
NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology · Trondheim
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 ci...
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.
Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education, and research in and outside academia. The PhD candidate will contribute to the development of novel modelling approaches to understand the environmental fate and impacts of plastic pollution in Norway.
IndEcol is a pioneer in the development and application of industrial ecology methods, as well as the use of large data sets and scientific computing in industrial ecology. We focus on understanding resource use and environmental pollution associated with human activities, assessing the environmental aspects of different technologies and modeling society’s use of materials. IndEcol combines world-class competence in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Input-Output analysis (I/O), and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) with scientists’ contribution to IPCC and IPBES assessment reports, the International Resource Panel, active participation to the Life-Cycle Initiative hosted by UN Environment, and numerous publications featured in high-ranked journals. IndEcol hosts its own International MSc program and contributes to NTNU’s engineering education. The research team consisting of eight faculty members, the Industrial Ecology Digital Laboratory, and about 70 researchers, Post Docs. and PhD students. More information can be found at https://www.ntnu.edu/indecol.
Your immediate leader is Dr. Martin Dorber. Prof. Francesca Verones, Assoc. Prof. Johan Berg Pettersen and Assoc. Prof. Tora Bonnevie are co-supervisors of the candidate.
Plastic pollution is escalating across all environments and is recognized as a major One Health challenge. However, impacts on freshwater and terrestrial biodiversity are still largely unassessed in a life cycle assessment (LCA) context. At the same time, micro- and nanoplastic exposure in humans is confirmed, but the health implications remain poorly understood and no metrics exist to represent these effects in LCA. This project addresses both gaps in parallel by developing the first integrated One Health modelling framework for plastics. We will build a multi-compartment fate model for terrestrial and freshwater systems, derive the first Characterization Factors for plastic impacts on biodiversity beyond the ocean, and translate biomedical evidence into responsible early-stage human health indicators compatible with LCA. The PhD`s work will focus on both environmental transport modelling and biodiversity impact assessment, in close collaboration with interdisciplinary project partners.
The project is funded through NTNU and is an interdisciplinary project between the Industrial Ecology Programme at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering and the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science.
Duties of the position
Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.
Required selection criteria
The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.
Preferred selection criteria
To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:
Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.
We offer
As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.
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.
The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.
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 for the doctoral work.
For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering 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 be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.
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 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.
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).
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 Prof. Francesca Verones, e-mail: francesca.verones@ntnu.no.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Martha Aftret Karlsvik, e-mail: hr@ept.ntnu.no.
For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.
The city of Trondheim has a population of 200 000. It is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene and is known as the tech capital of Norway. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is among the best of its kind in the world. Professional, subsidized day-care for children is easily available, as is children`s education (including two international schools). Trondheim has low crime rates, clean air quality, and offers great opportunities for enjoying nature, culture and family-life.
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://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position The NTNU University Museum is seeking a highly qualified, ambitious, and motivated PhD candidate for a project focusing on the genomics of cryptic coloration in anurans (frogs and toads). Anurans display a diversity of colors and patterns that enable them to avoid detection by predators through background matching, masquerade (e.g., resembling leaves or bird droppings), or disruptive coloration. In many cryptically colored species, multiple color morphs co-occur within populations, and similar polymorphisms have evolved repeatedly across distantly related taxa. Proposed mechanisms for the maintenance of such polymorphisms include spatial and temporal variation in selection, heterozygote advantage, and pleiotropic effects linking coloration to other fitness-related traits. The PhD project will generate and analyze genomic and transcriptomic datasets derived from both samples collected in the field (e.g., Ethiopia, Borneo), and tissue collections in natural history museums. Using population and comparative genomics approaches, the candidate will have opportunities to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms underlying (i) the maintenance of cryptic color polymorphisms within species, and/or (ii) the repeated evolution of similar cryptic color traits across lineages. While the project will primarily be computational and lab-based, there will be opportunities to develop complementary field experiments. The focal study system will be defined in collaboration with the successful candidate. The successful candidate will be employed at the NTNU University Museum’s Department of Natural History. The NTNU University Museum is the natural and cultural history museum of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. The Department of Natural History conducts research in systematics and taxonomy, evolutionary genomics, as well as in phylogeography, population genetics, and ecology with an emphasis on conservation biology. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the project The team of supervisors will consist of Ass. Prof. Sandra Goutte (main supervisor), as well as co-supervisor Prof. Michael D. Martin. The candidate will use the NTNU University Museum’s collection, genomics laboratory facilities, and computational resources. Duties of the position The work of the PhD candidate will likely consist of field work abroad (e.g., Ethiopia, Borneo) in remote locations, genomics lab work and bioinformatic analyses. For a position as a PhD candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree. Publication of project results in peer-reviewed journals are expected. Main duties of the position are: • Carry out research of excellent quality within the framework described above • Academic publications and popular science dissemination • Participate actively in research groups • Participate in international activities such as networks and conferences • Other career-promoting work The successful candidate should expect changes to their work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a Master's degree in in biology or equivalent with specialization in population genetics, population genomics, evolutionary biology, or closely related fields. • You must have experience at the Master’s level with analyses of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data to answer evolutionary questions (e.g., phylogenomic and population genomic analyses) • 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. • Prior to starting the PhD position, you must have obtained the equivalent of 120 course credits, corresponding to a five-year Norwegian 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 01.09.2026. