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Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0About the position

About the position

The Department of Historical Sciences is offering one PhD position with specialization in European Studies. The successful applicant will be part of the research project “Perceptions of Democracy in the Age of Populism,” with project leader Anna Brigevich (Department of Historical Sciences) and deputy leader Andreas Goldberg (Department of Sociology and Political Science).

This Ph.D. position in European Studies offers an excellent opportunity for scientific development through designing, conducting, and disseminating research on a contemporary topic. For a Ph.D. position, the goal is to complete doctoral-level education in order to obtain a doctoral degree. It is a temporary Ph.D. position for three years, but career-enhancing work may be added to the position, depending on the needs of the department.

The start date of the position is no later than 15 January, 2027.

Your immediate leader will be the Deputy Head of Research.

About the project

The project’s main objective is to examine how the global rise of populism and (acceptance of) political violence affects perceptions of democracy and the legitimacy of elections in a comparative perspective. Integrating political science, psychology, and history, the project aims to understand the cognitive, historical, and political factors influencing democratic perceptions and support. Focusing on political psychology, the project employs quantitative analysis to interrogate the relationship between authoritarian personality traits, populist attitudes, and support for democracy. At the same time, the project analyzes populist discourse and its impact on perceptions of democracy, tracing the historical ways political entrepreneurs have engaged populist rhetoric in various countries. Additionally, the project investigates the embracing of political violence and protest strategies among populist movements by blending the use of historical analysis and novel public opinion survey data from the Varieties of Populist Attitudes project. Motivated by events like the storming of the US Capitol and the Brazilian Congress, the project strives to provide a deeper understanding of the factors influencing democratic resilience, and to inform strategies that promote peaceful democratic transitions and reduce the appeal of populist and authoritarian ideologies.

The successful candidate will be tasked with developing and conducting a Ph.D. project within this larger research project. The Ph.D. project is expected to focus primarily on the study of public opinion in Europe, as it relates to populist attitudes, democratic (dis-)satisfaction, and the authoritarian personality syndrome. Methodologically, the Ph.D. candidate is expected to adopt a quantitative approach, making use of the Varieties of Populist Attitudes dataset, as well as other established datasets in the field, (e.g. European Social Survey, European Values Study). In this context, the applicant needs to submit a research proposal indicating which theoretical approach(es) s/he is interested in applying and which method(s) s/he intends to use.

The project is part of the NTNU’s Strategic Research Area “Community,” which aims to contribute to a viable democracy that safeguards the common good, strengthens trust and cohesion, and reduces exclusion and polarization. Within the “Community” Strategic Research Area, the project is situated in the interdisciplinary group on Democratic Resilience.

Duties of the position

The successful candidate is expected to develop and conduct a quantitative research project within the larger project “Perceptions of Democracy in the Age of Populism.”

It is expected that the candidate participates in the research groups Democratize in the Department of Historical Sciences and EVPOC (Elections, Values, and Political Communication) in the Department of Sociology and Political Science.

The candidate is expected to participate in international activities such as conferences, workshops, Ph.D. courses and/or research stays at universities abroad.

Career-enhancing work may be added to the position, depending on the needs of the department.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

To be qualified for this position you must fulfill the following criteria:

A master’s degree in political science, international relations, European studies or a related field. Candidates who are in the final stage of their master’s degree can apply and will be considered but cannot be hired until they have completed the master’s degree.

Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.

A strong academic background from your previous studies and an average from the master degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. Applicants with no letter grades from previous studies must have an equally good academic foundation. 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 quality of the project proposal.

Good written and oral skills in English.

Experience with quantitative methods and motivation to extend these skills.

You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral program.

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

We refer to NTNU's guidelines for recruitment positions, Regulations for the degrees of doctor of philosophy (PhD) and doctor of philosophy in artistic research (PhD in artistic research) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and Regulations of the University and College Act for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

Knowledge of additional European languages.

Personal characteristics

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

Work independently,

set goals and make plans to reach them,

creatively approach your subject matter, and

present and discuss your research and constructively engage with feedback from colleagues.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

A positive and pleasant working environment is important to us. We strive for an atmosphere that is engaging, friendly, and characterized by collaborative relationships between our employees. We are looking for a person who:

works from campus and actively participates in social and academic department activities, such as lunch gatherings and weekly research seminars,

has a cooperative spirit, and

constructively engages in academic discussions with colleagues.

We offer

exciting tasks in a strong international academic environment,

opportunities to participate in international research conferences and build an international network,

operating funds that can be used to carry out the project,

an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues,

favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, and

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.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 580 000,-per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The successful candidate will be granted conditional admission to the relevant doctoral programme when employed in the PhD research fellow position. It is a prerequisite for continued employment that the requirements for full admission are met within three months, and that you continue to participate in the organized doctoral programme for the remainder of the employment period. For more information about the requirements for full admission, please see Section 6 of the PhD regulations.

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 application and all required attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no before the deadline. The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment 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 project proposal for the Ph.D. project (1,500 words maximum). The proposal should give an outline of the research questions and a methodological design for the Ph.D. project.

A short letter of motivation

CV (completed in the Jobbnorge portal) and any certificates

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 or soon will submit 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.

Any publications or other relevant research work

Name and contact information of 3 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 Anna Brigevich at anna.brigevich@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Hege Kissten at hege.kissten@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 10.10.2026

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.

Ph.D. Position in European Studies