About the position

The Institute of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is seeking applications for a fully-funded 3-year PhD position (or for 4 years, see salary and conditions). The position will start August 1st, 2023, and will be part of the research project “INTERSELF” led by Associate Professor Miriam Kyselo. The PhD position will have a specific focus on the topic of the enactive self and social affordances. The successful candidate is generally expected to work on this topic and under Dr. Kyselo’s supervision, but there is room for flexibility in defining the more precise research questions. The main task for the PhD candidate is to conduct research on said topic that will lead to the completion of a doctoral thesis and to support the research project organizationally (for example by helping to organize workshops).

Duties of the position

• conducting research resulting in a doctoral thesis
• organizational support
• teaching duties (only for a 4-year contract)

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in philosophy or cognitive science
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by August 1st
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program
• You must have good written and oral skills in English

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 Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

Preferred selection criteria

• experience and/or interest in interdisciplinary research
• experience and/or interest in psychology and/or cognitive science
• good organizational skills

Personal characteristics

• curious
• love to learn
• attention to detail
• persistence
• cooperative

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

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

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 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 or 4 years (with 25 % teaching duties, conditional upon the candidate’s eligibility for the department’s teaching duties).

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Historical and Cultural Studies [subject area philosophy] within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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 on a daily basis.

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 follow 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: 

• CV 
• 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 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.
• Cover letter (max. 1 page)
• Research Statement outlining a research proposal on the topic of the enactive self and social affordances (max. 2 pages)
• Two reference letters, name and contact information of two referees
• list of publications (if relevant)

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 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.

General information

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality. 

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 200,000. 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, please contact Prof. Dr. Miriam Kyselo, email m.kyselo@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Heine Alexander Holmen, e-mail: heine.a.holmen@ntnu.no.

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: 15.06.2023

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 Philosophy and Religious Studies

We conduct research and teaching in philosophy and religious studies, and offer education at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level in both subject areas. We are also responsible for the introductory course examen philosophicum for all of NTNU. The Department has an active and international research environment. The Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies is one of six departments in the Faculty of Humanities.

Deadline 15th June 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service