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.

About the position

We seek a candidate to do ethnographic research on issues related to peatlands, peatland restoration, and sustainability in Norway.

We are currently in the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and peatlands are an especially important part of Norway’s restoration efforts. There is a widely felt sense that a lot – climate change, flood risk, biodiversity – hinges on what happens with peatlands. At the same time, uncertainties revolve around peatlands, and especially restored peatlands. 

The project may explore issues such as how people understand the role peatlands play in a sustainable future; what it means to restore peatland landscapes in a time of increasing pressure, degradation, and collapse; how people practically involve themselves with peatlands and how such efforts affect their knowledge and understanding; and what peatlands can tell us about the relations between science, policy, and society in times of global environmental change. We seek someone who is interested in newer environmental anthropology, open to theoretical innovation, and motivated to do in-depth ethnographic fieldwork.

The candidate will be part of the research group Anthropologies of Sustainability. https://www.ntnu.edu/web/sosant/anthropologies-of-sustainability 

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. 

This is a 4-year position including one year with teaching duties and other competence building tasks.

Your immediate leader is Head of department.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.
• Conduct an anthropological research project on issues surrounding peatland restoration.
• Participate in the Anthropologies of Sustainability research group at the Department of Social Anthropology. 
• Teaching duties and other competence building tasks in agreement with the department. 

Required selection criteria

• You must have a background in social or cultural anthropology. 
• Experience doing ethnographic fieldwork.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Good written and oral English language skills.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position.

You must meet the requirements for admission to the doctoral program in social sciences, specialization in social anthropology: https://www.ntnu.edu/su/phd

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant 

Preferred selection criteria

• Knowledge of environmental anthropology.
• Preference may be given to candidates who are proficient in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language.

Personal characteristics

• Ability to work independently, in a structured manner, and in collaboration with others.
• Good communication skills in a range of contexts.
• Motivation to contribute to a positive working environment.
• Motivated to give and receive feedback on your own and others’ research.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• No tuition fees, employment status – PhD candidates in Norway are considered employees, not students.
• Unique research opportunities.
• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic 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 PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532 200 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 4 years (with 25 % teaching duties and other competence building tasks). 



Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in social sciences, specialization in social anthropology (https://www.ntnu.edu/su/phd) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. 

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.

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

About the application

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

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include:

• CV
• Application letter, which should include your research background, motivation for the position, and initial research ideas/project proposal relating to the topic of the advertisement (max 5 pages)
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have 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.
• Name and contact information of three references.
• If available, a list of publications and other relevant research work

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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

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 our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

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 employee at NTNU, 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 associate professor Jon Rasmus Nyquist, jon.r.nyquist@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Renate Lillian Johansen, e-mail: renate.johansen@ntnu.no

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: 15.08.2024

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.

Department of Social Anthropology

We explore topics such as global inequality, ways of living, sustainable development, multicultural working life and global systems of production. We have also a socio-anthropological approach to technology, in which we study technological development and the use of technology in the light of the modern global context as well as the cultural consequences of technological change. The Department of Social Anthropology is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences.

Questions about the position

Renate Lillian Johansen

renate.johansen@ntnu.no