Deadline: February 18, 2021
The Department of Arctic Technology at the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS) seeks two PhD students for full-time four-year positions in Renewable Energy.
About the PhD Programme
Renewable energy is a focused theme in Svalbard due to an aim to reduce the current dependency on fossil fuels. Several local companies are shifting to more environmentally friendly alternatives, including wind and solar energy. Building these types of systems in the Arctic poses unique logistical and technical challenges due not only to the remoteness, but also to the special meteorological conditions in a cold climate, such as the strong stable atmospheric boundary layer.
Renewable energy is a new subject area at UNIS. As part of this, the Department of Arctic Technology is now seeking two Ph.D. students to focus on renewable energy production. The candidate must satisfy the enrolment requirements for the doctoral degree program at a Norwegian university. A plan for the implementation of the research training must be approved by the faculty. The candidate is expected to complete relevant courses as part of the formal PhD training.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Ph.D. students will be involved in ongoing and new projects around Longyearbyen and at other locations in Svalbard and work together with local partner organisations some of whom are investigating business opportunities within green energy in other Arctic regions. Individual focus for the Ph.D. projects could include:
- Renewable energy meteorology, in particular connected to wind and solar energy. Understanding of meteorological processes important for renewable energy in the Arctic is much poorer than further south, for example; the influence of the strong stable atmospheric boundary layer, influence of terrain induced phenomena, and icing processes.
- Renewable energy production technology for cold climates. Control and steering systems. Solutions for off-grid regions with strong seasonality (e.g., polar night and short summer period) and remotely located systems to be developed and evaluated.
- Observational data are to be used in the Ph.D. projects, and the studies may also include modelling, reanalysis of data and machine learning.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have a strong academic background hold a M.Sc. in Energy engineering, Meteorology, or a related subject directly relevant for ongoing projects. Previous knowledge of renewable energy meteorology/engineering is an advantage as well as general knowledge of renewable hybrid energy systems. The successful candidate must be able to be declared for security. Candidates in the finalization phase of their master thesis work may be considered if they can document that they are particularly suitable for these positions. Experience of field work, as well as working with observational and model data, is an advantage.
- Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner, and demonstrate good collaborative skills. The applicant must be proficient in both written and spoken English and, due to local Norwegian company cooperation partners, the candidates must be fluent in a Scandinavian language to enable efficient collaboration. Additionally, scientific writing including authorship of scientific publications is advantageous.
- Motivation and personal suitability will be emphasized. To allow assessment of this, a statement of personal and scientific interest in taking a Ph.D. degree, including an outline of a Ph.D. project idea, must be included in the application.
Benefits
- The total duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25% comprises teaching duties at UNIS, including supervision of M.Sc. students.
- All salaries are set in accordance with the Norwegian government’s University salary scale. Ph.D. candidates are paid in salary steps 54, which is a gross salary of NOK 481 800,-. As a resident in Svalbard an annual allowance of NOK 34 560.- (Svalbardtillegg) will be added to the salary. A Social Security contribution of 2 per cent, to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, will be deducted from the salary. Income tax on
- Svalbard is 8 per cent, plus 8, 2 per cent toward National Insurance coverage
Application
The application, submitted electronically in the application portal, must include:
- A short research proposal (max 2 pages) that outlines the research area, including research questions, research methods and hypothesized results
- CV (including a complete overview of education, professional training and professional work)
- Name and contact information for two or more referees
- Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees, or official confirmation that the master’s thesis has been submitted
- Relevant certificates/academic references
- A list of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
- Any peer review publications in your name
- A copy of the master thesis
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded in the application portal.
For more information: All inquiries about this position may be directed to Prof. Anna Sjöblom, email: annac@unis.no, or Assoc. Prof. Aleksey Shestov, phone: +47 79 02 33 44, e-mail: aleksey.shestov@unis.no
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About the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS)
UNIS is the world’s northernmost educational institution, located in Longyearbyen. UNIS has technical and scientific equipment, laboratories and infrastructure well suited for teaching and research in Arctic natural science and technology for sea, land and atmosphere. The disciplines include Arctic Biology, – Geophysics, – Geology and – Technology. All courses are taught in English, and about half of the staff and students are from abroad. UNIS is a state-owned corporation. The administrative language is Norwegian.
