PhD Candidate in low-trophic aquaculture

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and pursue exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will work towards achieving your doctorate whilst gaining valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, both in and outside academia.

The PhD position is linked to the " GP CIRCFeed – Circular Low Trophic Feed Production from Industrial Sidestreams” project financed by The Green Platform Initiative (https://www.forskningsradet.no/en/financing/green-platform-initiative/), which is a research collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, and industry partners, to exploit nutrient-rich side streams for cultivating low-trophic aquaculture species for feed production. The position will be based in Trondheim, with experimental work carried out at NTNU and SINTEF Ocean facilities and Tjeldbergodden Biopark where a Piloting Platform and Incubator (PPI) for low-trophic biomass production in an industrial symbiosis setting will be established. 

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department of Biology, NTNU.

About the project

The project GP CIRCFeed – Circular Low Trophic Feed Production from Industrial Sidestreams, funded by The Green Platform Initiative at the Research Council of Norway, aims to establish the production of low-trophic biomass by utilizing available biological waste resources and other industrial side-streams for the cultivation of polychaete worms and microalgae. The project addresses two major challenges:

• Improving Norway’s self-sufficiency in the production of feed raw materials
• Reducing environmental impacts by valorizing industrial sidestreams

The consortium includes NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, Nord University, industry clusters, food producers and several aquaculture and feed industry partners. The PhD candidate will work closely with biologists, engineers, and industry stakeholders, both in Trondheim and at Tjeldbergodden.  The PhD candidate will contribute to developing sustainable feed ingredients through circular production of polychaetes and microalgae, by utilizing nutrient-rich side-streams, CO₂, and waste heat from industries based within or in close proximity to Tjeldbergodden Biopark. The focus of the work of the PhD-candidate will be to utilize wastes from aquaculture production to cultivate polychaetes and microalgae. The candidate will be supervised by scientific personnel at NTNU and SINTEF Ocean with long-standing records and experience in both fields.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a PhD degree
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research group Marine Science research group at the Department of Biology
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in biology, aquaculture, marine biotechnology or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 1st March 2026
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you maybe considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme
• A strong background in the cultivation of aquatic organisms, microalgae biology, or aquaculture technology is desirable
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Show curiosity and strong motivation for the subject 
• Work independently and in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• Exciting and developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment at NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, and industry partners
• Exciting research in a highly interdisciplinary project contributing to the green transition
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities at NTNU and SINTEF PLANKTONLAB
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. (delete if not applicable)

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,-per annum. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years. It is a prerequisite that you can be present at and available to the institution on a daily basis.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Biology within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV 
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• The candidates from non-English-speaking countries outside the Nordic countries must present a public language test report. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Kjell Inge Reitan at NTNU (kjell.i.reitan@ntnu.no), Senior Research Scientist Marianne Nymark (marianne.nymark@sintef.no), or Researcher Inka Anglade (inka.anglade@sintef.no) at SINTEF Ocean.  

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Alexander Skomakerstuen e-mail: alexander.skomakerstuen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 15.02.2026

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.