This is NTNU

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.

   

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About the position

The Department of Architecture and Technology's vision is to develop architecture and the built environment where technology, aesthetics and ethics are integrated parts of a common field of knowledge. In a collaboration of four different academic groups within the department (Building preservation, Tectonics, Energy & Environment and Form), circularity is being discussed as a way of reformulating the potential of architecture as a discipline in an era of climate change, over-exploitation of resources and destruction of nature.

To explore the concrete potential of this, both within education and research, a PhD position is dedicated to developing an architectural methodology that is based on the premise of resource scarcity and on circularity principles. The recently developed Circular Studio, complemented with other ongoing courses at the faculty, provides the primary testing ground for design processes of circular architecture. 

The position includes the possibility to link to current research projects, such as ARV, WOODSTOCK (Home | WoodStock or Circular City (Circular City - NTNU). 

About the position

The PhD position will focus on the architecture of resource scarcity and circularity, and will aim to address cultural, aesthetic and technological challenges related to architecture with limited resources. The PhD position should address issues of acceptance of circular and frugal solutions and the dilemma of architects as creators with very limited resources at their disposal. 

The PhD position should develop and test methods  for the field of circular architecture, which is currently undergoing rapid development. Design processes and supply chains need to be redefined to achieve quality in buildings and neighborhoods with limited physical resources. This PhD project will have the opportunity to actively explore Circular Studio and other relevant courses in architecture as an arena of experimentation and data source. The PhD will design, develop, conduct and analyze systematic interventions, and correlate findings within a Nordic perspective. The candidate will develop and discuss a framework of an architecture of limited resources, in both education and research, and its implications for architectural practice. The research is open to collaboration with other schools of architecture with relevant research and teaching approaches.

The PhD will address aspects of the following research questions:

• How can architecture support operating with limited resources, and what are related design methods and processes?
• What is the role of circularity in this context?
• Are there architectural paradigms that act as obstacles to architecture with limited resources? How can these be overcome?
• How can architectural education embrace and foster a paradigm shift to an architecture of limited resources?

The PhD research should particularly focus on the above questions in the context of the Nordics and the existing building stock in Scandinavia. 

The PhD position will pursue the following overall objectives:  

• Contribute to the definition and vision for an architecture of limited resources
• Develop methods and design processes for architecture that respects the limitation of resources
• Design and evaluate multi-perspective teaching methods for an architecture of limited resources

As a PhD Candidate, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, inside and outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

The tasks will include:

• Conducting research of high quality within the framework described above
• Collaborating with an interdisciplinary teaching team from the department of Architecture and Technology (IAT), academic groups Building preservation, Tectonics, Energy & Environment, and Form
• Collaborating with other disciplines, such as social sciences and civil engineering, at NTNU
• Co-creating, testing and evaluating systematic interventions within the Circular Studio and other relevant courses in architecture
• Actively participating in teaching within the Circular Studio and other relevant courses
• Publishing research in peer-reviewed, international journals
• Disseminating research to a wider audience
• Participating in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement is that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background relevant for the topic, in architecture or equivalent education with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you are unable to meet these criteria you may be considered only if you can document that you are particularly suitable for education leading to a PhD degree. 

Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 30.10.2025[ES1] 

You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.

• The candidate must by education or by professional practice have a specialization in architectural solutions aiming at circularity in the built environment and / or degrowth or operating within planetary boundaries. 
• You must also have experience with interdisciplinary research work and methods

English language fluency (spoken and written) is required. Good communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language are an advantage.

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The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

Preference will be given to applicants also documenting experience from research, teaching or practice in one or several of the following themes:

• Architecture with a focus on limited resources, circularity, degrowth and/ or operating within planetary boundaries
• Design and teaching methods for circularity in the built environment and / or for architecture with limited resources or equivalent
• Integrated and interdisciplinary design of buildings and / or neighbourhoods
• Quantitative and qualitative evaluation frameworks for circularity in the built environment and / or for resource use
• Excellent written and oral English language skills
• Good communication skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
• Experience from international and interdisciplinary cooperation 

Personal characteristics

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

• Work both independently and as part of an interdisciplinary research and teaching team
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Communicate clearly and openly with students and academic staff

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. 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 essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is 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.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK  536 200,-  per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work in addition to 1 year of career promotion work. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Architecture within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. 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 The application must include: (decide on what must be included - remove what does not fit):

• A cover letter where you describe your personal motivation and how you intend to fill the position
• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Research plan or project proposal (max. 3 pages incl. references), indicating your view of the main research challenges in the area of the position, how you suggest conducting the research work and how this is relevant to your own background and the above research objectives and questions. It should be structured as introduction – methods – expected results
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 3 works)
• Name and email address of three relevant 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. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well. 

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, 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 itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt 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 exemption is not granted.

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

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Assoc. Professor Patricia Schneider-Marin email patricia.schneider-marin@ntnu.no . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact natalia.swahn@ntnu.no . 

Application deadline: 15.07.2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech 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.