PhD candidate in Artistic Research – Digital Environments

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, 8,6000 employees and 44,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KHQjc4ndas&t=41s

About the position

The Trondheim Academy of Fine Art (KIT), Faculty of Architecture and Design, invites applications for a fixed-term, three-year PhD position in Artistic Research. The PhD will be part of the focus area Digital Environments within Artistic Research.
This PhD position explores, through artistic and practice-based research, the role and societal impact of AI and other emerging technologies, including how digital technologies reshape the relationships between knowledge production, creative practice, accountability, and social and ecological transformation.
The position contributes to artistic research, critical inquiry, and experimentation across AI, sensing, data analysis and visualisation, and investigative practices, addressing key societal challenges at the intersection of art, architecture, design, media, and technology. Embedded in KIT’s strategic focus on the role of art in addressing societal change, the position is connected to ongoing research initiatives, digital infrastructure, and externally funded projects. It will strengthen KIT’s research profile in digitalisation and societal transformation while supporting future national and international research collaborations and funding opportunities.
As a PhD Candidate, you will work towards a doctorate while gaining valuable research experience and qualifications for a career in higher education, research, and related sectors.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

Duties of the position

You will develop an independent artistic and practice-based research project within the overall scope of the position. The project should engage with at least one of the first two areas below and at least one of the last two, without being limited to them:

1. Investigative practices, including open-source, scientific, data-driven and participatory approaches.
2. Sensing, analysis, modelling, visualisation and communication of disparate data and digital environments, through approaches including critical spatial practice and data science.
3. Technology in the public interest, including accountability and community-centred approaches to emerging technologies.
4. The role of artistic research in the development and application of emerging technologies, including new forms of knowledge production and collaboration between artistic, scientific and technological research. 

The successful candidate will contribute to and make use of the research infrastructure of the Artistic Research Sensing and Visualisation Lab (ARSV-Lab), which develops technological resources and knowledge in multi-perspective sensing and data visualisation.
You will have opportunities to participate in relevant existing externally funded research projects and networks, including the ERC project Sensing Ecocide and the COST Action Artistic Intelligence, and to contribute to the wider research environment and research culture of the department.
You will participate in the Norwegian Artistic Research School (NARS) as part of their obligatory training component, alongside other candidates in Norwegian PhD programmes in Artistic Research.

- Complete doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
- Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
- Academic publications and popular science dissemination
- Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
- Other career-promoting work

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme for Artistic Research PHKUNST, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information. 
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in art, architecture, design or a closely related field, or equivalent qualifications. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• Demonstrated experience or interest in artistic, practice-based or interdisciplinary approaches to digital technologies, and digital environments.
• Demonstrated ability to pursue independent, mentored research and work collaboratively with interdisciplinary research team.
• Track record in artistic research and/or relevant professional practice at an international level.
• Strong command of both written and spoken English is a prerequisite. 

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Personal characteristics

• Excellent communications and teamwork skills 
• Work independently 
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them 
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals 
• Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback 

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• 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
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

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 580 000,-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 employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Artistic research within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment.

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 professional 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 bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in 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 and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• A cover letter 
• A preliminary PhD project proposal (3 – 5 pages) 
• CV, certificates and diplomas 
• A portfolio or other relevant documentation 
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

Please do not include full publications or other scientific/artistic works as separate attachments.

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 work 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 Professor Nabil Ahmed, telephone: +47 403 14 215, email nabil.ahmed@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR advisor Natalia Swahn, e-mail: Natalia.swahn@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 31.12.2026

-----------------

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.