PhD Candidate in Single-Stage Power Supply Unit for next generation AI Datacenters

This is NTNU 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.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41sAbout the position Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? Do you have a background in electrical power engineering, and are you interested in high-density power electronics and industrial research? As a PhD candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate while collaborating closely with industry leaders, gaining valuable experience that qualifies you for a career in both academia and the high-tech industry. The Department of Electric Energy (IEL) at NTNU is seeking a highly motivated candidate for a full-time (100%) PhD position for 3 years. You will join the research group Power Electronics and Electrical Machines (PEM) at IEL and work directly within an Innovation Project for the Industrial Sector (IPN) funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN). A core feature of this position is close, hands-on collaboration with ELTEK Norway AS, integrating cutting-edge academic research with industrial product development and commercial deployment for hyper-scale AI data centers. Our working environment is characterized by a friendly, supportive atmosphere, with regular gatherings such as professional meetings within the research group, shared lunches, and Friday coffee sessions to wrap up the week. These formal and informal occasions provide opportunities to exchange ideas, celebrate milestones, and strengthen connections. PhD candidates also arrange social activities, open to everyone who wishes to join, creating a welcoming and inclusive community. Your immediate Line Manager will be the Head of Department.

About the project The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence infrastructure and hyper-scale data centers has created unprecedented demands for electrical power conversion efficiency, power density, and dynamic response. Traditional two-stage power delivery architectures face limitations in maximizing efficiency and footprint. Next-generation AI data centers require innovative single-stage power supply units (PSUs) capable of stepping down grid voltages directly to isolated DC outputs with ultra-high efficiency and high power density. As part of this IPN project, the candidate will bridge fundamental research and industrial application in close cooperation with engineering teams at ELTEK Norway AS. The project focuses on developing advanced single-stage conversion topologies utilizing wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductors, high-frequency magnetics, and robust control strategies to achieve superior efficiency, high power density, and verified reliability. The PhD candidate will investigate one or more of the following key areas:

• High-density single-stage converter architectures and advanced modulation techniques for AI datacenter power delivery • Wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor device integration (SiC/GaN), switching behavior, and gate-drive optimization • High-frequency magnetic component design, electro-thermal modeling, and reliability-oriented design and testing methodologies The research will be supervised by Associate Professor Subhadra Tiwari at the Department of Electric Energy, NTNU, in close co-supervision with power electronics experts from ELTEK Norway AS and Delta Electronics (Switzerland) AG.

Duties of the position

• Carry out high-quality industrial and academic research within the framework described above. • Academic publications and technical dissemination to both scientific and industrial partners. • Regular project alignment meetings, workshops, and collaborative work sessions with ELTEK Norway AS in Drammen/Trondheim. • Participate in activities within the Power Electronics and Electrical Machines (PEM) research group. • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions. • Complete academic training consisting of coursework corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS. Career-enhancing work, which is in addition to the research project and doctoral education, may be offered to a candidate who demonstrates clear motivation and ability for such work, and if the Department determines there is a need. Examples of career-enhancing work include, but are not limited to, contributing to teaching, laboratory and exercise teaching, supervision, and examination work within the employee's areas of competence. Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• •You must have a Master's degree in power electronics.
• •Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position, and no later than autumn 2026.
• •You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree studies, 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, i.e., by having relevant work experience and/or published scientific papers.
• •You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• •You must have English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale B2 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Applicants who are not native English speakers are encouraged to document their English language proficiency. This can be done through an approved English language test. One of the following test scores could be documented for this purpose:
• •TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 79 – 101
• •IELTS - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 5.5 - 6.0
• •Cambridge English - Score equivalent to the B2 level: 160 – 179

Further assessment of both written and oral English language skills and the ability to communicate fluently will be conducted in the continued selection process and during any interviews for all applicants. 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 laboratory development in power electronics would be desired.
• •Scientific publications will be merited.
• •Experience with programming tools (e.g., Python, Matlab, Simulink, PLECS, C/C++) will be merited.
• •English language skills, both written and spoken, corresponding to the scale C1 in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). See which scores are equivalent to the C1 level here.

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

• demonstrate strong motivation, curiosity, and a learning-oriented mindset • work independently, take initiative, and maintain good structure and discipline in their work • communicate effectively and collaborate well with supervisors and peers • show resilience and work constructively when facing challenges or setbacks • demonstrate integrity and a strong sense of responsibility in their research conduct Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• •A unique joint academic-industrial PhD experience embedded in an RCN IPN framework alongside ELTEK Nor