PhD Research Fellow in Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Materials

Stipendiat; Porsgrunn; On-site; NOK 468,000 - 633,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Organised research training

Career guidance

Inclusive environment

Norwegian language courses

Public pension scheme

Job summary

USN invites applications for a three-year PhD research fellowship in Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Materials at the Department of Process, Energy and Environmental Technology, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences. The position starts 01.12.2026–01.01.2027 and is linked to REACT-Lab, with organised research training and collaboration with Statens Vegvesen.

The successful candidate will work on advanced fatigue damage models for asphalt pavements, combining

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in civil engineering or equivalent.
• Weighted average grade of B or higher on the master's degree and thesis.
• Strong background in civil engineering related to highways, pavement materials or transportation.
• Good theoretical background in material mechanics and experimental methods.
• Competence in programming and numerical simulations.
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.

Responsibilities

• Complete the doctoral programme within the employment period.
• Conduct high-calibre research within the project scope.
• Publish scholarly articles.
• Participate in the REACT-Lab group and international activities.
• Engage with national and international research environments.
• Be prepared for changes in tasks after appointment.

Skills

Strong research potential

Independent working

Team collaboration

Structured planning

Education

MSc in Civil Engineering or equivalent

Tools

Programming basics

Job description

Welcome to USN

The University of southeastern Norway (USN) ranks as the country's fourth largest higher education institution. We are a vibrant community of approximately 18,000 students and 1,900 employees.

About the position

Are you interested in Civil Engineering and Infrastructure Materials, and want to engage in research with skilled colleagues who share your interests? Maybe you can become our new colleague at Department of Process, Energy and Environmental Technology at The Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences. The position is available from 01.12.2026 with the latest starting date on 01.01.2027.

The PhD research fellowship is for a fixed term of three years with pure organised research training.

This is an educational position that is primarily intended to give promising researchers the opportunity to develop academically and professionally through organised research training.

It is a condition that the person who accepts the position applies for and is granted admission to the faculty’s doctoral programme in PhD in Technology within three months of starting in the position.

The doctoral programme includes relevant courses corresponding to approximately six months of study, a thesis based on independent research, active participation in national and international research environments, relevant research dissemination, a trial lecture and public defence of the thesis. Read more about organised research training at USN on our website.

Your personnel manager will be Head of Department Ali Ghaderi and your main supervisor will be Associate Professor Mequanent Mulugeta Alamnie. It is a prerequisite that you live close by so that you can be present at, and available to, the academic environment at your workplace during ordinary working hours. The place of work will be at campus Porsgrunn.

About the doctoral project

The person appointed will be affiliated with the research project pavement materials and fatigue damage modelling, which is headed by Associate Professor Mequanent Mulugeta Alamnie.

The research project focuses on the research project focuses on the development of advanced fatigue damage models for asphalt pavement materials to support the Norwegian Mechanistic Empirical pavement design system. The project will combine material characterisation, theoretical modelling and experimental validation to improve the prediction of pavement performance under varying traffic loads, material properties and climatic conditions. Particular emphasis will be placed on viscoelastic, viscoplastic and damage-based material behaviour, laboratory testing of asphalt mixtures, field data analysis and calibration using case-road tests.

The candidate will work in close cooperation with the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens Vegvesen) to achieve the objectives of this PhD project.

The person appointed will be affiliated with the research group Renewable Energy and Advanced Construction Technologies Laboratory (REACT-Lab).

Duties

• Complete the doctoral programme up to completion of the doctoral degree within the employment period
• Conduct high-calibre research within the framework described above
• Scholarly publications
• Participate in the research group REACT-Lab
• Participating in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at national or foreign educational institutions
• Be prepared for changes in your work tasks after appointment

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits) (or equivalent qualifications) civil engineering, or equivalent (another relevant field).
• Weighted average grade of B or higher on the master’s degree and thesis or an equivalent academic level according to USN's admission requirements.
• The master’s thesis must have been approved by the application deadline for the position.
• You must have an academically strong relevant background within Civil Engineering (highway, road technologies, transportation (road), structural, pavement materials etc) or equivalent.
• Documented knowledge of relevant scientific methodologies at master's level, including experimental and/or modelling-based approaches relevant to the project.
• You must have and show strong theoretical background in material mechanics, and experiment.
• You must have basic skills for programming and numerical simulations.
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.
• Meet the formal requirements for admission to USN’s doctoral program and The Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences’ doctoral program in Technology no later than three months after starting in the position.

