PhD Candidate in Vocal Biomarkers: Acoustics of the Voice for Health Applications

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

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 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 voice carries subtle acoustic indicators of our health - in some conditions, changes appear years before clinical diagnosis. Can we learn to extract them reliably?

We are looking for a PhD candidate to join the Acoustics group at the Department of Electronic Systems, NTNU, and contribute to the emerging field of vocal biomarkers: measurable features of the voice that can help detect, monitor and follow up health conditions in a non-invasive way.

You will be part of a leading acoustics environment, and of Connection, an interdisciplinary research group under NTNU's strategic research area NTNU Community, joining an international network of researchers working at the intersection of acoustics, physical modeling, voice and health. During the PhD you will build a sought-after profile spanning acoustics, signal processing and clinical application, in strong demand in both research and industry.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of the Acoustics group. The main supervisor for the position is Associate Professor Sara R. Martín.

About the project

The voice carries rich information about a person's physiological state, and subtle changes in voice production can be early signs of disease — Parkinson's disease being a well-known example. Turning such observations into reliable, non-invasive tools is the goal of the emerging field of vocal biomarkers.

In this project you will work at the interface of acoustics and signal processing, with an emphasis on methods that are interpretable and transferable across speakers, recording conditions and clinical settings. The research will be carried out in the Acoustics group at NTNU.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above: record, analyse and process voice and speech signals for health applications; develop physical and numerical models of voice production; link acoustic features to the underlying physiology and physics
• Publish results in international scientific journals and conferences, and contribute to popular science dissemination
• Participate actively in the Acoustics group, and collaborate with national and international partners in voice, speech and health
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Up to one extra year (3+1) for career promoting work in the Acoustics group
   

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in acoustics, signal processing, physics, mathematics, computer science, or another relevant technical/quantitative discipline. Master's students can apply, but the degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level.
• You must have a solid background in mathematics or physics, and good programming skills (e.g. Python or MATLAB).
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty's PhD programme in Electronics and Telecommunication.
• 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.
• Good oral and written English skills.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with acoustics, speech or voice signal processing
• Experience with physical or numerical modelling and simulation (e.g. finite-element or acoustic modelling, vocal-tract or voice-production models)
• Good programming skills (e.g. MATLAB, Python)
• Interest or experience in biomedical/health applications and in working with clinical data
• Interest in interdisciplinary and international collaboration

Personal characteristics

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

• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Work independently and in a structured way, setting goals and making plans to achieve them
• Be a creative problem-solver, able to use existing knowledge in new ways
• Communicate well and contribute constructively in a collaborative environment
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
   

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
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

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. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- 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 with up to 1 additional year for career promoting work in the Acoustics group at IES.  

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Electronics and Telecommunications  within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout 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 bein 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.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees.
• CV.
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page).
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work.
• Possibly certificates.
• Names and contact information of minimum two relevant referees.
   

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, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

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 be 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 think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Sara R. Martin (Associate Professor) [email protected] . 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR, e-mail: [email protected]

Application deadline: 01.09.2026

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

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.