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme at the Faculty of Natural Sciences • You must have very good written and oral English language 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 modern statistical techniques using relevant scripting languages (R, python, bash, etc.) • Experience with DNA extraction and genomic library preparation • Experience with field work in harsh climate conditions (e.g., in warm and humid climate) Personal characteristics The PhD candidate should be self-motivated, enthusiastic, goal and solution oriented. Good cooperative skills and a desire to work collaboratively with people having diverse research interests are essential. To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: • Work independently • Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them • Present and discuss your research with other professionals • Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback • Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity • Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject • Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions • Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities. We offer • A strong international research environment highly relevant for career development in both basic and applied research and public sector • Exciting and stimulating tasks • Scientific and technical support provided by large research groups with long-term experience in bryology, systematics, evolutionary genetics, and ecology • Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period - Faculty of Natural Sciences • Open and inclusive working environment with dedicated colleagues • An exciting job with an important mission to society • Working capital that can be used to implement the project • Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU • As a public employee, you have favorable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 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. 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 for the doctoral work in addition to 9 months of career promotion work, altogether 3 years and 9 months. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Biology (PhD programme in Biology - NTNU) 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 academic 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 be in 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 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: • A letter of motivation (max. 2 pages) stating specifically why you believe you meet the selection criteria • Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees • CV, certified copies of certificates and diplomas • Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, or are about to submit, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position. • Publications or other relevant research work if you have such • Names and contact information of 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. We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must enclose a short 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 Associate Professor Sandra Goutte - email: sandra.goutte@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Anne Karin Henning - anne.karin.henning@ntnu.no / Kristin Skogen – kristin.skogen@ntnu.com Application deadline: 30.07.2026 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.
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://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position Are you motivated to pursue a doctorate while working on real-world challenges in public asset management and decision-making? As a PhD Candidate in this position, you will work towards your doctoral degree while gaining valuable experience in applying artificial intelligence and data-driven methods to complex decision-support processes. The project focuses on developing AI-supported approaches to improve how large public building portfolios are evaluated and managed. You will work with real use cases and contribute to research that aims to make decision processes more consistent, transparent, and evidence-based. You will collaborate with a broad network of internal and external partners, including practitioners, domain experts, and researchers. This provides a unique opportunity to combine academic research with practical application in a highly relevant societal context. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the project The PhD project is part of a broader effort to develop AI-supported decision frameworks for public asset management, with a focus on improving evaluation, prioritization, and long-term planning of building portfolios. The work will explore how AI can support more consistent and data-informed assessments while maintaining a human-in-the-loop approach where expert judgment remains central. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NTNU, SINTEF Digital, and the Department of Engineering Cybernetics. It is conducted in close collaboration with Statsbygg and other relevant public building owners and authorities. The research is embedded in the Norwegian Center on AI for Decisions (aiD), ensuring strong interdisciplinary collaboration between academia, research institutes, and public sector partners. Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out high-quality research within AI-supported decision-making for asset management • Academic publications and popular science dissemination • Participate in the aiD research network and relevant national research and applied practice environments • Contribute to research and knowledge exchange activities in the research group Building Process at the department • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays abroad • Contribute to teaching and supervision activities if required Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a relevant master’s degree in facility or asset management, property and real estate, engineering, economics, computer science, data science, or a related field. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. • 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. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme - PhD - Faculty of Engineering Science - NTNU • Good written and oral communication skills in English 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 or strong interest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, or data-driven decision support systems • Knowledge of asset management, infrastructure planning, or public sector decision processes, preferably in a Norwegian or Scandinavian context • Relevant work experience in asset or facility management, infrastructure planning, or related fields is an advantage. Experience with data-driven methods or analytical tools is a plus • Familiarity with explainable AI or human-in-the-loop systems is beneficial • Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2-C. Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: • Work independently, take initiative and be proactive • Are structured and able to plan and execute research tasks • Are curious and motivated to explore complex problems • Can analyze data and draw well-founded conclusions • Communicate research clearly with both academic and non-academic audiences • Contribute constructively to collaboration with others • Are flexible and able to adapt research direction when needed • Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities. We offer Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position. • 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) • Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2) 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 for the doctoral work. For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme PhD in Engineering (Doctoral Programme) 3 years - Trondheim - NTNU within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out 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. • Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) • Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page) • Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work • Possibly certificates • Names and contact information of three 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 Associate Professor Savis Gohari, 94484660, Savis.gohari@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Ragne Matberg (HR Consultant), email: ragne.matberg@ntnu.no Application deadline: 31.07.2026 ----------------- 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.
