks within the project, and develop new project proposals that could lead to further external funding.
Key duties- and responsibilities:
Performing advanced Monte Carlo type radiation transport simulations.
Performing processing of signals/spectra from radiation detection systems operated in pulse-mode.
Publication of research results in international scientific journals, conferences, and workshops.
Qualifications:
Qualification requirements:
Holds a master’s degree in medical physics, nuclear engineering, physics, or similar.
Legally able to visit nuclear technology facilities and laboratories, participate in experiments involving radiation detection measurements (especially neutron detection).
Deep knowledge of radiation detection physics and hands-on experience in organic/inorganic scintillators, semiconductor detectors, and gamma spectroscopy systems.
Experience in neutron detection mechanisms and neutron activation analysis.
Strong experience with one or more Monte Carlo radiation transport modeling codes such as Geant4, MCNP, PHITS, or FLUKA, especially in generating event-by-event “list mode” data.
Experience with data analysis strategies to process event-by-event data (experimentally acquired and from simulations) is strongly desirable.
Strong programming experience in Python and/or C++ is required, and experience with MATLAB, and the ROOT data analysis framework is a strong plus.
Other qualifications:
Familiarity with image reconstruction methods, ideally as applied to particle-camera-type radiation detectors such as those used in medical imaging and nuclear security contexts, among other applications.
Knowledge of medical physics/radiation therapy concepts, ideally including those unique to proton (or heavy ion) therapy
Previous experience as a medical physicist in clinical and/or preclinical settings will be considered an advantage.
Radiation detector response measurement and characterization experience.
Experience with experimental neutron and gamma-ray detection, including pulse processing concepts and corresponding data analysis techniques.
Experience with analog NIM modules and digitizer-based data acquisition systems.
An interest in developing project management skills through assisting with the planning and coordination of regular meetings, annual workshops, and semiannual progress reports within the NOVO collaboration.
Experience in a detector prototyping project is a strong plus.
Personal skills:
Ability to work and collaborate in a multidisciplinary team, communicate effectively internally with colleagues of various backgrounds and in academic outlets (journals, conferences, etc.).
Ability to participate in further project designing/writing activities.
Excellent skills in oral and written English.
We offer:
• Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
• Opportunities for training within the working hours
There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see here for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.
The applicants are responsible for ensuring that all the documentation is submitted before the closing date.
Applicants with a degree from a country other than Norway, need to attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcripts of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, in addition to the original documents, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant encloses a recognition document showing that their degree is equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD. You can read more about applying for recognition of foreign higher education here.
The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) offers an automatic recognition document for certain degrees from selected countries. If the applicant’s degree is covered by the automatic recognition, it will be sufficient to attach this document. Read more about automatic recognition here.
As the HK-dir application process may take some time it is recommended to apply to HK-dir as soon as possible. If you have not received a recognition document from HK- dir within the application deadline, please enclose documentation from HK-dir showing that they have received your application.
Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at the college.
General information:
The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.
State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds. Work and residence permit
Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected. Applicants may be called in for an interview.
Work and residence permit in Norway must be granted befor entering the position.
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation might be applied in the processing of the applications.
