Postdoctoral Fellow

About The Job

The Neural Dynamics and Computation group ( https://www.ntnu.edu/kavli/gonzalo-cogno-group#/view/about ), led by Soledad Gonzalo Cogno, is a computational neuroscience group recently established at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience ( www.ntnu.edu/kavli ).

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. It was established as a Centre of Excellence in 2002, 2012, and again in 2023. Our new Centre of Excellence, the Center for Algorithms in the Cortex ( https://www.ntnu.edu/kavli/centre-for-algorithms-in-the-cortex ) will be funded for 10 years by the Norwegian Research Council. The scientific goal of the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is to understand neural circuits and systems in the cortex and to identify neural-population mechanisms underlying high-level cognitive functions.

The position is full time (100%), with a 2 years contract. Exact startup time is flexible, although the position is expected to start during early Spring 2024.

Your immediate leader is Soledad Gonzalo Cogno.

Duties of the position

• The successful candidate will analyse large-scale neural population recordings obtained with Neuropixels silicon probes (the data will be collected by other team members). Using as stepping stone the recently reported ultraslow periodic sequences of neural activity (see Gonzalo Cogno et al., 2022 - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.05.02.490273v1 ). The successful candidate is expected to combine the analysis of high-dimensional data sets with the development of computational models. The project is in collaboration with the Moser lab, in which the neural data will be collected.
  
  

Required Selection Criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in Neuroscience, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, or related subjects.
• If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• Excellent communication skills in English are imperative, both orally and written.
• Prior productivity (e.g. publications, abstracts, conference proceedings or codes).
• Strong mathematical background and coding experience.
• An interest in computational neuroscience.
  

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

Preferred Selection Criteria

• Familiarity with analysis of large-scale neuronal recordings
• Prior work in the field of computational neuroscience
  
  

Personal characteristics

Qualifications

In the evaluation, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability in relation to the qualifications specified in the advertisement. We will place great emphasis on:

• Strong personal initiative, self-motivation and work ethic
• A solution-oriented attitude, ability to solve problems independently
• The ability to work collaboratively to accomplish common research goals
• The ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team
• Willingness to accommodate to the team's research strategy
• Ambition and drive to become an independent researcher
  
  

We offer

• excellent opportunities for scientific and personal development in collaboration with skilled co-workers
• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong internationalacademic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits
  
  

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 594 500 - 624 500,- per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The period of employment is 2 years.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants , and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About The Application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must be attached to the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

The Application Must Include

• CV with information about education background and work experience
• A 1-page statement explaining the experience and the interest of the candidate for the research topic and describing the relevance of the candidate's background to the research project
• Publication list including a description of your contribution to each work. Joint work will only be considered provided that a short summary outlining the applicant's contributions is attached
• Name and contact information of three referees
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment
  
  

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway's culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality .

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation 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.

As an employeeatNTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself 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 reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Group Leader, Soledad Gonzalo Cogno, email [Confidential Information]. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Adviser, Jorunn Amdam, e-mail: [HIDDEN TEXT]

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.

Application deadline: 01.12.2023

NTNU

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.

The Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU. It was established as a Centre of Excellence in 2002, and designated as a Kavli Foundation Institute in 2007 (www.kavlifoundation.org). The scientific goal of the Institute is to increase the understanding of neural circuits and systems along with their role in generating psychological functions.

Today, the Institute consists of the Centre for Neuronal Computation (CNC) as well as the Egil and Pauline Braathen and Fred Kavli Centre for Cortical Microcircuits. In 2014, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to two of the Institute's professors, Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser. The Institute is responsible for an international master's programme and is affiliated with a doctoral programme in medicine. Through our widespread network of international collaboration, we offer unique career opportunities. For further information, see: www.ntnu.edu/kavli.

Questions About The Position

Jorunn Amdam

HR Adviser

[HIDDEN TEXT]

Soledad Gonzalo Cogno

Group leader

[HIDDEN TEXT]