Open Positions

The Department of Physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway, has a vacancy for a

PhD position in theory of multiphase flow in porous media

About the position

We have a vacancy for a PhD position in theory of multiphase flow in porous media at PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU. This PhD position is financed via the European Research Council’s Advanced Grant Program. The candidate needs to fulfill the requirements of NTNU for obtaining a PhD. The appointment has a duration of 3 years.
For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.
The position is organized at the Department of Physics in close collaboration with the Center of Excellence PoreLab.
Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. Your supervisor will be Professor Alex Hansen from PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU.

Main duties and responsibilities

The position forms part of the ERC project AGIPORE, see https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101141323 which aims to derive effective equations describing the simultaneous flow of immiscible fluids in porous media at length scales where the porous medium appears continuous. This is accomplished by constructing a version of statistical mechanics that takes the physical processes at the pore scale as a
starting point. This leads to emergent variables at the continuum scale. These emergent variables need to be connected to variables that are observable in the laboratory. Of special interest is the information entropy that characterizes the flow distribution, velocity distribution and the geometry of the porous medium itself at the continuum scale. Accompanying the information entropy is a temperature-like emergent variable.
There is a connection between this variable and the pressure gradient that drives the flow, which is still unknown. It is the aim of the PhD project to establish interpretation and relationships between emergent variables such as the one described.
The student will be required to write academic papers and submit them to international scientific journals, and participate as well in international scientific conferences. She/he will be required to complete the mandatory courses for the PhD, write a PhD thesis using academic papers as basis and defend the PhD when completed.
Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

  • You must have a professionally relevant background in physics or equivalent education.
  • 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 and no later than August 2025.
  • 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.
  • You must have excellent written and oral English language skills.
  • Excellent programming skills are required.
  • Knowledge in statistical physics is required.

Preferred selection criteria

A knowledge of fluid dynamics is recommended.

Read more about the position and apply here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/280809/phd-position-in-theory-of-multiphase-flow-in-porous-media

Application deadline: 20 June 2025

The Department of Physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway, has a vacancy for a

Postdoc position in multiphase flow in porous media

About the position


We have a vacancy for an experimental postdoc position in multiphase flow in porous media at PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU. The position is financed by PoreLab under Research Theme 1: Thermodynamics of flow in porous media. The position is for a period of three years,
with the possibility of a one-year extension to include teaching duties at the Department of Physics and, if needed, participation in courses to develop educational competence.
The position is organized at the Department of Physics in close collaboration with the Center of Excellence PoreLab.
The position reports to Professors Erika Eiser and Alex Hansen, PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU. The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Main duties and responsibilities

The position is closely related to the European Research Council project AGIPORE, see https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101141323 which aims to derive effective equations describing the simultaneous flow of immiscible fluids in porous media at length scales where the porous medium appears continuous. This is accomplished by constructing a version of statistical mechanics that takes the physical processes at the pore scale as a starting point. This leads to emergent variables at the continuum scale. The emergent variables are related through thermodynamics-like equations. It is the aim of the position to investigate the experimental consequences of this theory in close collaboration with the theorists involved. The postdoc will construct and use 3D printed model porous media. The analysis will entail extensive use of image analysis techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry.

Required selection criteria

  • You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in physics or equivalent education.
  • The position requires spoken and written fluency in the English language. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries outside Europe must document English skills by an approved test (Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)).
  • Excellent experimental skills are required.
  • Knowledge in thermodynamics is required.

Read more about the position and apply here: https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/280820/postdoc-position-in-multiphase-flow-in-porous-media

Application deadline: 20 June 2025

The Department of Physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway, has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in computational material research at the Materials Theory Group

About the position

We have a vacancy for a PhD position in the Materials Theory group at the Department of Physics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Norway. We are looking for a skilled and ambitious candidate to join the DYNCAT project, funded  by the Research Council of Norway (NFR). 

DYNCAT aims to develop highly predictive, physics-based models to study and optimize the Rochow Mülller process, which generates the raw material for silicone production. The project will focus on improving production efficiency and control through the use of particle-based simulation techniques to investigate the catalytic mechanisms and the formation of dichlorodimethylsilane (M2), the key product of the Rochow-Müller reaction. 

The successful candidate will work in an international research environment and contribute to the computational modelling efforts at the Materials Theory Group. We are seeking a candidate with a strong theoretical background in condensed/soft matter physics or physical chemistry, a keen interest in programming, and strong motivation to develop new computational models for natural physical processes with real-world industrial applications. The candidate will also collaborate actively with research scientists at SINTEF Industry, who have expertise in experimental and theoretical catalysis, surface science, and adsorption processes. This PhD position is for a period of three years. The goal is to complete a doctoral education leading to the award of a PhD degree. The position will be supervised by Associate Professor Raffaela Cabriolu (Department of Physics, NTNU) as the main supervisor and Dr. Francesca L. Bleken (Senior Scientist, SINTEF Industry) as co-supervisor.

Duties of the position

  • Develop and test new models and protocols using classical simulation methods such as Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC), as well as quantum approaches like Density Functional Theory (DFT).
  • Develop novel Graph Neural Network (GNN) potentials to accurately represent the catalytic behavior of specific species involved in silicone formation.
  • Benchmark classical simulation results against DFT simulations and validate all modelling predictions through comparison with available literature data.
  • Perform high-performance computing (HPC) simulations to analyze and visualize time-dependent molecular properties.
  • Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers and actively participate in discussions and knowledge exchange within the project.
  • Present research findings at international conferences and publish scientific results in peer-reviewed journals.
  • Participate in the research group Materials Theory Group. 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

  • You must have an academically relevant background within computational physics. 
  • You must have a Master’s degree in computational physics. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master’s level. 
  • 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 Doctoral Programme in Physics.
  • The position requires spoken and written fluency in the English language

Preferred selection criteria

  • A documented background in computational physics is required with a focus on atomistic modelling (Molecular Dynamics, Monte Carlo and/or density Functional Theory)
  • The applicant must have good programming skills in at least one of the following programming languages: C/C++ and/or Python, Julia is a plus. 
  • Prior experience in molecular simulations, machine learning techniques, and programming is highly desirable. 
  • Genuine interest in deep graph neural networks models.

Read more about the position and apply here: PhD Candidate in computational material research at the Materials Theory Group (280173) | NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Deadline: 15 June 2025