About the position

Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has one vacant 3-year PhD-position related to use of remotely sensed data for mapping of forest ecosystem service indicators.

Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU has a special responsibility for research and education that ensures the basis of life for future generations.

Sustainability is rooted in everything we do and we provide knowledge for life.

NMBU has 1700 employees and 5200 students and is organized in seven faculties. NMBU has a campus in Ås and in Oslo. In the autumn of 2020 we are co-located on Ås. Further information on NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no.

About MINA

The Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA) works with nature and the environment, sustainable use of natural resources, biological and geological processes.

MINA’s employees undertake teaching, research and dissemination within the fields of geology, hydrology and limnology, soil science, environmental chemistry, forestry, ecology, natural resource management, renewable energy, and nature-based tourism.

Our vision is to be a key actor in knowledge production and dissemination, and our goal is to deliver research of high, international quality, and varied and excellent teaching. The faculty’s employees are significant participants within their respective fields of expertise, both nationally and internationally.

The faculty is dominated by a vital research culture and high levels of scientific production.

The faculty has about 200 employees, 90 PhD students and 650 students.

Read more about MINA here.

The successful candidate will be part of a team of researchers in a project funded by the ERA-NET co-fund action “ForestValue – Innovating the forest-based bioeconomy”.

Project details:

NOBEL (Novel business models and mechanisms for the sustainable supply of and payment for forest ecosystem services) is focused on payments for ecosystem services. Spatial information on remaining source areas of natural and near-natural forests will be essential in order to safeguard biodiversity and forest ecosystem services. For more information: https://nobel.forestinventory.no.

Main tasks

Development of methods using available spatial data such as spectral satellite data from the COPERNICUS program for deriving indicators of forest ecosystem services.

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.

Qualifications:

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 five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are at master's degree level. The applicant must have a documented strong academic background from previous studies 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 Academic qualifications:

• Experience with fusion of different sources of remotely sensed data
• Use of remotely sensed data in forest applications.
• Experience with data analyses using R or other statistical computing software.
• Experience with the use of Geographical Information Systems.

Personal characteristics important for the position are:

• Strong motivation and commitment
• Creativity and ability to work result-oriented, accurate and structured
• Analytical ability
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team
• Proficiency in both written and oral communication

Remuneration and information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow. PhD. Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 479.600,-) on the Norwegian Government salary scale upon employment and follow ordinary meriting regulations.

Employment is conducted according to national guidelines for University and Technical College PhD scholars.

For further information, please contact:

• Prof. Terje Gobakken, E-mail: terje.gobakken@nmbu.no; phone +47 67231755, or
• Researcher Ole Martin Bollandsås, E-mail: olebo@nmbu.no; phone +47 67231753

Information for PhD applicants and general information to applicants

Application

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: 1 November 2019.

Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management (MINA), P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within 1 November 2019. Please quote reference number 19/05059.

Applications should include (electronically) a letter of intent, curriculum vitae, full publication list, copies of degree certificates and transcripts of academic records (all certified), and a list of two persons who may act as references (with phone numbers and e-mail addresses). Publications should be included electronically within the application deadline. The relevant NMBU Department may require further documentation, e.g. proof of English proficiency.

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.

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