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NMBU has internationally leading research environments in several subjects. Together with our partners in society and business, we contribute to solving some of the biggest societal challenges of our time. We focus on innovation, communication and entrepreneurship because we believe these challenges are best solved with joint efforts. We believe that a good working environment is characterized by diversity.If necessary, workplace adaptations will be made for persons with disabilities. More information about NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no/en.
About the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at NMBU is the country's only veterinary professional education and provide expertise in veterinary medicine and veterinary public health. The Faculty educates veterinarians, animal nurses and doctoral students in Veterinary Science and researches in veterinary medicine and related biomedical fields. We have 500 students and 430 employees.
The faculty consists of the departments of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology, Paraclinical Sciences, Production Animal Clinical Sciences and Companion Animal Clinical Sciences. We also run the Animal Hospital, which is closely linked to our research and education, and receives patients from all over the country.
Are you interested in solving the most severe quality concerns of farmed Atlantic salmon?
About the position
The Department of Preclinical Sciences and Pathology (Unit of Anatomy), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant 3-year PhD–position related to the aetiology of melanized focal changes in farmed Atlantic salmon.
If the appointed candidate has sufficient expertise in anatomy, the employment period can we extended for up to one year, allocated for teaching anatomy.
The project is part of a collaboration with the Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science at NMBU and with the Anatomy Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich.
Melanized focal changes are the most common quality deviations in fillets of farmed Atlantic salmon, resulting in significant economic losses each year. Recent research has highlighted adipose tissue necrosis as a key component of the pathogenesis, possibly linking the onset of the condition to the fat content in the diet and, subsequently, the fillet.
The selected candidate will build upon these findings and be responsible for conducting a large-scale field trial to assess the impact of various diets in conjunction with other factors that may influence the development of melanized focal changes. The PhD project is linked to a new FHF (Norwegian Seafood Research Fund) project (‘FatSpot’), and the field-trial will be financed by this project. Part of the lab work will be conducted at the University of Zurich and a stay abroad is to be expected during the project period.
The applicant is made aware that an application for a PhD position at NMBU is at the same time an application for admission to a PhD programme at the institution. The documentation that is necessary to ensure that the admission requirements are met must be uploaded as an attachment.
Main tasks
The candidate will perform the following tasks:
Plan and execute a field-trial in collaboration with project partners.
Perform laboratory work using morphological, molecular and lipid analyses.
Share results with industry partners and the aquaculture industry in various forums.
Be part of the teaching staff for veterinary students (up to one year extension), according to individual agreement with the successful candidate.
The successful candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, with a view to completing a doctorate within the PhD scholarship period.
Competence
The successful applicant must meet the conditions defined for admission to a PhD programme at NMBU. The applicant must have an academically relevant education corresponding to a cand.med.vet. degree, with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background relevant to the position and be able to document proficiency in both written and oral English. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.
The applicant must document expertise and interest in the research subject.
Required qualifications
Veterinary degree with Norwegian authorization or equivalent at the time of employment.
Be proficient in English, both written and spoken.
Be amenable to travel both nationally and internationally
Possess a driver’s licence (personbil klasse B).
Candidates who complete their education during the spring of 2025 may also apply but cannot assume the position until their studies are successfully completed.
The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:
Knowledge or experience within fish health.
Previous experience with research and/or publishing in scientific journals.
You need to:
Be able to handle variations in workload and be flexible when needed according to the project’s needs.
Have good problem-solving abilities.
Be able to collaborate well with others.
Remuneration and further information
The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD Fellow NOK 536.200 – 630.000. PhD. Fellows will normally have a starting salary of NOK 536.200. The position follows ordinary meriting regulations
Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.
To apply online for this vacancy, please click on the 'Apply for this job' button above. This will route you to the University's Web Recruitment System, where you will need to register an account (if you have not already) and log in before completing the online application form.
Application deadline: 09.05.2025
Your CV must be entered in JobbNorge's CV form and not just included as an attachment. This is to be able to comply with the regulations of §15 of the Public Administration Act.
In the application, the candidate must confirm that information and documentation (in the form of attachments) submitted via the job application can also be used by NMBU in a possible admission process.
Applicants invited for an interview are expected to present original diplomas and certificates.
The following documents must be attached to the application:
Motivation letter (maximum 1 page)
Complete CV
Certified copies of academic diplomas and certificates. (i.e. Diploma, transcript. Diploma supplement for both bachelor and master). Diplomas, transcripts and diploma supplements that are not in Norwegian or English must be uploaded in the original language. An English translation of these documents must also be attached.
Applicants from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a diploma supplement, or a similar document, which describes in detail the study program and grading system.
Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works). If it is difficult to judge the applicant’s contribution for publications with multiple authors, a short description of the applicant’s contribution must be included.
