We are looking for a PhD fellow who wants to delve into the research field of democracy and citizenship education, with an emphasis on democratic attitudes and political opinion formation among young boys.

The aim of the doctoral project is to develop knowledge about ongoing controversial changes in attitudes among young boys – for example, weakened support for gender equality, negative attitudes towards immigration and negative attitudes towards queers. How can we understand these changes in attitudes and how should schools address these changes in attitudes?

Your immediate supervisor will be the subject section leader for social studies.

The successful candidate will belong to the Social Studies section and be part of the Democracy and Citizenship in Education ( DACED ) research group at the Department of Teacher Education. DACED has several research projects within democracy and citizenship education and can offer an extensive research network nationally and globally. The fellow will be affiliated with the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study 2027 ( ICCS )) and DEMOKOMP . This will give the fellow access to data material from students in grade 9 and VG2, as well as teachers at the lower secondary school level, which can be used in the work on the thesis.

We want to strengthen recruitment within research on democracy and citizenship education and the applicant is asked to design a proposal for their own doctoral project. The applicant is relatively free to design their own PhD project, but thematically the project should deal with changes in attitudes among young boys in general, and gender equality in particular.

• The fellow will participate in the PhD program in Educational Sciences, and conduct research within social studies didactics, with a focus on democracy and citizenship education.
• Academic publishing and popular science dissemination. 
• Participate in the research group DACED.
• The PhD candidate will be part of a research team where the tasks will primarily be work on their own PhD project, as well as teaching in relevant topics at the social sciences section and/or work related to research projects at the DACED group.
• Participate in international activities, for example through conferences and/or stays at foreign educational institutions.

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

• Completed master’s degree/major (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits) in a social science subject such as sociology, political science or geography, or associate professor/primary school teacher in social science. If the proposed PhD project has a clear social science focus, applicants with a master’s degree in other relevant subjects may be considered.
• If you are in the final phase of your master’s thesis, you may be considered, but you must be able to document that you have obtained your master’s degree by October 1, 2025.
• A or B in average grades in the master’s degree/major. Candidates with an average grade of C in the master’s degree/major may be considered if the project outline is of high quality.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to SU’s doctoral program.
• Good written and oral presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, and English.
• Interest in democracy, citizenship and gender.
• Good expertise in social science research methods. Candidates who are proficient in both qualitative and quantitative methods will be given priority.

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.

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

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

• work independently and in a team
• work in a structured and goal-oriented manner
• show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• be flexible and open to adjusting the project plan as needed
• contribute to a good social and professional community

Personal suitability will be emphasized. 

• an exciting job with an important social mission
• 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 and perks.

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 gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time. 

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 2% statutory contribution to the Norwegian State Pension Fund will be deducted from your salary.

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work in addition to one year of career development work.

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

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 appointment will be carried out in accordance with the principles of the Government Employees 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 act, will not be able to be employed.

A cover letter 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 the application will only be assessed based on the information we have at the application deadline. Therefore, ensure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. If you have used AI when applying for this position, you must explain how AI has been used in the application process. 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 contain:

• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s and master’s degrees
• CV
• Copy of your master’s thesis. If you have recently submitted your master’s thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of completed master’s degree must be submitted no later than 01.10.2025.
• project outline containing a proposal for an overall research problem, formulation of proposals for 3-4 research questions, theoretical perspectives and methodological design for the project (4 pages, excluding bibliography).
• a short application letter (max. 1 page) that details your motivation for the position
• any publications or other relevant research work
• any certificates
• names and contact information of two 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 institutions of higher education), please attach this. A description of other documentation that is required can be found here . If you have a statement from the 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 will focus on necessary qualifications such as education, project description, and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and research potential 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 think the position looks interesting and is in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Oddveig Storstad, tel. 48 119 497, email: oddveig.storstad@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the hiring process, please contact HR advisor Terese Brå, email terese.bra@ntnu.no 

Application deadline: 01.09.2025