项目介绍

2025年3月2日

About the position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering has a vacancy for a 3-year PhD position as part of the HORIZON Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA) Doctoral Network LeidenForce “Advanced Leidenfrost Effect”. The start date is no later than August/September 2025.

The location for this PhD position is Trondheim, at the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory (http://folk.ntnu.no/fernandi/). The position includes a 3-months secondment at AIRBUS. The project is in close relation with another PhD student in Université de Lille, France. The selected candidate will have the opportunity to learn form a consortium of 8 institutions (10 Beneficiaries, 3 Partner organizations). In addition to the individual scientific projects, all the 10 PhD candidates part of this Doctoral Network will benefit from further continuing education, which includes secondment, a variety of training courses for specific and transferable skills and active participation and international conferences.

As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

When a liquid droplet is placed on a solid surface with a temperature significantly higher than the boiling point of the liquid, the droplet hovers above the surface on a thin layer of its own vapor, a phenomenon known as the Leidenfrost effect. While this effect is highly undesirable in certain cooling applications due to the reduced energy transfer between the solid and evaporating liquid caused by the poor heat conductivity of the vapor, it can be of significant interest in various processes where avoiding contact with the surface is advantageous.

The LeidenForce project aims to comprehensively study the Leidenfrost effect and propose novel applications, either to mitigate its adverse effects or leverage its advantages. For this particular PhD position at NTNU, the project intends to (i) shift the fundamental understanding of the transition to the Leidenfrost state, and (ii) optimize the heat transfer between the droplet and the substrate.

The practical implications will be leveraged by non-academic institutions involved in aviation (such as AIRBUS), metallurgy (CRM), cryogenics, and space exploration (Centre Spatial de Liège). In aviation, managing cryogenic fuel is a crucial step toward achieving zero-emission flights. In metallurgy, innovative cooling methods will be developed based on mitigating the Leidenfrost effect. 

This position at NTNU will focus on the impact of a liquid droplet on a structured substrate, hot enough to trigger the Leidenfrost transition. The goal of the project is to investigate the shift in Leidenfrost temperature for different surface configurations. We want to investigate and characterize the different outcomes from the droplet impact and the heat transfer in the different surfaces, bringing new insight into the physical mechanisms controlling the phenomena. The PhD candidate will participate in the planning and running of experiments and be in charge of analyzing data from experiments, as well as performing modeling work of the phenomenon. The candidate will collaborate closely with another PhD candidate at Université de Lille.  

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Design, planning and running of Leidenfrost experiments
• Use and development of novel visualization techniques
• Contribute to academic publications, project reports and other dissemination activities
• Participate in meetings with supervisors and colleagues
• Engage in secondments as part of the project training activities
• Participate in structured training programs and network events organized by the consortium
• Collaborate with other doctoral candidates in the consortium

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

To apply for these MSCA Training positions, applicants must fulfil the following criteria: 

• Mobility: to be eligible for a position, you should not have resided in the country of the host institution (Norway) for more than 12 months over the three years before the starting date of the position, excluding holidays and (refugee status) asylum application. 
• Early Stage Researcher (ESR): At the time of recruitment by the host organisation, an ESR shall be in the first four years (full-time equivalent research experience) of his/her research career and not have been awarded a doctoral degree. 

General criteria:

• You must have a Master’s degree in physics, applied science, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering or equivalent in a closely related field. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master’s level. Master’s students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position. 
• 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 may be 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 (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme)

Specific requirements for the proposed project: 

• You must have an academically relevant background within fluid mechanics and heat transfer, demonstrated through projects, activities, and/or theses.  
• Programming experience in Matlab, Python or similar packages
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English language.

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

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment, you must complete Norwegian courses corresponding to at least 15 credits before the end of the employment period. NTNU will facilitate this. 

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) 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.

Preferred selection criteria

• Good experimental skills will be considered an advantage
• Experience with image processing will be considered an advantage
• Experience with phase change heat transfer will be consider an advantage

Personal characteristics

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

• Enthusiastic and highly motivated
• Showing curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject 
• Working independently and in teams
• Flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• State-of-the-art laboratories and equipment
• A strong and international professional environment
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

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. 

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also  made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK  536 200,-  per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years. If learning Norwegian (level A2 corresponding to at least 15 credits) is to be completed before the end of the employment period, the employment period can be extended by 10 weeks after completed and documented the Norwegian course.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering ((https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding.

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

For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

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 be in 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 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 

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.
• A brief introduction letter (no more than one A4 page) that summarizes the documents and the nature of the information provided for the selection. 
• The letter of purpose (no more than two A4 pages), describing why you want to apply for this precise position and including how your research interests/experience connect to this position. 
• Possibly publications or other relevant research work
• 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 works 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 Maria Fernandino, email: maria.fernandino@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-consultant Ingrid Wiggen, e-mail: ingrid.wiggen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 05.05.2025

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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.