PhD Research Scholar positions - ENERPOL Doctoral Network

ENERPOL Doctoral Network

NHH is pleased to announce two vacancies at the Department of Business and Management Science within the ENERPOL Doctoral Network. ENERPOL is a European research and training network funded by the Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). It explores the role of households in the green energy transition and addresses challenges such as volatile energy prices, inequality, and household risk exposure, while developing policy-relevant insights for fair and efficient energy systems. 

ENERPOL provides PhDs with a unique training opportunity in cutting-edge methods, theory, and transferable skills within an international consortium of leading universities and non-academic partners. ENERPOL training includes: (1) several international summer schools and workshops, (2) cross-national supervision teams dedicated to the project of the PhD, (3) one academic and one industry secondment. 

In collaboration with researchers at other ENERPOL institutions, one admitted candidate will advance methods to compute and analyse energy-related household inequality (EHI) using granular Norwegian household data, and the second admitted candidate will use Norwegian household-level data to quantify the effects of electricity price subsidies on household behaviour and inequality, including whether prosumers benefit from producer–consumer price differentials. 

The admitted candidates are expected to attend all ENERPOL training events and secondments. Important: Please note the MSCA DN mobility rule under eligibility requirements below! 

The annual salary for the PhD research scholar positions will be NOK 565 000 (equivalent to approximately EUR 48 150 or USD 55 940) pr. August 2026 in accordance with EU guidelines for Marie Skłodowska-Curie trainees, including mobility payments and, where applicable, adjusted for family or special needs allowances. For particularly well-qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered. Thereafter annual adjustment of minimum 3%. The salary ensures a fair standard of living in Norway and is subject to Norwegian taxes and benefits, including public health care benefits and pension savings.

Start date: August 2026

The PhD specialisation

The Department of Business and Management Science is responsible for a specialisation in the NHH PhD programme. If admitted, the candidates will follow the Business Economics track. The specialisation has two tracks: 

Business Economics 

• Dissertation on a topic in business economics, industrial organisation, public finance, asset management, risk analysis, shipping economics, or the economics of natural resources 
• Core courses in econometrics, microeconomics, scientific methods 
• Elective courses in economics, finance, or optimisation

Management Science 

• Dissertation on a topic in logistics, operations management, utilisation of natural resources, shipping, predictive modelling, or climate risk 
• Core courses in optimisation, microeconomics, scientific methods 
• Elective courses in operations research, optimisation, statistics, data science 

Elements from the two tracks can be combined. For more information about the Department of Business and Management Science and its research profile, visit the department’s website. 

The PhD programme

The PhD programme at NHH is a four-year fully-funded programme, which combines an intensive course component with research and relevant work experience, preparing the school’s graduates for scholarly positions at recognised international institutions and positions in knowledge-intensive institutions and firms outside of academia. Former PhD graduates have been hired by renowned institutions such as Harvard University, The University of Sydney’s Business School, University of Amsterdam, Tilburg University, Hanken School of Economics, Norwegian universities and business schools, as well as by government, banking, finance and consulting industries.

The PhD research scholars will be included in a highly stimulating and rewarding research environment, working closely with faculty members and other PhD research scholars at the school. PhD research scholars participate actively in faculty and research seminars, as well as in workshops. As part of the position, the PhD research scholars allocate 25% of their time to career promoting work such as teaching assistance. They also receive pedagogical training. The place of work is at NHH in Bergen, where the PhD research scholars will have their own office space at their department.

The PhD programme gives preference to applicants who address research problems that align with the department’s research interests and the available resources for supervision. As the school aspires gender balance and diversity, female applicants will be given preference if applicants are otherwise equally qualified.

NHH offers

• career guidance and an individual career development plan
• opportunity to take basic Norwegian language courses
• research funds for travels and conference participation and research stays abroad to build a wider network and strengthen the research of the PhD research scholar

The city of Bergen offers a mild coastal climate and hosts rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities, as well as a family-friendly environment. Note that healthcare, schools, and most other public services are free in Norway. To explore Norway and the city of Bergen, go to visitnorway.com.

Eligibility requirements

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for the PhD programme. Applicants must normally have completed a five-year Master of Science (MSc) degree in Economics, Public Policy, Energy Economics or a relevant field. The average grade must normally correspond to a minimum of B (4.0) in the Norwegian grade system. 

• MSCA DN mobility rule: candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work/study) in the country of the host institution for more than 12 months within the 36 months immediately prior to starting the position. 
• Candidates must not already hold a doctoral degree at recruitment time. 

English language proficiency tests

The Department of Business and Management Science requires you to demonstrate an adequate level of English language proficiency. We accept the following tests: 

TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic 

When applying, it is required to upload a copy of your unofficial test scores in Jobbnorge before the deadline. If you are shortlisted, NHH will ask you to give us access to your official test scores. 

Exemptions: 

You are waived from TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic tests if you are a native English speaker, if you have a qualifying master’s degree from a Nordic institution or if you have a qualifying master’s degree where the language of tuition was English 

For more detailed information about the tests and their minimum scores, please visit our webpage: Admission to the PhD programme| NHH. If you have questions, you may contact phd@nhh.no.

GMAT/GRE tests

The Department of Business and Management Science strongly encourage applicants to demonstrate their level of academic skills by submitting GMAT or GRE scores in addition to the required transcripts of grades from prior education.

When applying, it is sufficient to upload a copy of your unofficial test scores in Jobbnorge. If you are shortlisted, NHH will ask you to give us access to your official test scores. 

Application requirements

You are required to upload the following documents with your application in Jobbnorge:

• Certificate of your master’s degree or equivalent, including transcripts of records. You need to have completed your master’s degree prior to the starting date for the position. If you have not completed your degree when applying for the position, please attach a transcript of records of the courses and grades that you have completed so far.
• Certificate of your bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including transcripts of records.
• Other relevant certificates or transcripts (e.g. courses completed at the PhD level).
• If the issuing authority of grades and degrees does not use the ECTS grading scale, include an official description of the grading scale used.
• Statement of purpose describing your motivation for applying for this position (250-300 words).
• A research proposal (2000-4000 words). The research proposal should describe the aims, research questions, and motivation of the proposed research. Please note that your research proposal is tentative and often needs adjustments after your acceptance into the programme. 
• Curriculum vitae.
• A writing sample (publication or master thesis).
• A list of all publications and/or other documented research activities.   

Please upload the documents in separate files, not combined in one single file.

Letters of recommendation and contact details of references:

Letters of recommendation and/or contact details of references may strengthen your application, but they are not mandatory. If you choose to include letters of recommendations, the references should send their letter of recommendation in PDF format to hr-phd@nhh.no by latest 15 January 2026. Contact details of references may be included in Jobbnorge when you apply. 

General information

For more information on the PhD programme and the submission procedure, please consult the NHH PhD website. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Please note that applicants for the PhD research scholar position do not need to apply separately for admission to the PhD programme.

NHH emphasises diversity and encourages qualified candidates to apply for the positions regardless of gender, cultural background, age and disabilities. 

In accordance with §25 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act, information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to have his/her name entered on the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

As part of the recruitment process, a background check may be conducted with the candidates' consent.

For questions and inquiries about the NHH PhD programme, please contact phd@nhh.no.

Applications must be submitted through the Jobbnorge online portal. To open the application, please click ‘Apply for this job’. For the English version, go to the menu at the top right side.

Application deadline: 15 January 2026