Ph.D. Position in Political Science

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NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

About the position

The Ph.D. position is connected to the project “The Future of EUrope (TFoE) – Public and elite preferences for the relationship between EU and non-EU countries” (funded by the Norwegian Research Council, 2025-2028, PI Andreas Goldberg). 

This Ph.D. position in Political Science 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. The position may be ascribed obligation to teach, in which case it will be extended by up to one year. 

Your immediate leader is the Head of the Department.

About the project

What future do citizens and elites in Europe want for the relationship between the EU and non-EU countries? TFoE investigates this question, which has been placed centrally on the political agenda due to challenging crises, like the war in Ukraine or climate change. The project shifts the prevailing focus on present/past-oriented attitudes towards European integration towards a direct consideration of preferences for the future, both for the public and for elites. After developing possible future scenarios for EU—non-EU relations, the project examines preferences for these scenarios (polity) as well as policy preferences based on original data collections, including representative surveys complemented by experimental research. Subsequently, the project analyses the reasons for the identified preferences using methods of quantitative data analysis. The project applies a comparative, symmetric analysis from both an EU and non-EU perspective, including about 10-15 countries that are either current EU members or could theoretically join the EU due to their economic and political situation, e.g. Norway, Switzerland or the UK. 

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 public opinion component, but may be extended to include the elite component of the project. Methodologically, the Ph.D. candidate is expected to adopt a quantitative approach, preferably using a variety of quantitative methods. 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.

Job description

• The successful candidate is expected to develop and conduct a quantitative research project within the larger TFoE project. 
• It is expected that the candidate participates in the research group EVPOC (Elections, Values, and Political Communication). 
• The candidate is expected to participate in international activities such as conferences, workshops, Ph.D. courses and/or research stays at universities abroad. 
• The position may be ascribed obligation to teach, in which case it will be extended by up to one year. It is expected that the candidate contributes to teaching in the study programs at the Department. 

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.
• Education corresponding to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level.
• 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 Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant (For hiring in PhD positions before August 1, 2025, NTNU has chosen to use the previous employment terms during a transitional period)

Preferred selection criteria

• Knowledge of additional European languages.

Personal characteristics

Completing a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) can be demanding. Therefore, you should be 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.

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, including the possibility of international Ph.D. co-supervision by Associate Professor Andreas Goldberg (NTNU) and Professor Pieter de Wilde (University of Groningen)
• opportunities to participate in international research conferences and build an international network, including the possibility of a research stay abroad at the Bocconi Lab in European Studies (BLEST) in Milan, Italy, in collaboration with Professor Catherine de Vries (Bocconi University)
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, and
• employee benefits.

Diversity

Inclusion and diversity are important, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity of society and utilizes the potential of the population’s collective 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 seek employees with various competencies, academic combinations, life experiences, and perspectives to contribute to even better task solutions for our mission in research and education.

If you find this position interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, disability, cultural background, or if you have been out of the work for a period.

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years. The start date of the position will be agreed upon but is desired to be as early as possible in the beginning of 2025. 

The position is subject to external funding.

Appointment to a Ph.D. position requires admission to the Ph.D. program in Social Sciences, specializing in political science. As a Ph.D. candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized Ph.D. program during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are qualified for admission to the Ph.D. program within three months.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. 

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work. 

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

General information

Working at NTNU

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 215 000. 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.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself 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 reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position or the TFoE research project, please contact Associate Professor Andreas Goldberg, e-mail: andreas.goldberg@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR by Renate Lillian Johansen, e-mail: renate.johansen@ntnu.no

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must be attached to the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

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 and 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.
• Name and contact information of 2-3 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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills/NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. and The obligations in the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) on responsible assessment of research and recognition of a wider range of academic contributions to science and society. 

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas, and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.  

 

Application deadline:  December 10th 2024