Norwegian University of Life Sciences

NMBU has a particular responsibility for research and education that secures the basis for the life of future generations. Sustainability is rooted in everything we do and we deliver knowledge for life. NMBU has 1,900 employees of which about 300 phd scholarships and 6,700 students. The university is divided into seven faculties.

NMBU believes that a good working environment is characterised by diversity.

We encourage qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender, functional ability, cultural background or whether you have been outside the labour market for a period. If necessary, workplace adaptations will be made for persons with disabilities. More information about NMBU is available at www.nmbu.no.

About The Faculty of Biosciences

The Faculty of Biosciences (BIOVIT) aims to help shape the future food- and bio-production through teaching and research within biology and sustainable production and use of plants, livestock and fish. The faculty has an annual turnover of approx. 250 million kroner.

The faculty is organized into nine research sections: Genome Biology, Breeding and Quantitative Genetics, Ruminant Nutrition and Physiology, Ethology and Animal Environment, Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Agroecology, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Plant Protection and Food Crops, Plant Biology and Biotechnology. The faculty has seven large and small research centers and laboratories, including a Center for Outstanding Innovation - Foods of Norway. The faculty is responsible for bachelor's and master's degrees in Aquaculture, Biology, Animal Science and Plant science as well as English-language master's degrees in Agroecology, Plant Sciences, Feed Manufacturing Technology and Genome Sciences.

The faculty is responsible for PhD degrees in animal science and plant science. The faculty currently has about 690 bachelor and master students and 90 PhD students. The faculty has about 240 employees and its own faculty administration.

Are you interested in generating new basic insights into the interaction between plants and pathogens?

About the position

The Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) has a vacant three-year PhD–position in molecular plant pathology, on a project entitled ‘Plant defence and pathogen virulence in the strawberry – crown rot pathosystem’.

The PhD project at NMBU concerns fundamental and applied aspects of the interactions between strawberry and an important plant pathogen, Phytophthora cactorum that cause crown rot. The focus of this project will be to identify genes and proteins involved in the disease development as well as host plant recognition and defence activation in strawberry. An important part of the project will be to identify resistance regions in wild strawberry parental species.

The project is attached to The Department of Plant Sciences, the Plant Protection and Food Crops group. The workplace will mainly be at NIBIO Biotechnology and Plant health, the main hub for plant pathology research in Norway. The research group has ample experience and several ongoing projects on the pathosystem strawberry-Phytophthora cactorum.

The applicant must be 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

• Functional characterization of selected effector proteins from Phytophthora cactorum
• Identify resistance genes in the garden strawberry’s parental species through genomic associations
• Functional characterization of selected parental strawberry species proteins interacting with Phytophthora cactorum effectors

The candidate is expected to enter a plan for the progress of the work towards a PhD degree during the first months of the appointment, aiming to completing a doctorate within the PhD appointment period.

Competence

The 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 two-year master’s degree with a learning outcome corresponding to the descriptions in the Norwegian Qualification Framework, second cycle. For more detailed information on the admission criteria please see the PhD Regulations and the relevant PhD programme description.

Required Academic qualifications

• MSc degree in plant pathology, plant biology, microbiology, or similar
• Strong skills in molecular biological methods

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

• Experience with effectors and filamentous pathogens
• Experience with transcriptomics or proteomics
• Experience with bioinformatics or statistics
• Experience with microscopy
• Experience with transformation of plants and filamentous pathogens
• Strong verbal and written English skills

Personal qualities:

• Ability to work accurately and structured
• Independent and goal-oriented
• Good work capacity
• Good collaborative skills
• Interest for research

Remuneration and further information

The position is placed in government pay scale position code 1017 PhD. Fellow. PhD. Fellows are normally placed in pay grade 54 (NOK 491.200,-) 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:

• Professor May Brurberg; [email protected]; phone +47 926 09364

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: 31.05.2022

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. Di-ploma, 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.
• Documentation of proficiency in written and oral English
• Names and contact details for two references
• Additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge (for example, list of scientific works)

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