NMBU PhD Scholarship in Plant and Soil Sciences 2026 | Eligibility and How to Apply

The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) is offering a fully funded three-year PhD position in Plant and Soil Sciences at its Faculty of BioSciences. The project focuses on understanding how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” are absorbed and distributed in vegetable crops, and how these plants respond physiologically to PFAS exposure. This research sits at the intersection of food safety, environmental science, and plant physiology, and it feeds directly into a national risk assessment project funded by the Norwegian Research Council. For any scientist passionate about clean food systems and environmental health, this is a meaningful and well-resourced opportunity.

This position is for graduates with a Master’s degree in plant science, plant physiology, biology, soil and water science, or a closely related field who are ready to pursue original doctoral research. The work involves controlled-environment experiments, advanced chemical analysis using high-resolution mass spectrometry, and collaboration with NIVA (the Norwegian Institute for Water Research) as part of the broader PFARM project. Applicants from any country are welcome, as long as they meet NMBU’s academic and language requirements.

This post walks you through everything you need to know: who is eligible, what the benefits are, which documents to prepare, how to apply step by step, key dates, and practical tips to help you put together the strongest possible application.

Scholarship Overview

Eligibility

To qualify for this position, you must meet all of the requirements listed below:

Citizenship: There are no citizenship restrictions. Applicants from all countries are eligible to apply.

Academic Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in plant physiology, plant science, plant biology, general biology, soil and water science, or a closely related field is required.
• Your degree must correspond to a five-year programme, with learning outcomes aligned to the second cycle of the Norwegian Qualifications Framework.
• You must have a documented strong academic background relevant to this specific position.
• Candidates who expect to complete their degree in spring or summer 2026 may also apply, but must provide documentation of their degree before employment begins.

Knowledge and Experience Requirements:

• Knowledge of and/or experience in plant research and/or soil science is required.
• Knowledge of and/or interest in chemical or biochemical analysis is required.
• Documented scientific writing skills in English are required.

Additional Skills and Experience That Will Be Emphasised:

• Knowledge of or experience with controlled-environment plant research, including growth analysis and gas exchange measurements.
• Understanding of or interest in whole plant physiology, from soil to plant.
• Good computational skills and a working knowledge of programming in R.
• Significant contribution to one or more scientific publications.
• Documented skills in public communication.
• Good problem-solving ability and critical thinking.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in both written and spoken English is required.
• Documentation of English proficiency must comply with NMBU PhD regulation Section 5-2(3). 

Personal Qualities the Committee Will Look For:

• Willingness to work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Creativity and the ability to bring original thinking to the project.
• Strong motivation to learn new skills and methods.

Eligible Countries

This PhD position is open to applicants from all countries worldwide. NMBU does not restrict eligibility by nationality or region and actively welcomes international applications.

Eligible Fields of Study

This scholarship is not open to all fields. It is specifically focused on plant and soil sciences and closely related disciplines. Relevant fields include:

• Plant Physiology
• Plant Science and Plant Biology
• General Biology (with plant or soil focus)
• Soil and Water Science
• Environmental Science (with plant or soil chemistry focus)
• Agricultural Sciences
• Biochemistry (with plant science application)
• Ecology (with plant physiology focus)
• Food Safety Science (with environmental contamination focus)
• Agroecology

The project involves controlled-environment experiments, PFAS chemical analysis using high-resolution LC/QTOF mass spectrometry, gas exchange measurements, and metabolite profiling. Candidates with relevant technical experience in any of these areas will be prioritised.

