PhD Research Fellow position available at the Department of Technology systems- ITS, as part of the UiO Energy Convergence Environment project PriTEM

PhD Research Fellow position available at the Department of Technology systems- ITS, as part of the UiO Energy Convergence Environment project PriTEM (Privacy Preserving Transactive Energy Management).

The fellowship is for a period of 3 years and is funded by the Department of Technology Systems, University of Oslo. The PhD research fellowship is a full-time position with a fixed-term period of three years. Candidates who can and want to contribute to teaching and supervision at the department may be offered teaching-related compulsory duties. In this case, the appointment period will be extended to a total of four years. 

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Preferred starting date 1. September 2022.

PriTEM is a cross-disciplinary project led by the Department of Informatics (IFI), Department of Informatics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MatNat), University of Oslo (UiO). The cross-disciplinary research in PriTEM is conducted in collaboration with the departments of Technology Systems (ITS), Psychology (PSI), Energy and Resources Law (ERL), Private Law (SERI) and 6 industrial partners.Foto: Colourbox

About the PriTEM Project

Transactive energy management (TEM) is a new concept for peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trade that has the potential to create a truly participatory and distributed energy market with increased deployment of sustainable energy through active participation and contribution from local prosumers as key stakeholders in the energy ecosystem. Understanding aspects related to prosumers is crucial for acceptance and adoption of the P2P energy trade paradigm. Regulatory and policy aspects also play a vital role in such a transition. There is however a clear knowledge gap as aspects related to users, data and energy law are less explored. The primary objective of PriTEM is to generate new knowledge through cross disciplinary research synergy to bridge this gap. In particular, we will examine and characterize the socio-psychological aspects that can act as potential barriers in the transition towards a TEM framework, understand the role of trust, transparency and prosumer empowerment in this context, and develop computation efficient and scalable privacy preserving and secure data sharing solutions to build and enhance digital trust to empower the prosumers. Finally, the project will integrate the socio-psychological and regulatory aspects into a holistic framework to optimize the TEM process incorporating technical challenges related to the energy system.

More information about the project is available here.

About the PhD Position

The PhD position is devoted to design and develop algorithms, techniques and the modelling framework for the PriTEM project. The candidate will play a key role in integrating the results from all four Work Packages in PriTEM to develop the holistic framework for transactive energy management.

The PhD scholar’s research topic for the PhD project will be to develop integrating socio-psychological, energy informatics, and regulatory and policy aspects in addressing technical challenges such as scalability and the impact of P2P electricity trade on the distribution grid, ranging from single households to neighborhoods. In terms of approach, the PhD project’s main focus will be on formulation of shared vision (community acceptance) based on energy class (defined by attributes such as: generation technology, location in the network and the owner’s reputation). The work will be conducted in close collaboration with another PhD researcher at the Department of Psychology (WP1) and a postdoctoral researcher at IFI (WP5) within the PriTEM project, and the solutions developed by the PhD candidate will be a part of the holistic TEM framework in PriTEM.

The candidate will have primary affiliation in the Renewable Energy Section at the Department of Technology Systems (ITS), UiO at Kjeller, and will collaborate with other partners in the PriTEM project.

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Communication Engineering, Computer Science or other relevant.
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
  • Documented significant knowledge or research background on data analytics and modelling
  • Documented some knowledge on communication and computation networks
  • Documented programming competence
  • The candidate should also possess good interpersonal and communication skills and show high level of motivation to work as part of an international team.

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 15 May, 2022 to complete the final exam.

Besides the mandatory skills, additional skills will be assessed:

• Prior documented experience in work on energy systems
• Theoretical and practical experiences in energy modelling
• Relation to the Global Challenges and the SDGs
• Excellent communication skills in English, both oral and written, and basic language skills in other language(s), and ability to write in a structured, clear and concise manner
• Experiences working in an International Team
• Background/experience in social science or qualitative methods
• Creativity and pro-activeness in the topic
• High motivation for interdisciplinary collaboration
• Ability to write in a structured, clear and concise manner

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

• the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:

         http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/application/application.html

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

We offer

• Salary NOK 491 200 – 534 400 per year depending on qualifications as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• A highly dynamic and motivated team of international researchers
• Vibrant international academic environment at Kjeller, the center for future technologies
• Career development programmes, professional courses and workshops
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• A cover letter (one page) explaining the candidate’s background, qualifications, and how/why the candidate is qualified for the position
• A motivation for the position (2-3 pages), envisaging own ideas and potential approaches for the position
• Curriculum vitae (summarizing education, positions and academic or industrial work experience, scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records
• Documentation of English Proficiency
• Contact information (Name, relation to candidate, email and telephone number) of two-three references, including the Master supervisor(s).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “apply for this job”. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Applicants will be called in for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

Further inquiries about the position can be addressed to Prof. Josef Noll, m: +47 9083 8066, or Associate Professor Matin Bagherpour, https://www.mn.uio.no/its/english/people/aca/matinb/index.html

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Torunn Standal Guttormsen, e-mail: t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no

About the University of Oslo 

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7500 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society. 

The Department of Technology Systems (ITS) is a newly established department at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo. ITS has taken over the activities at UNIK from January 2017. The Institute is located in the Kjeller Research Park, which is one of the largest research and development centers in Norway. ITS collaborates with the research institutes at Kjeller, and with industry, while it is also tightly integrated with complementary activities at UiO in Oslo. The department has two sections: section for energy systems and section for autonomous systems and sensor technologies. An important goal of ITS is to provide wider opportunities at UiO within applied technologies.Apply for this job