UP TO 7 PHD FELLOWSHIP POSITIONS

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

The Faculty of Humanities is advertising up to 7 PhD fellowship positions.

A PhD fellowship position has completed ph.d. education with the aim of obtaining a degree. We refer to NTNU's guidelines for recruitment positions for more information about the position category.

This announcement does not include ph.d. education in artistic development work. An open announcement in artistic development work will be issued separately.

The advertised positions are linked to the faculty's research groups listed on our websites. The applicant must therefore contact the relevant group and find a possible main supervisor well in advance of the application deadline. Remember that response times may vary, among other things due to holidays and the start of the semester. The intended main supervisor must be employed at one of the faculty's institutes and be part of the research group to which the application is affiliated. The supervisor must also satisfy the ph.d. regulations' requirements for supervision at the doctoral level.

The scientific ph.d. education at the Faculty of Humanities is organized into the following programs: estetiske fag, historie og kulturfag, språkvitenskap and tverrfaglige kulturstudier.

Your immediate manager will be the head of the institute.

Qualification requirements

To be qualified for the advertised positions, you must

• be qualified for admission to ph.d. education. This normally means having a relevant master's degree that includes a major independent work equivalent to a master's thesis of at least 30 ECTS credits. Your educational path must correspond to a five-year Norwegian study, where 120 ECTS credits have been achieved at the master's level
• have an average grade from the master's degree studies, or equivalent education, that is B or better according to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must still have an equivalent academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background or a master's thesis of smaller scope, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for ph.d. education. Such documentation should, if necessary, be attached to the application
• have very good oral and written expression in English

NOTE: For detailed information on what the application should contain, see the section “About the application”.

In accordance with the University and College Regulations, previous PhD fellows at NTNU are not eligible for the position, regardless of field. Applications from persons who already hold an approved doctorate from other institutions, nationally or internationally, will also not be processed.

Personal qualities

As a PhD fellow, you must have

• the ability to work in a structured, systematic, and goal-oriented manner
• good communication and collaboration skills
• motivation to contribute to a good academic and social PhD and work environment
• ability to complete tasks. The duration of your master's studies may therefore become a topic in a potential interview

Personal suitability will be emphasized in the assessment of applicants.

About the application

We will only consider applications sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no before the deadline and which have all mandatory attachments. Therefore, ensure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experiences meet the qualification requirements. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must contain:

• Copies of diplomas, including transcripts for both bachelor's and master's degrees. If your institution offers a diploma supplement (common for most European educational institutions), this must also be attached
• Completed CV in Jobbnorge.no
• A description of the doctoral project to be carried out during the fellowship period, according to the template for project description. We point out that it is mandatory to follow the template, and that the project description must be in English, Norwegian, or another Scandinavian language
• Supervisor confirmation according to the specified template from the intended main supervisor
• Name and contact information for two relevant references
• Applicants with a grade background that is too weak must document special suitability by attaching documentation of relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed scientific works or similar
• Applicants with a master's thesis of a smaller scope than 30 ECTS credits must document other equivalent education as a basis for admission

We also request that everyone with foreign education attaches a statement from the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). Follow the link to their website for more information on how to obtain such a statement: Apply for recognition of higher education from HK-dir. See also NTNU's website regarding requirements for documentation of foreign education.

Through the attached project description, applicants must demonstrate high scientific potential. The project description is the most important element in the evaluation of applicants. It will also be crucial that the project can be completed within the normalized 3 years for ph.d. education, where ½ year is set aside for the training part of the program. It will further be assessed whether the project will contribute to achieving the host institute's academic development goals.

The candidate who is hired commits to completing the ph.d. education within the employment period and the current resource framework. The applicant must therefore make it probable that they will have access to the necessary equipment and infrastructure for the implementation of the project. PhD fellows at the Faculty of Humanities are awarded up to NOK 100,000 in operating funds for the implementation of the project.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important societal mission
• Developing tasks in a strong and international academic environment
• Operating funds that can be used to carry out the project
• A mentor scheme for new employees at NTNU
• Favorable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

You will be employed as a PhD fellow at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits.

Salary and terms

In the position as PhD fellow code 1017, your salary will normally be gross NOK 550,800 per year, depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted from the salary.

The employment period is 3 years, but career-advancing work may be considered added to some of the positions, depending on the institutes' needs.

Upon employment in a PhD fellowship position, you receive conditional admission to the relevant doctoral program. It is a prerequisite that the requirements in the conditional admission are met within three months, and that you subsequently participate in the organized doctoral studies for the remainder of the employment period.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you stay updated on academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The employment is carried out according to the principles in the Public Administration Act, and legislation regulating the export of knowledge, technology, and services. Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are deemed to conflict with the criteria in the latter law, will not be able to be employed.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU, we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity of society and utilizes the potential in the population's collective competencies. Our vision is Kunnskap for en bedre verden and our values are kreativ, kritisk, konstruktiv og respektfull. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse, and gender-balanced is crucial for us to achieve our goals together.

We seek employees with different competencies, combinations of subjects, life experiences, and perspectives to contribute to even better task solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you find this position relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, and cultural background, or if you have been outside the workforce for a period. NTNU has a number of measures to promote equality and diversity.

General information

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and the commitments in CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a wider range of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's societal mission).

A public applicant list with name, age, job title, and municipality of residence will be prepared after the application deadline has expired. If you wish to reserve yourself from being listed 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 granted.

If you have questions about the positions, you can contact phd@hf.ntnu.no. If you have questions about the recruitment process, you can contact HR advisor Martin Jakobsen, email: martin.jakobsen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 01.10.2026

Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is Norway's technology capital with a population of over 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens, and general equality, is likely the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized childcare is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers good educational opportunities (including international schools) and opportunities to enjoy nature, culture, and family life, and has low crime and clean air quality.

About the employer:

NTNU - kunnskap for en bedre verden

At NTNU, Norway's technical-scientific university, knowledge is created for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Det humanistiske fakultet

Det humanistiske fakultet offers a wide range of education within the humanities, and is Norway's second largest humanities faculty measured by the number of students. We will develop leading academic environments within action-oriented humanities, and innovative and exploratory teaching. The faculty consists of six institutes and a faculty administration.