PhD Candidate in Intelligent Navigation and Risk Based Route Planning

Ntnu; Trondheim; Remote; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU's Department of Engineering Cybernetics invites applications for a PhD Candidate in Intelligent Navigation and Risk Based Route Planning. The project is part of the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre and aims to develop AI methods for navigational situational awareness and wind-assisted propulsion.

The candidate will work on UC3 and UC5 use cases, collaborate with industry and public partners, and be supervised by Associate Professor Børge Rokseth.

Qualifications

• Strong foundation in engineering cybernetics with mathematical modelling, dynamical systems and control theory.
• Good programming skills and experience implementing and evaluating mathematical models or computational methods in Python, MATLAB, C++ or similar.
• Master's degree in engineering cybernetics, robotics, control engineering, applied mathematics or related discipline; five-year Norwegian course with 120 credits at master's level.
• Strong academic background with an average grade equal to B or better on NTNU scale; or demonstrated strong academic foundation if grades differ.
• Meet the admissions requirements for the PhD program in Engineering Cybernetics.
• Proficient English written and spoken; TOEFL or equivalent if needed.
• Knowledge of maritime navigation, vessel dynamics or maritime risk assessment; experience with simulation-based evaluation or uncertainty modelling.

Responsibilities

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate.
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above.
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination.
• Participate in the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre activities.
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions.
• Other career-promoting work can be discussed and agreed.

Skills

Mathematical modelling

Dynamical systems

Control theory

Machine learning

Programming

Education

Master's degree in engineering cybernetics or related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C++

Job description

The Department of Engineering Cybernetics has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in Intelligent Navigation and Risk Based Route Planning

NTNU is a broad-based university with atechnical-scientific profile and a focusin professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 8,6000 employees and 44,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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

About the position

The PhD position is part of the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre, led by NTNU. The centre brings together researchers, industry and public partners to develop AI applications for the maritime sector.

The PhD project will develop AI methods for navigational situational awareness and risk-based route planning, with applications in safe navigation and wind-assisted propulsion. A key question is how maritime data can be used to assess navigational risk and inform route and speed choices, accounting for vessel capabilities and uncertainty in the available information.

The work will draw on two of the center's use cases: AI-driven S-100 electronic navigational chart products (UC3) and wind-assisted propulsion (UC5).

UC3 concerns the use of electronic navigational chart data to assess hazards along a vessel’s path. The use case will investigate how these assessments can account for the vessel’s position and motion, together with characteristics such as draught, stopping distance and maneuvering capabilities. Historical AIS tracks combined with chart data offer a basis for constructing and studying navigational situations. It is also a goal of the use case that these assessments should be explainable. That is, it should be possible to trace a warning or recommendation to the data and criteria that produced it.

In UC5, the focus is on route and speed planning for vessels with wind-assisted propulsion. Taking advantage of wind conditions can reduce fuel consumption, but the benefits depend on the vessel’s performance and the route it can safely follow. The use case will investigate both how forecasts of wind and other environmental conditions can be used in voyage planning, accounting for navigational and operational constraint, and how adaptations can be made underway, accounting for actual conditions.

The two use cases link the assessment of individual navigational situations to planning over a longer voyage. The project will examine how uncertainty in data and forecasts affects these decisions, and how plans can be revised as conditions change. Method development will build on machine learning in combination with established models of vessel behavior and navigation. The choice of methods will be developed as part of the doctoral work.

The candidate will work closely with industry and public partners in the centre.

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Associate Professor Børge Rokseth.

About the project

DThe Norwegian Maritime AI Centre shall position the maritime sector for accelerated and successful use of AI. The demand for safe and sustainable maritime activities, as well as the shortage of crew and engineers, are key drivers for change in the maritime sector. At the same time, there is a pull for growth, increased efficiency and profitability, while managing volatility in the markets. Moreover, the sector is critically important for global supply chains and security in a tense geopolitical situation. To demonstrate and prototype maritime AI solutions, the center will address a diverse and impactful set of use cases: Logistics, shipping and business transactions; Ship design and construction; Voyage planning and optimization; Condition monitoring and maintenance; Crew training; Maritime traffic and ship surveillance; Decarbonization and energy management; Autonomous ships and remote control.

The research partners are the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Oslo, Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Royal Norwegian Naval Academy, Norwegian Mapping Authority, MET and SINTEF Nordvest. There are about 30 user partners from the maritime sector, in addition to hundreds of members of the Maritime Forum, Blue Maritime, Ocean Autonomy, and Maritime CleanTech clusters. The center will be a hub, orchestrating the interfaces with research partners and user partners to facilitate collaboration, knowledge creation, dissemination, innovation, and sharing of knowledge. The Norwegian Maritime AI Center is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the partners for the period 2026-2030. There will be approximately 25 doctoral scholarships and some postdoc positions. More information can be found here: https://www.ntnu.edu/mai

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the Norwegian Maritime AI Centre activities
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Other career-promoting work can be discussed and agreed

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a strong foundation in engineering cybernetics, including mathematical modelling, dynamical systems and control theory, together with competence in machine learning. This background must be documented through relevant coursework and project or thesis work.
• You must have good programming skills and experience implementing and evaluating mathematical models or computational methods in Python, MATLAB, C++ or a comparable programming language.
• You must have a Master's degree in engineering cybernetics, robotics, control engineering, applied mathematics, or another closely related discipline. Applicants with degrees in other engineering disciplines or informatics must document an equivalent background in the subjects specified above. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, including 120 credits at master's level. Master's students may apply, but the degree must be completed and documented before starting the position.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If your previous studies were not assessed using letter grades, you must demonstrate an equally strong academic foundation. Applicants with a weaker grade background may be considered if they can document that they are particularly suitable for PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the PhD program in Engineering Cybernetics.
• You must have good written and oral English language skills. If your native language is not English or a Scandinavian language, you must document your English proficiency, for example through TOEFL.
• Knowledge of maritime navigation, vessel dynamics or maritime risk assessment.
• Experience with simulation-based evaluation, uncertainty modelling or risk-based decision-making.

Personal characteristics

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

• Work in interdisciplinary teams with researchers, industry and government.
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Take initiative and work independently when needed
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive and collaborative working environment

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues

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.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be from NOK 580 000 NOK 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 for the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD program in Engineering Cybernetics within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral program 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.

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.

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 Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English.

The application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline.

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 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 have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Børge Rokseth, email: [e-mail] .

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Berit Dahl, e-mail: [e-mail] .

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.

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Engineering Cybernetics (ITK)