Norges Teknisk-naturvitenskapelige Universitet Ntnu

Trondheim

Cathrine Kravik

HR Consultant

Kai Sandvold Beckwith

Associate Professor

<h2>This is NTNU</h2><p>NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.</p><p>At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.</p><p>You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/vacancies/" rel="nofollow">here.</a></p><p>   </p>Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0</a><h2>About the position</h2><p>Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us you will gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.</p><p>A PhD position in the field of cancer cell biology/biotechnology is available in the research group of <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/kai.beckwith" rel="nofollow">Assoc. Prof. Kai Sandvold Beckwith</a> at the Department of Chemistry and Biomedical Science, NTNU. The appointment has a duration of 3 years starting from summer/fall of 2026.</p><p>Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.</p><br /><h2>About the project</h2><p>Multiple myeloma is a cancer characterized by the hyperproliferation of antibody-producing cells in the bone marrow. Despite recent advances in treatments and patient survival, treatment resistance inevitably develops, and multiple myeloma remains incurable. Novel approaches to provide an accurate prognosis, guide treatment choices and develop new medications are all urgently needed.</p><p>In this interdisciplinary and collaborative project, we will develop new nanoparticle-based cell enrichment approaches to effectively isolate circulating multiple myeloma cells from patient blood samples and characterize them using optical molecular profiling. The PhD candidate will develop multiplexed fluorescence microscopy approaches to measure molecular features of the captured multiple myeloma cells, aiming towards new single-cell based insights into multiple myeloma biology and improved diagnostics. The PhD candidate will be based in group of <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/kai.beckwith" rel="nofollow">Assoc. Prof. Kai Sandvold Beckwith,</a> which develops new microscopy-based approaches to characterize the complex biology of individual human cells. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the group of <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/employees/sulalit.bandyopadhyay" rel="nofollow">Assoc. Prof. Sulalit Bandyopadhyay</a> at the Department of Chemical Engineering, NTNU, and the clinical academic group for multiple myeloma research at NTNU and St. Olav’s University Hospital. The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council.</p><br /><h2>Duties of the position</h2><p>These include but are not limited to:</p><ul><li>Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate</li><li>Carry out research of good quality within the project consortium described above</li><li>Academic publications and popular science dissemination</li><li>Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions</li></ul><p>Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.</p><br /><h2>Required selection criteria</h2><ul><li>You must have an academically relevant background within cell biology, biophysics, molecular medicine, biotechnology or equivalent, including laboratory experience.</li><li>You must have a Master&#39;s degree in one of the above areas or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master&#39;s level. Master&#39;s students can apply, but the master&#39;s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than August 2026.</li><li>You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master&#39;s degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to <a href="https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Grading&#43;scale" rel="nofollow">NTNU&#39;s grading scale</a>. 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.</li><li>You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty of Natural Sciences <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/nv/phd" rel="nofollow">Doctoral Program</a>.</li><li>You must demonstrate excellent oral and written presentation skills in English.</li></ul><p>PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.</p><p>The appointment is to be made in accordance with <a href="https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/NTNUs&#43;guidelines&#43;for&#43;recruitment&#43;positions&#43;" rel="nofollow">NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions</a> and <a href="https://lovdata.no/dokument/SFE/forskrift/2018-12-05-1878" rel="nofollow">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)</a> for general criteria for the position.</p><br /><h2>Preferred selection criteria</h2><ul><li>Experience and interest in advanced fluorescence microscopy </li><li>Experience and interest in image analysis and bioinformatics</li><li>Coding experience</li><li>Experience in handling clinical biological samples</li><li>Experience in experimental cell biology</li><li>Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian, equivalent level A2.</li></ul><br /><h2>Personal characteristics</h2><p>The successful applicant is a highly motivated and ambitious student able to work in a structured manner towards realizing a research project. We are looking for a positive candidate who can think creatively and critically and will work both independently and collaboratively within the project consortium. You should enjoy interdisciplinary research and take keen interest in learning and working as part of an international team.</p><p>Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.