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://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a career in research within and beyond academia. The PhD candidate will contribute to furthering the development of key ecological impact models within the field of life cycle assessment. IndEcol is a pioneer in the development and application of industrial ecology methods, as well as the use of large data sets and scientific computing in industrial ecology. We focus on understanding resource use and environmental pollution associated with human activities, assessing the environmental aspects of different technologies and modeling society’s use of materials. IndEcol combines world-class competence in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Input-Output analysis (I/O), and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) with scientists’ contribution to IPCC and IPBES assessment reports, the International Resource Panel, active participation to the Life-Cycle Initiative hosted by UN Environment, and numerous publications featured in high-ranked journals. IndEcol hosts its own International MSc program and contributes to NTNU’s engineering education. The research team consisting of eight faculty members, the Industrial Ecology Digital Laboratory, and about 70 researchers, post doctors and PhD students. More information can be found at https://www.ntnu.edu/indecol Your immediate leader will be Professor Francesca Verones. About the project Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) has seen a tremendous development in the last decades, both in terms of impact coverage and model complexity. However, there are still some impacts that remain uncovered and details to existing impact categories can be continuously added. This PhD position aims to investigate a new impact pathway that is so far uncovered, namely the impact of particulate matter emissions on (plant and/or animal) species diversity. In addition, insects, even though tremendously important for functioning ecosystems, are so far not included in existing impact categories. This project aims to include insects into one or several of the existing and relevant impact categories, such as land occupation or climate change. Duties of the position • Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate • Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above • At least 3 academic publications, and popular science dissemination related to the research topics described above • Participate actively in the LCIA research group, as well as in the larger Industrial Ecology Programme • Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions • Teaching assistant for 25% over the duration of four years. Exact courses are to be discussed, but can include TEP4220 and TEP4223 Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment. Required selection criteria • You must have a relevant Master's degree in ecology, industrial ecology, environmental engineering, biology or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position • 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. • You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme • Motivation to get proficient in Python • Interest in sustainability science and strong incentive to learn Industrial Ecology methods, especially LCA analysis. • Proven analytical and computational capabilities, in courses and or/thesis deliverables • Proven written and oral English communication 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 • Completed courses in life cycle assessment and life cycle impact assessment • Experience in geographical information systems (e.g., ArcGIS, QGIS or within Python, R) • Documented competence in using the Python scientific computing stack (Numpy, Pandas, Jupyter Notebooks) or of another programming language used for environmental data analysis • Experience as student assistant or tutor • Experience with data visualization • Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level Personal characteristics To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: • Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and dedicated • Motivated to solve environmental problems and advance sustainability • Ambitious and goal-oriented • Team player • Excellent communication skills 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 • Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU • Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK) • Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2) 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. The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics withinand beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events. 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 for the doctoral work in addition to 1 year of career promotion work (teaching duties). For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering 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 be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed. About the application The attachments 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 three 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 Professor Francesca Verones, e-mail: francesca.verones@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Martha Aftret Karlsvik, e-mail: hr@ept.ntnu.no. Application deadline: 01.08.2025 For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. The city of Trondheim is located on the Trondheim Fjord in mid-Norway. It is a modern Scandinavian city with a unique cultural scene. Trondheim has a growing and increasingly diverse population, currently of around 200 000, and is known as the tech capital of Norway. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools and kindergartens, is among the best of its kind in the world. Professional, subsidized wrap-around care for school children in grades 1-4 is easily available. There are two International Schools, and the public school system offers language support to international children whose families have relocated to Trondheim. Trondheim has low crime rates, clean air and water, and offers great opportunities for enjoying nature and culture.