LEDIG STILLING VED NMBU

PhD scholarship - NORM

Deadline: 20.08.2021

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 1,800 employees of which about 250 phd scholarships and 6,000 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 Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management

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.


About CERAD:


The Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD) studies the harmful effects of radiation on organisms and the ecosystem as a whole, to improve the protection of people and environment.

More information on CERAD can be found here.

About DSA:

Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) is the national authority and expert body in matters concerning nuclear security, radiation use, natural radiation and radioactive contamination in the environment. Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority chairs and serves as the secretariat for nuclear preparedness in Norway, and is responsible for national environmental radioactivity monitoring programs and risk assessments.


Research activities in DSA, done mainly through participation in the international projects and national Centre for Environmental Radioactivity (CERAD), support the main regulatory roles.

More information here.


Read more about MINA here
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PhD scholarship within Environmental Radioactivity, Radon and Natural Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM)

Do you want to conduct research in a multidisciplinary and international environment within the field of radioecology?

About the position

Faculty of Environmental Sciences (MINA) at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) through Center for environmental radioactivity (CERAD) has together with the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) a 3 years vacant PhD position within radioanalytical chemistry.

The position is part of the European RadoNorm (Managing risk from radon and NORM) project . The PhD position will be focusing on characterizing the possible exposure from radon and NORM in drinking water.

From the RadoNorm project: “Few studies have evaluated the risks from ingestion of naturally occurring radionuclides such as radon, uranium and radium. Very high concentration can occur in groundwater, but radionuclides are largely eliminated from tap water in the processing at waterworks. Meaningful exposures occur, nevertheless, in private wells drilled in the bedrock, as they rarely employ sophisticated removal systems”

The PhD work will provide important scientific information on the possible exposure from radon and NORM from drinking water and the PhD student will work in close collaboration with scientists within the RADONORM project.

As a PhD student, you are expected to perform both experimental and theoretical work within your research studies as well as communicate your results at national and international conferences, in scientific journals and for collaborators involved in the projects as well as stakeholders interested to follow the research outcome. Most of your working time will be devoted to your own research studies.

Main tasks

The main tasks of the PhD will be:

  • Characterizing the exposure from radon and other NORMs, together with metals or other stressors, from drinking water as basis for epidemiological studies.
  • Determination the amount of radon, NORM and metals in various water sources using radioanalytical techniques and ICP-MS.
  • Combined in situ size and charge fractionation techniques might be applied to determine possible bioavailable fractions.
  • Presentation of the scientific results from the PhD work for the RADONORM consortium and the wider scientific community

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 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

  • A master’s degree in a relevant scientific field, such as: analytical chemistry, environmental chemistry / radioecology or radiochemistry / nuclear chemistry
  • Competence within analytical and radioanalytical methods for measuring radionuclides and metals

The following experiences and skills will be emphasized:

  • Experience from work with ionizing radiation or radionuclides
  • Hands on experience with radioanalytical techniques and/or other analytical techniques like ICP-MS
  • Experience within radioecology / environmental radioactivity
  • Competence within speciation of metals and/or radionuclides
  • Experience with statistics, data analysis and data handling are considered advantageous Dissemination skills

You need to have:

  • Good knowledge of the English language – both written and oral
  • Good communication skills, both related to the research community and presentations in general
  • Enthusiasm and creativity in research
  • Ability to work individually and in teams
  • Ability to work in a result-oriented environment

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:

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: 20.08.2021

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.

Printed material which cannot be sent electronically should be sent by surface mail to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences (MINA) , P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, within 20.08.2021. Please quote reference number 21/02474.

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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