</p><br /><h2>We offer</h2><ul><li>An exciting job with an important <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/vision-values-mission" rel="nofollow">mission</a> in society</li><li>Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment</li><li>Career guidance and <a href="https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Follow-up&#43;during&#43;the&#43;PhD&#43;period" rel="nofollow">follow-up during the PhD period</a></li><li>Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues</li><li>Excellent research infrastructure and labs at the University Hospital campus</li><li><a href="https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Working&#43;capital&#43;-&#43;PhD" rel="nofollow">Working capital</a> that can be used to implement the project</li><li><a href="https://i.ntnu.no/wiki/-/wiki/English/Mentor&#43;programme" rel="nofollow">Mentor programme</a> as a <a href="https://i.ntnu.no/ny-ved-ntnu" rel="nofollow">new employee at NTNU</a></li><li>Favorable terms as a member of the <a href="https://www.spk.no/en/membership-in-spk/" rel="nofollow">Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)</a> </li><li>Free Norwegian language training at a basic level <a href="https://prove.hkdir.no/en/language-levels" rel="nofollow">(A2)</a></li></ul><p>As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/positions/employee-benefits" rel="nofollow">employee benefits</a>.</p><br /><h2>Diversity</h2><p>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&#39;s collective skills. Our vision is <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/vision-values-mission" rel="nofollow">Knowledge for a better world</a> and <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/vision-values-mission" rel="nofollow">our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful</a>. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/genderequality" rel="nofollow">measures</a> to promote equality. </p><br /><h2>Salary and conditions</h2><p>In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. </p><p>The employment period is <strong>3</strong> years.</p><p>For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to Faculty of Natural Sciences <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/nv/phd" rel="nofollow">Doctoral Program</a> within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.</p><p>The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council.</p><p>As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.</p><p>For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.</p><p>The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the <a href="https://lovdata.no/dokument/NL/lov/2017-06-16-67" rel="nofollow">State Employees Act</a>, and <a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/no/tema/utenrikssaker/Eksportkontroll/id754301/" rel="nofollow">Export control</a> (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. </p><br /><h2>About the application</h2><p>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.</p><p><strong>Please note: </strong>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.</p><p>The application must include:</p><ul><li>A cover letter including a description of relevant experience and motivation for the position</li><li>CV, including potential publications or other relevant research work </li><li>A summary of your MSc thesis (one page)</li><li>Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor&#39;s and Master&#39;s degrees.</li><li>Names and contact information of three relevant referees</li></ul><p><br />If all, or parts, of your education has been taken outside Norway, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor&#39;s and Master&#39;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 <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/positions/documentation-requirements-of-academic-credentials" rel="nofollow">here</a>. If you already have a statement from <a href="https://hkdir.no/en" rel="nofollow">Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)</a>, please attach this as well. </p><p><br />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.</p><p> </p><p>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.</p><p><br />NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to <a href="http://www.ascb.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/sfdora.pdf" rel="nofollow">The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment </a>and <a href="https://coara.eu/" rel="nofollow">CoARA</a> (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU&#39;s social mission).</p><br /><h2>General information</h2><p>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 <a href="https://lovdata.no/lov/2006-05-19-16/%C2%A725" rel="nofollow">current legislation</a>. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.</p><p>If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.</p><p>If you have any questions about the position, please contact Assoc. Prof. Kai S. Beckwith, kai.beckwith&#64;ntnu.no. </p><p>If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Cathrine Kyung Ja Kravik, cathrine.k.j.kravik&#64;ntnu.no.</p><p><strong>Application deadline: 20.03.2026.</strong></p><p>-----------------</p><p>For practical information about <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/nirs" rel="nofollow">working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. </a><br /> </p><p><a href="https://www.trondheim.kommune.no/english/" rel="nofollow"><strong>The city of Trondheim</strong></a> is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. <a href="https://workintrondheim.no/" rel="nofollow">Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway</a> 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. </p><p> </p><br />

PhD Candidate in cancer cell biology/biotechnology