About the position

The appointment is for a term of 4 years, with 25% dedicated to teaching. This is a researcher training position aimed at providing promising researcher recruits the opportunity of academic development in the form of a doctoral degree.

The position is connected to the ongoing innovation project PlatVel (Platforms for municipal healthcare services) and the PhD candidate is expected to contribute to deliverables in this project. The academic disciplines are Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) and Human–Computer Interaction (HCI). Envisaged publications will be in relevant high-quality scientific outlets. Qualitative methods, such as case studies and participatory action research, will be used to conduct the research. The research will follow the principles of engaged scholarship, with a strong focus on user involvement.

The research topic for this position is the large-scale deployment of digital platforms in public organizations. Currently, the region of Middle-Norway is implementing a platform for healthcare services that will facilitate collaboration between primary and specialist healthcare (see this web page for more information on the national pilot project Helseplattformen). The PlatVel project is about deploying this platform in primary care municipal settings. The PhD candidate will use the national pilot project as an empirical case, and will contribute with insight and knowledge from international and own research.

The research contained in this position must be aligned with the overall goals of the research group at IDI. The PhD fellow is expected to cooperate with the other members of the group to conduct empirical research and disseminate the results in cooperation with the supervisors. The candidate is required to develop and supervise master theses in relevant research areas. The candidate is also required to participate in the design and teaching of courses in related areas that are part of IDI's educational offering.

The position reports to head of department

Main duties and responsibilities

• Conduct empirically grounded qualitative research on digital platforms in public organizations
• Contribute to the state of the art by developing a theoretical framework to describe the findings and inform ongoing projects
• Publish in international conferences and journals in the relevant fields
• Participate in professional communities within areas relevant to the position
• Participate in supervision of master students, and development and teaching of relevant course at IDI

Qualification requirements

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is completion of a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in CSCW and/or HCI or equivalent education with a 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. Applicants who are unable to meet these criteria may be considered only if they can document that they are particularly suitable candidates for education leading to a PhD degree.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant

The candidate should also have the following qualifications:

• Experience with applying qualitative research methods for understanding users and group work in organizations
• Experience with applying ideation and requirement gathering methods (e.g. design workshops, stakeholder analysis)
• A good, documented understanding of the research fields of CSCW, HCI or other related disciplines (prior scientific publications will count as a big plus)
• The ability and willingness to conduct research in a multidisciplinary setting
• Good written and oral English language skills
• Experience from projects within public service innovation, in particular healthcare, is a big advantage

As the users and participants to the research will mostly be Norwegian, knowledge of a Scandinavian language is desired, but it is not a pre-requisite. Applicants who do not master a Scandinavian language must provide evidence of good English language skills, written and spoken. The following tests can be used as such documentation: TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE). Minimum scores are:

• TOEFL: 600 (paper-based test), 92 (Internet-based test)
• IELTS: 6.5, with no section lower than 5.5 (only Academic IELTS test accepted)
• CAE/CPE: grade B or A

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

Personal characteristics

We emphasize personal suitability of the individual applicants. We are looking for candidates who:

• Are passionate about research and have a high level of curiosity and willingness to learn
• Can document their ability to work in a team and deliver high-quality results independently
• Can demonstrate analytical skills. Potential candidates will be required to write and present an analytical text
• Can demonstrate the ability to engage with users and beneficiaries of their research
• Can demonstrate that they can rapidly acquire and apply knowledge in a research area

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement

We offer

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• employee benefits

Salary and conditions

 PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 479 600 before tax per year. From the salary, 2 % is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 4 years with 25% teaching duties. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Information Technology

As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme 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 criterias 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.

General information

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. Under the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have their name entered on the list of applicants.

The national labour force must reflect the composition of the population to the greatest possible extent, NTNU wants to increase the proportion of women in its scientific posts. Women are encouraged to apply. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life (http://trondheim.com/). Having a population of 200 000, Trondheim is a small city by international standards with low crime rates and little pollution. It also has easy access to a beautiful countryside with mountains and a dramatic coastline.

Questions about the position can be directed to Associate professor Babak Farshchian, babak.farshchian@ntnu.no  or or Head of Department John Krogstie, e-mail john.krogstie@ntnu.no

About the application:

• Curriculum vitae (CV) with information about the candidate’s prior training, exams, and work experience.
• Certified copies of transcripts and diplomas for the whole bachelor and master’s degree. An English translation of all education documents is required unless the documents are in Norwegian.
• A project description of 3-5 pages, including
  • A short presentation of the motivation for applying to this position.
  • How the candidate sees her/his background as suitable.
  • Theoretical and methodological knowledge about the research area.
  • A sketch of important research problems.
• Names and contact information of at least 2 reference persons.
• A copy of the master thesis (in PDF), or, for those who are near to completion of their MSc, an extended abstract combined with a statement of how and when the applicant plans to complete the thesis.
• PDF copies of prior publications, with associated bibliographical data.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Publications and other academic works that the applicant would like to be considered in the evaluation must accompany the application. Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify the individual applicant's contribution to joint works, the applicant must include a brief description of his or her contribution.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI): http://www.chsi.com.cn/en/).

Applicants invited for interview must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2019/27549 when applying.

Application deadline: 30.09.2019

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Computer Science 

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering .