PhD fellow in human geography

The position is 3 years and is part of the research project, ‘Community, landscape and spatial justice’, which is run by the research group Community, Politics and Place . Overall, the PhD project will analyze current social debates from a rural geographical perspective. The position is therefore suitable for those who are inspired by current social issues in District Norway and who also have a master’s degree in human geography or related social science fields with relevant topics. If you are also motivated to take the step towards a doctorate that can open up exciting career opportunities, this is the opportunity for you.

As a fellow with us, you will work towards your doctorate, while at the same time gaining valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. You will be in close dialogue with other PhD candidates and senior researchers in the research group, as well as external collaborators. Your supervisor will be part of this research group. There is also a good and stimulating working environment among the PhD candidates at IGS, where they are also well integrated with the other staff at the department.

Your immediate supervisor will be the head of department at the Department of Geography and Social Anthropology.

‘They are destroying society so much more than they think,’ a tearful student told NRK after the meeting in the County Council in the Inland Region last autumn where several upper secondary schools were decided to be closed. Those who represented the majority in the decision wrote in a column a few days later: ‘We have not “killed” the local community – but have reorganized it for the future’. But ‘the village should die’ was nevertheless written by Aftenposten in its commentator’s column at about the same time, as a contribution to what the commentator believed to be a failed district policy.

While many see it as a necessity, others are frustrated by the increasing centralization of institutions and decisions. Many feel a lack of fairness in these decisions, and through the media we have seen a number of political and social expressions of the dissatisfaction that people feel in large parts of District Norway. Many changes that are now taking place in District Norway challenge the very fundamental structures on which local communities are built.

As part of a larger research project, the PhD project will contribute to developing knowledge about the geographical and indigenous factors of the basic structure in District Norway, and through this further develop the understanding of spatial justice. The basic structure of society, a concept developed a few decades ago by the political philosopher John Rawls, is used precisely to refer to the fundamental structures that organize society, and thus the relationships between people. The basic structures are formal, such as legislation, education and welfare systems, economic organization and political institutions, or informal, such as norms, traditions and family. The basic structures lay the foundation for social interaction and individual behavior, and are absolutely crucial for how justice and injustice in a society are handled. This is thus relevant to the important and growing interdisciplinary research field of ‘spatial justice’, in which geography has a central role.

The basic structures have been the subject of much social science research, but with little focus on the geographical and indigenous. Few, if any, have looked at the basic structures in connection with spatial justice from a rural geographical perspective. It is this challenge that the PhD candidate will take on.

The research will preferably be conducted through qualitative empirical studies in selected rural communities in Norway that have undergone major social changes over a relatively short period of time. The PhD project will primarily take the closure of upper secondary schools in Innlandet County as the starting point for the empirical study, but other topics and communities may be relevant.

Within this framework, the PhD fellow will develop and specify their project, in close collaboration with the supervisor and the research group, and closely linked to a current social debate.

The project suits a candidate

• who are curious about how and why actors experience their local communities the way they do
• who has good knowledge of Norwegian social conditions and is motivated in terms of research by current debates in society
• who are motivated for exciting fieldwork in two to three local communities in District Norway
• who are interested in theoretical perspectives within community, place and justice

• Complete doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate in  Social Sciences – major in Geography
• Conducting high-quality research
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Actively participate in the research group Community, politics and place
• Participate in national and international arenas, including conferences and research stays at foreign educational institutions

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

• Completed master’s degree in human geography. Other social science master’s degrees may be approved if the topic of the master’s degree or other work experience is relevant.
• Master’s students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian study programme, where 120 credits have been obtained at master’s level.
• Good expertise in qualitative methods
• Very good written and oral presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
• 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   Social Sciences – major in Geography

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

We refer to  the Regulations to the University and College Act (the University and College Regulations) and  the Regulations for the degrees of philosophiae doctor (PhD) and philosophiae doctor (PhD) in artistic research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)   for general criteria for the position.

• Fieldwork experience
• Experience with using qualitative methods
• Experience with rural research either through studies or work
• Very good analytical skills
• Very good oral and written communication skills in English

To complete this doctoral project (PhD), it is important that you:

• has enthusiasm for research on Norwegian social conditions
• works independently
• works in a structured way, sets goals and makes plans to achieve them
• has good collaboration skills
• is curious and inquisitive
• is solution-oriented
• is collegially oriented
• are interested in participating in the social debate

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 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. If career-enhancing work is added to the position, the employment period will be extended accordingly.

For employment as a research fellow, it is a prerequisite that you are admitted to the PhD program in  Social Sciences – major in Geography  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.

The application and attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these will be used as the basis for the assessment. The application must be in Norwegian/Scandinavian, while other documentation can also be in 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. If you have used KI when applying for this position: Please state how you have used KI when writing your job application.

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:

• a letter of application that details your motivation for the position (max. 1200 words)
• 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 presented before taking up the position.
• short answers to the research-related questions we ask in connection with the application in JobbNorway
• any publications or other relevant research work
• 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

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Frode Flemsæter, tel. 905 77 029, e-mail frode.flemsater@ntnu.no.

If you have any questions about the hiring process, please contact HR advisor Renate Lillian Johansen, email: renate.johansen @ntnu.no

If you think the position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

Application deadline: 20.08.2025