Job description

1 PhD fellowship within the iCSI center for research based innovation is available at the Center for Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Norway (www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/).

The PhD fellowship is for a period of 3 years.

The position is funded as part of the Industrial Catalysis Science and Innovation for competitive and sustainable process industry (iCSI) center for research based innovation (https://www.ntnu.edu/icsi/). Employment is pending on the projects mid-term evaluation.

The fellowship is based at the Catalysis Group (http://www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/english/research/groups/catalysis/index.html) and associated with the Center for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN, http://www.mn.uio.no/smn/) and the iCSI center for research based innovation (Industrial Catalysis Science and Innovation, https://www.ntnu.edu/icsi/), established by the Research Council of Norway. The research tasks will be carried out in close collaboration with industrial partner Haldor Topsøe A/S, located in Lyngby near Copenhagen, Denmark, and secondments with industry are likely.The vision of SMN is to contribute to an increase of Norway's production through research on materials science and nanotechnology on functional materials, and ensure a level of quality that further builds the recognition of SMN as a leading center amongst the Nordic countries, as well as internationally. The main objective of iCSI is to boost industrial innovation and competitiveness as well as to provide efficient, low-emission process technology.

This will be done through:

• Improved understanding of the kinetics and chemistry of the catalytic processes of the industrial partners as a basis for performance enhancement and process optimization.
• Synergy between applied and basic research, competence-building and education through interaction between industry, research institutes and universities.
• Development of new materials and methods (experimental and theoretical) that strengthen the industrial value creation and impact the research frontier.

Employment at the Catalysis Group will allow the successful candidate the opportunity to work in a highly cross-disciplinary field in an internationally competitive research group with a high degree of international collaboration. Research in the Catalysis Group comprises extensive international collaboration, and research visits to partners in Europe is an integrated part of PhD training and research.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition of being 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.

• Applicants must hold a Master's degree or equivalent in materials science, chemistry, or chemical engineering (minimum grade B, ECTS grading scale).The candidate will perform measurements of the activity of metal containing solid, porous zeolite catalysts and carry out investigations of reaction mechanisms. Experience within practical heterogeneous catalysis is required. Practical experience with measurements of gas phase reactions occurring over a solid catalyst, and the use and operation of gas chromatographs, mass flow controllers, Swagelok components etc. is considered highly beneficial. A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) or an equivalent qualification i, minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS
• Experience with basic characterization of (metal containing) zeolites with methods such as adsorption, diffraction, and spectroscopy is considered to be an advantage.
• fluent oral and written communication skills in English ev. and a Scandinavian language

The successful candidate is expected to be willing and able to take on tasks for the benefit of the research group. Personal suitability and co-operation skills will receive special attention in the selection process. Applicants may be called in for interview.

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:

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

A good command of English is required.

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

Please note:

In the cover letter to your application, please specify how your background and competence is suited to meet the challenges of the project. Try to answer the question: How will you contribute?

Introduction to the position:

The position will contribute to an on-going, larger effort related to the energy challenges of the late and post fossil fuels society. More specifically, the project is related to the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured microporous solid catalysts such as zeolites and spectroscopic and mechanistic investigations of heterogeneous catalytic processes facilitated by such materials.Acidic zeolite catalysts find widespread industrial application in refinery and petrochemical processes such as catalytic cracking and conversion of methanol to hydrocarbons. Metal containing zeolites are currently investigated as catalysts for reactions such as reduction of nitrogen oxides (de-NOx), natural gas aromatization, and alkane oxidation. The intention is that the candidate will work in close collaboration with a postdoctoral fellow in the project in order to reach the overall objective of developing structure-performance relationships for such processes.

PhD Candidate – Measurements of catalyst activity and basic catalyst characterization

We offer

• salary NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research fellow, (position code 1017)
• attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover letter. Statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of educational certificates, transcript 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

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

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

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 appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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

For further information please contact: Prof. Stian Svelle, phone: +47 228 55454,e-mail: stian.svelle@kjemi.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR-officer Ørjan Pretorius, e-mail: orjan.pretorius@mn.uio.no

Apply for this job