School absenteeism is a growing societal challenge with complex causes. The fellowship position is linked to a national research project on worrying school absenteeism, with a focus on the Back2School initiative. You will be part of an interdisciplinary and international research team, and contribute to new knowledge through collaboration with the school and health sectors.

The position involves independent work with training, supervision and close follow-up. You will be responsible for publishing and disseminating research with high academic quality. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway.

Read more about the study: The Back2School project

• complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• plan and conduct high-quality research 
• academic publications and popular science dissemination
• participate in international activities such as attending conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared that there may be changes to your work duties after employment.

• You must have a relevant background in fields relevant to child and adolescent mental health or pedagogy. 
• You must have either a cand. med, cand. psychol, master’s degree in health and social sciences or pedagogy. Your educational background must correspond to a five-year Norwegian study program, 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 program, or equivalent education, that is equal to B or better compared to NTNU’s grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from your 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 program.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral program Ph.D. in Medicine and Health Sciences
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level C2 and in English equivalent to level C1.

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

We refer to NTNU’s guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiaedoctor(ph.d.) and philosophiaedoctor(ph.d.) in artistic research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)  for general criteria for the position.

• relevant professional experience with children and young people 
• relevant professional experience in the early childhood sector or psychosocial work with children and young people, preferably with school absence work
• experience and interest in research with quantitative methods

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

• work independently, structured, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• collaborate with others and be able to accept guidance
• ability to work interdisciplinary in a large multidisciplinary project team
• work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• show curiosity and a strong motivation for the topic
• be flexible and open to adjusting the project plan as needed 

Personal suitability will be emphasized. 

• an exciting job with an important social mission
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• career guidance and follow-up during the doctoral period
• open and  inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• operating resources that can be used to carry out the project
• Sponsorship scheme for new employees at NTNU
• favorable terms in the Government Pension Fund

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

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity of society and that uses the potential of the population’s combined competencies. 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 crucial for us to achieve our goals together. 

We want employees with different competencies, subject combinations, 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 functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. We encourage men to apply.

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

The employment period is 3 years.

For employment as a research fellow, it is a prerequisite that you are admitted to a PhD in medicine and health sciences within three months of commencement, and that you participate in an organized doctoral study program within the employment period.

The position is conditional on external funding.

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

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

The employment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the Government Employees Act , and legislation regulating the export of knowledge, technology and services .

The application and attachments must accompany the application as these will be used as the basis for the assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/Scandinavian or English.

Please note that your application will only be assessed based on the information we have at the application deadline. Therefore, please ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be submitted 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 contain:

• transcripts and diplomas for both bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• CV
• copy of master’s thesis or equivalent.
• short motivation letter (250 words or 1/2 page)
• any publications or other relevant research work (up to 3 works)
• any certificates
• names and contact information of three relevant references

If all or part of your education was taken abroad, we ask you to also attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor’s and master’s education, in addition to any other higher education. If your institution offers a “diploma supplement” (common for most European educational institutions), please attach this. A description of other documentation that is required can be found here . If you have a statement from HK-dir , it is a good idea if you attach it as well.

We take into account work you have done together with others. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to the joint work, you must attach a brief account of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified candidate, 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 ourselves 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 social mission).

A public applicant list with name, age, job title and municipality of residence will be prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to reserve yourself from being included on the public applicant list, you must provide reasons for this. Assessment will be made in accordance with  applicable legislation . You will be notified if your reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact project manager Jo-Magne Ingul, email: jo.m.ingul@ntnu.no or main supervisor Elisabeth Valmyr Bania, email: elisabeth.bania@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the hiring process, please contact Vebjørn Andreassen, email: vebjorn.andreassen@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 07.09.2025