Job description

Position as a PhD Research fellowship available at the Department of Chemistry/Center for Material Sciences and Nanotechnology.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. The fellowship will be for a period of 3 years. Starting date as soon as possible and no later than 01.09.2019.

More about the position

A position as PhD Research fellow is available in the materials and process chemistry for understanding systems operation involving proton ceramic electrochemical cells in an intermittent energy landscape.

The position is a part of the user-driven project DYNAPRO. Coordinator and project owner is CoorsTek Membrane Sciences AS partially financed through the NANO2021 program at the Norwegian Research Council. Active partners are University of Oslo (host of PhD Research Fellow) and Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica (CSIC-ITQ), Valencia, Spain. The core technology in the project is the Protonic Membrane Reformer, where pressurized hydrogen is directly produced at high energy efficiency and at an economically feasible prize, using high temperature proton conducting materials.

The candidate will need to work both experimentally and with computational modelling. The experimental work will involve some ceramic fabrication, but a focus will be on materials characterisation and reactor testing. Cell and module will be modelled using fluid dynamics tools such as Comsol while the system level will be modelled using tools such as Aspen Plus and Aspen Hysys. The DYNAPRO project will involve a Researcher at UiO and several team members at CoorsTek Membrane Sciences and at CSIC-ITQ - the PhD Research Fellow candidate will as such be a part of a larger team focusing on development of the technology.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is a leading research faculty. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in materials chemistry, chemical engineering or solid-state electrochemistry, with knowledge and experience of characterization of high temperature chemical processes and of modelling of energy systems.
• Experience with chemical process modelling and understanding of process schemes both on the electrochemical cell and system level is desirable where knowledge using tools such as Comsol Multiphysics and Aspen Plus/Aspen Hysys are preferred.
• Experience with operation of electrochemical systems including electrochemical characterization and analytics such as gas chromatography is valued.
• Experience with high temperature ceramic proton conductors in general is preferred.
• Experience with ceramic fabrication are also valued.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• PhD students are normally involved in education on a bachelor level. Thus, knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is considered beneficial.
• Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2019 to complete the final exam

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/application/application.html

We offer

• Salary NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per annum depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017).
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests; clearly indicate in your motivation letter why you are attracted to this research project
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

Applications are to be submitted online and NOT sent to contact persons below. However, for information about the position, applicants may contact:

• Prof. Truls Norby, phone: +47 22840654, e-mail: truls.norby@kjemi.uio.no

For technical question regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Officer; Ørjan Pretorius, orjan.pretorius@mn.uio.no

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