Benefits

This is a paid government employment position at NMBU. Here is a full breakdown of what you receive:

1. Annual Salary: NOK 550,800 per year at government pay scale position code 1017 PhD Fellow. This is the starting salary and applies from the first day of employment.
2. Duration: Three-year fixed-term employment contract.
3. Research Infrastructure Access: You will use high-resolution LC/QTOF mass spectrometry at the NIVA laboratory for PFAS analysis. You will also have access to controlled-environment plant research facilities and analytical platforms at NMBU’s Faculty of BioSciences.
4. Project Collaboration: The position is embedded within the NFR-funded PFARM project (2026-2029), led by NIVA. You will collaborate with external project partners and contribute data that feeds into a national food safety risk assessment for Norway.
5. Supervision: You will receive supervision from a dedicated team throughout your doctoral project.
6. Course Credits: As part of the NMBU PhD programme, you will complete compulsory and elective courses. 
7. Healthcare: As a Norwegian government employee, you are likely entitled to access Norway’s national health system. Confirm this with NMBU directly.
8. Travel and Conference Funding:  Confirm whether project or departmental funding covers fieldwork, laboratory visits to NIVA, or conference attendance costs.
9. Relocation Support:  Contact NMBU to confirm whether any relocation assistance is available for international candidates.

Required Documents

Prepare all of the following before starting your online application. Everything must be submitted through NMBU’s Web Recruitment System:

1. Motivation letter (maximum 1 page). This must clearly explain why you are qualified and genuinely motivated for this specific project.
2. CV entered directly into JobbNorge’s CV form within the system. This is a legal requirement and cannot be replaced by an attached CV document alone.
3. Bachelor’s degree diploma and official transcript.
4. Master’s degree diploma and official transcript.
5. Diploma supplement for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, describing your study programme and grading system in detail. This is especially important for applicants from universities outside Norway.
6. If your diplomas or transcripts are not in Norwegian or English, upload the originals in their original language and provide an official English translation of each document.
7. Documentation of English language proficiency in line with NMBU PhD regulation Section 5-2(3).
8. Names and full contact details for two references.
9. Any additional relevant documentation of professional knowledge, such as a list of scientific publications or other professional work. If any publications have multiple authors, include a short explanation of your specific contribution.

Note: You must confirm in your application that all submitted documents may also be used by NMBU in a possible PhD programme admission process. This confirmation is mandatory.

How to Apply

Follow each of these steps carefully to submit a complete and competitive application:

Step 1: Read the full vacancy description carefully and study the PFARM project context. Understanding how your PhD work connects to NIVA’s broader risk assessment goals will help you write a more focused and compelling motivation letter.

Step 2: Research the work of Professor Sissel Torre and the Plant Biology research group at NMBU’s Faculty of BioSciences. Familiarity with the department’s research direction will make your application more specific and credible.

Step 3: Write your motivation letter (maximum 1 page). Focus on your relevant academic background, specific experience with plant or soil research, any exposure to chemical or biochemical analysis, and why this particular project interests you. Be direct and specific; do not write a general statement about interest in science.

Step 4: Visit NMBU’s Web Recruitment System. Register an account if you do not already have one, then log in and locate the PhD vacancy at the Department of Plant Science, Faculty of BioSciences.

Step 5: Enter your CV directly into JobbNorge’s CV form within the system. This is mandatory under the Public Administration Act Section 15. Do not assume that uploading a PDF CV as an attachment is sufficient.

Step 6: Gather all required documents. Ensure your diplomas and transcripts are certified and complete. If any documents are not in English or Norwegian, arrange for official translations before the deadline.

Step 7: Prepare your English proficiency documentation. Verify with NMBU which specific tests or documents satisfy PhD regulation Section 5-2(3) and obtain the necessary paperwork early.

Step 8: Identify your two references. Contact them in advance, brief them on the position, and confirm that their names and contact details are accurate before including them in your application.

Step 9: Prepare your list of scientific publications or professional works if applicable. For any co-authored publications, write a brief note explaining your specific contribution to each.

Step 10: Upload all required attachments through the application portal. Check that every item on the required documents list is included and clearly legible.

Step 11: Confirm in your application form that your submitted documents may be used by NMBU in the PhD programme admission process. This step is mandatory.

Step 12: Review your entire application before submitting. Check your CV form entries, motivation letter, all uploaded documents, and your reference details. Submit before the deadline of 8th April 2026.