Personal qualities

In order to be able to complete a doctoral degree, you need to be able to:

• demonstrate motivation and potential for research in the field
• work independently, but also participate in teamwork
• work in a structured way, set goals, and make plans to achieve them
• present and discuss your research with other academics
• get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• show curiosity and strong motivation for the subject area
• analyse data, assess different perspectives, and draw well-founded conclusions
• be flexible and open to adjusting the project plan as necessary
• have the academic skills and personal qualities to be able to complete the doctoral programme within the employment period

When assessing applications, particular importance will be attached to

• Formal qualifications
• The scientific quality, research relevance and degree of innovation of the project
• The relevance of the project to the profile of the doctoral programme
• The personal qualities mentioned above

Language requirements

Requirements for proficiency in English
This position requires good English language skills. International applicants must document this with a valid certificate from one of the following tests. Specific requirements regarding grades can be found on our webpage English requirement for programmes and subjects taught in English at USN .

• TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based Test (IBT)
• IELTS – International English Language Testing Service
• Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) from the University of Cambridge
• PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English Academic

The following applicants are exempt from the requirements listed above:

• Applicants with one year of completed university studies in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, UK or USA
• Applicants who have completed a master’s degree with English as the language of instruction in an EU or EEA country
• Applicants who are exempt based on the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir)’s GSU list (Higher Education Entrance Qualification for foreign applicants)

Applicants from Norway can confirm their English language skills by submitting their upper secondary school diploma.

Project description

Applicants must submit a preliminary research proposal with the application. The project description for the research project should be short and concise, maximum 2–4 pages (600-1200 words). See further descriptions in the “Template for project descriptions for doctoral and postdoctoral fellowships at USN” :

• Introduction (the title, main problem and research questions and the background to the project)
• State of the art (the project’s research field)
• Theory
• Methodology
• Work plan
• Results and hypotheses
• Bibliography

Applications with a project description exceeding 1200 words will not be processed.

The project proposal will be included in the assessment of the applicant’s competence.

The final project description and work plan will be prepared in consultation with the supervisor(s) during the first three months of the employment period. It is a prerequisite that you complete the project during the employment period.

What we offer

• Organised research training in a large undertaking with an important social mission
• Careers advice and guidance throughout the entire doctoral programme. Together we will draw up a career plan that includes the skills and knowledge you will acquire
• An inclusive working environment with ambitious colleagues
• [The opportunity to take Norwegian language courses]
• Salary in accordance with the Norwegian State salary scale for PhD research fellows (position code 1017) NOK 550,800. In special cases, code 1378 may be used. Any further increases in pay grade will be based on length of service in the position
• Deductions will be made from your salary in order to make statutory contributions to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund on your behalf
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund , ensuring favourable pension, insurance and loan schemes

Diversity

According to its human resources policy, the University of South-Eastern Norway aims for a balanced gender composition and seeks to recruit people with diverse backgrounds. USN contributes to the national inclusion initiative and aims for its employees, to the fullest extent possible, to reflect the diversity of the general population. We therefore encourage qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds to apply. The University will facilitate the workplace for employees who need such support.

General information

The Appointment Committee for Fellowship Positions (TUS) is the appointing authority for this position. Your competence for the position will be assessed by an expert committee. The expert committee will assess your competence for the position based on the documentation you have registered in Jobbnorge.

Based on the expert committee’s assessment, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview and to hold a trial lecture. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates.

Employment at USN is carried out in accordance with the principles set out in the Norwegian Civil Service Act , and the legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further consideration.

The University’s Guidelines for recruitment positions at the University of South-Eastern Norway provide a more detailed description of the criteria for appointment as a PhD research fellow.

As an employee of USN, you must at all times adapt to changes in the field and all organisational changes that are adopted.

Contact information

For more information about the position, please contact:
Department Head, Associate Professor Ali Ghaderi, [e-mail]

Førsteamanuensis, Mequanent Mulugeta Alamnie, [e-mail]

For questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact:
Senior Consultant, Amna Zafar, [e-mail]