PhD Candidate in Human-Centred Robotics for Embodied AI

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 Design at NTNU carries out research and education on the interaction between people, technology, society and nature, and develops innovative, human-centred products, systems and services. The position is based in Trondheim and will be affiliated with Shore Control Lab, a design and human factors research environment focusing on human-centred design of technology for safety-critical operational contexts. 

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable research experience that qualifies you for a career in higher education and research, both in and outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the Norwegian Centre for Embodied AI (NCEI)

This PhD position is connected to the Norwegian Centre for Embodied AI (NCEI), a new national AI centre led by NTNU. 

NCEI advances research on how intelligence emerges from the interaction between body, computation, and environment, across aerial, ground, and aquatic robotic systems. 

The PhD candidate will be part of a broader, cross-sector collaboration spanning universities, research institutes, industry and public-sector partners, contributing to NCEI’s ambition to establish new scientific and operational foundations for embodied AI and robotics. 

About the project

Robotics is undergoing a revolution in physical intelligence. Running parallel to this revolution is an urgent need to address robust human oversight and high-level remote control. This places an emphasis on coordination and command as one or more humans form a team with one or more robots. This also raises questions for usability, trustworthiness, safety, reliability, and transparency as a core design values of robotic intelligence.

The PhD candidate will seek tangible contributions to the following question: 
In safety- and time-critical missions, how can humans team up with intelligent, semi-autonomous robots as or more efficiently and effectively than they can with fellow humans?

Shedding light on this question will contribute to an expected tipping point in robotics, where robots graduate from mere tools to teammates.

The PhD candidate is expected to apply methods in human-centred design (HCD) to one or more real cases of embodied intelligence among the consortium partners in NCEI. This will involve defining the context of use, defining end-user requirements and design specifications, developing tangible prototypes, and evaluating these prototypes in terms of team performance and system usability. To this aim, the PhD candidate is expected to:

• establish why and how HCD can be applied for embodied AI
• work with one or more developed platforms from the project consortium (underwater, waterborne, or aerial robots)
• build and test innovative solutions to support human–robot teams
• combine systematic, qualitative, and quantitative methodologies in user evaluation of these designs

The PhD candidate is also expected to participate as a judge for usability and transparency during two robotics competitions (“Grand Challenges”) hosted by NCEI. The PhD candidate will have access to existing robotics platforms through the consortium, as well as research infrastructure for usability testing and remote operations at the NTNU Shore Control Lab. 

Duties of the position

You are expected to

• complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• deliver academic publications and popular science dissemination
• participate in relevant research groups and centre activities at NTNU and across NCEI
• participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• contribute to centre-level activities, including the NCEI “Grand Challenges” (e.g., evaluation roles related to usability and transparency)

Required selection criteria

You must

• have a relevant Master’s degree (or equivalent) in design, industrial design, human–computer interaction, robotics, human–robot interaction, human factors, cognitive psychology, or another relevant field
• have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master’s degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation
• meet the requirements for admission to the PhD programme in Design at NTNU’s Faculty of Architecture and Design
• have proficiency in written and spoken English

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.

Master students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than September 1, 2026.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

 The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions 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

You have

• Demonstrated interest in, or experience with, human-centred design in safety- and/or time-critical domains
• Experience with prototype development (digital, physical, or mixed) relevant to human-robot interaction
• Experience with user research and evaluation methods (qualitative and/or quantitative), preferably in applied settings
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams (e.g., design + engineering + AI/robotics)
• Familiarity with research topics such as usability, transparency, trust, human–automation interaction, or team performance

Personal characteristics

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

• Work independently and take initiative
• Work in a structured way, set goals, and make plans to achieve them
• Present and discuss your research with other professionals
• Collaborate constructively, including giving and receiving feedback
• Show curiosity and strong motivation for the subject
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives, and draw well-founded conclusions
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

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
• 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 550 800,-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.  

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Design 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 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 (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 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
• CV 
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently 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.
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages) 
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Possibly certificates
• Names and contact information 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 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 Ole Andreas Alsos, telephone +47 915 44 825, email oleanda@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR advisro Marion Wohlen, e-mail: marion.s.wohlen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 01.04.2026

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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.