PhD candidate at the Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET)

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB shall be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a societal institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place to study and work.

Video: https://youtu.be/i4SDcLir6Oc

PhD position

The Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), University of Bergen (UiB), is recruiting a PhD fellow for a period of three years. CET is an interdisciplinary research centre that aims at producing actionable knowledge about how to achieve deep, rapid and sustainable transformation of society to meet the climate challenge. CET is based at the UiB Faculty of Social Sciences, and works closely with scientists from a variety of disciplines.

The position is thematically open within CET’s research areas. CET conducts research on how climate change and transformations are experienced, communicated and acted upon by individuals, communities, policymakers and organisations. More information about CET’s research focus can be found on the website https://www.uib.no/en/cet and particularly in the CET Strategy 2023-2026. 

About the project/work tasks:

The PhD fellow is expected to develop a research project fulfilling the requirements of a PhD in collaboration with supervisors in the early phase of the fellowship. At the application stage, candidates are expected to submit an extended letter of motivation, which describes their competence, research interests for the PhD project, and how these contribute to CET’s research profile. The candidate will be assigned a supervisor after the hiring is complete. 

The PhD fellow will have her/his/their workplace at CET and is expected to contribute to making CET a dynamic and productive academic environment. 

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• The applicant must hold a master's degree or the equivalent in social science or an interdisciplinary field relevant to CET’s research. The degree must be completed by the application deadline. 
• The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the master's degree in total.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and demonstrate good collaborative skills.
• The applicant must be proficient in both written and oral English.
• Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambition and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the department for an interview. 

About the PhD position:

The duration of the PhD position is 3 years, and it consists of 100 percent research. There may be opportunities for teaching or other academic duty work, but this is agreed upon at a later stage.

About the PhD training:

As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.

We can offer:

• Salary as PhD (code 1017) NOK 568 700, - per year. Automatic salary increases for up to 4 years with a 3% annual increase.
• A good and professionally challenging working environment.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• Good welfare benefits.

Your application must include:

Project proposal:
A research proposal of 5-8 pages must accompany the application. The proposal should present the topic, the research problem(s) and choice of theory and methods. The proposal should also include a progress plan for the different parts of the project. Admittance to the PhD programme will be based on the research proposal. The faculty has prepared a guide for writing project descriptions.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter including a brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of them must be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis.
• Project proposal.
• CV.
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Relevant certificates/references.
• A list of academic publications.
• Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (including your master’s thesis or equivalent).
• If you have a master's degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline- based master's degree (or the equivalent) in a subject area other than the one associated with the application, you may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree you have completed.

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge following the link on this page marked “Apply for this job”.

Closing date: February 4, 2026. The application must be marked: 25/15407.

Applications submitted without a project description or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.

General information:

Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting CET Director, Professor Håvard Haarstad, at havard.haarstad@uib.no. 

Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to Adviser Christine Bresil, at christine.bresil@uib.no.  

Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Questions about the programme may be directed to Senior Adviser:  hanne.Gravermoen@uib.no.

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity. For further information about the recruitment process, click here.

Life as a PhD candidate at UiB

Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at UiB.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrtp6VxMeJ4&index=2&list=PLf8ZIYfAO0qjhROTj6SthDbSScg0lSO6G