Key Dates and Timeline

Application Deadline

The application deadline is 8th April 2026.

Applications submitted after this date will NOT be accepted.

Selection Criteria

1. Passing the eligibility check is only the beginning. Here is what the selection committee considers when comparing candidates:
2. Relevance of Academic Background: Your Master’s degree and any prior research experience must connect clearly to plant physiology, soil science, or environmental chemistry. The more directly your background relates to PFAS dynamics, plant uptake mechanisms, or controlled-environment research, the stronger your profile will be.
3. Technical Skills in Plant Research: Candidates with hands-on experience in growth analysis, gas exchange measurements, or controlled-environment experiments will stand out. These are core methods of the PhD project, and prior exposure reduces the time needed to get up to speed.
4. Chemical or Biochemical Analysis Knowledge: The project uses high-resolution LC/QTOF mass spectrometry for PFAS analysis. Any prior knowledge of or experience with analytical chemistry methods, even at a foundational level, will be viewed positively.
5. Programming and Data Skills: The position explicitly emphasises good computational skills and knowledge of R. Candidates who can demonstrate these abilities through coursework, projects, or publications will be prioritised.
6. Publication and Writing Record: Scientific writing skills in English are required, not optional. Candidates who have contributed to published work, even as co-authors, demonstrate a level of research maturity that matters at PhD level.
7. Interdisciplinary Mindset: The project bridges plant science, environmental chemistry, and food safety. Candidates who show curiosity beyond their primary discipline and a willingness to collaborate across fields will be a better fit for this kind of research environment.
8. Motivation and Self-Direction: The committee is looking for someone who brings their own creativity to the project and is motivated to learn new techniques. Evidence of intellectual initiative, whether in your thesis, publications, or research experience, supports this.

Important Tips

1. Keep your motivation letter tightly focused on this specific project. You have only one page. Use it to show that you understand what PFAS are, why they matter for food safety, and how your background in plant or soil science positions you to contribute to this research. Do not summarise your entire academic history.
2. Highlight any experience with analytical chemistry methods. Even if you have not worked with LC/QTOF mass spectrometry specifically, any prior exposure to HPLC, GC-MS, or other analytical platforms is worth mentioning. It shows you can work in a chemistry-oriented laboratory environment.
3. Mention your R programming skills explicitly. The vacancy specifically names R as a desired programming language. If you have used R for statistical analysis, data visualisation, or bioinformatics, state this clearly in your CV and reference it in your motivation letter.
4. Contact the supervisor before applying if you have a specific question. Professor Sissel Torre (sissel.torre@nmbu.no, +47 47602672) is listed as the contact person. A brief, focused inquiry can help you clarify your fit and shows genuine engagement with the project.
5. If you are finishing your degree in 2026, apply now and prepare to submit your graduation documentation as soon as it is available. Candidates expected to graduate in spring or summer 2026 are explicitly eligible, but you must be ready to provide degree documentation before the employment start date.
6. Do not underestimate the diploma supplement requirement. Applicants from outside Norway are specifically asked to provide a document that describes their study programme and grading system in detail. If your university does not issue one automatically, request it from your registrar as early as possible.
7. If you have contributed to any scientific publications, make this visible. Even a minor co-authorship demonstrates experience in the research process. Include a brief note explaining your specific contribution, especially for multi-author papers.
8. Prepare your CV for the Jobbnorge form, not just as a PDF. The CV must be entered directly into the platform’s online form. Review the form fields in advance so you are not caught off guard by how information needs to be structured.
9. Think about how your Master’s thesis connects to this project when writing your motivation letter. Even if your thesis was not on PFAS specifically, if it involved plant physiology, controlled-environment studies, soil chemistry, or food safety, there is likely a genuine connection worth drawing out clearly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Link

Apply through NMBU’s Web Recruitment System by clicking the “Apply for this job” button on the official vacancy page.

For general NMBU information: www.nmbu.no/en

Contact for position queries: sissel.torre@nmbu.no | +47 47602672

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