PhD Research Fellow in Human-Robot Interaction

About the position

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Human-Robot Interaction is available at the Department of Informatics, Robotics and Intelligent Systems Research Group (ROBIN), University of Oslo.  

Starting date no later than 10.08.2026 or as soon as possible. The fellowship period is three years.

Depending on the candidate and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended for either for compulsory work consisting of e.g., teaching and supervision duties and research assistance up top four years.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

Place of work is Department of Informatics, Robotics and Intelligent Systems, at Gaustad/Blindern, Oslo.

Job description

We are looking for a PhD candidate to work in the project “Robots as Welfare Technologies and Actors for ELderly Care: A Nordic Model for Integration of Advanced Assistive Technologies (ROBOWELL)”, funded by NordForsk and Novo Nordic Foundation (grant agreement 226198).

The project aims to develop a proposal for a Nordic Model for integrating social and assistive robots as welfare technologies and actors in elderly care. This is for addressing challenges posed by the aging population and the shortage of nursing staff across Nordic countries.

Previous research in the Nordic region's welfare tradition illustrates the use of welfare technologies like fall alarms, cameras, tablets, and computers. However, more complex welfare technologies such as AI-driven technologies, including social and assistive robots might challenge the current practical, ethical, and legal existing infrastructures, or models around the integration of welfare technologies in the care systems for elderly people. 

As a PhD candidate, you will conduct user studies on the integration of AI-driven social robots, or socially assistive robots (SARs) within the elderly care, involving both old adults and healthcare professionals in your research, to explore the benefits and tensions across technical, ethical and regulatory aspects, and assess the impact of robots on care workflows. The key goal of the PhD project is to develop a proposal for a Nordic Model for sustainable robot integration in care set-tings, having the Norwegian context in focus. You will publish results in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.

The overall ROBOWELL project is a Nordic Project taking place in Norway (University of Oslo, project leader), Sweden (KTH Royal Institute of Technology), and Denmark (University of Southern Denmark), together with relevant stakeholders in each country. Your main tasks are to be conducted in Norway, but you are expected to contribute to the overall project, and exchange knowledge with the other project partners. Travels within the Nordic countries and to other countries as part of the PhD are expected.

The position will give you a unique opportunity to contribute to the future model of integration of robots as welfare technologies and actors within elderly care, and beyond.

What skills are important in this role?

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Human-Robot Interaction, Design fields with a profile within Social Robots, Socially Assistive Robots, Robotics and/or AI, or Robotics
• Previous experience with working with social robots, or socially assistive ro-bots (SARs) in lab or real-world environments
• Previous experience in conducting user studies, using qualitative and/or quan-titative research methods
• Experience with Robot Operating Systems (ROS)
• Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and a Scandinavian language

Candidates without a master’s degree have until 10.06.2026 to complete the final exam.

• Having worked with social robots or SARs in home or healthcare settings is a plus
• Having already published scientific articles (conference or journal papers) would also be an advantage
• Experience or interest within home- and healthcare
• Having worked with AI-driven welfare technologies would also be a plus

• Good oral and written communication skills in English
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements:
  https://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/regulations/regulations.html#toc8

Grade requirements:
The norm is as follows:

• The average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
• The Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree. For more information see:
http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

All candidates and projects will have to undergo a check versus national export, sanctions and security regulations. Candidates may be excluded based on these checks. Primary checkpoints are the Export Control regulation, the Sanctions regulation, and the national security regulation.

What are we looking for in you?

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Outgoing, and able to take initiative by him or herself
• Self-driven
• Ability to work precise in a structured manner and swiftly adapts to new tasks
• Being able to meet deadlines
• Being able to work in a fast-paced environment
• Being able to contribute to a good and international work environment
• Good communication and collaboration skills
• Positive attitude and the ability to handle multiple tasks at the same time

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications.

We can offer you

• A pleasant and stimulating work environment
• Good welfare schemes
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Career development programmes
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes
• Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities
• Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 - 595 000, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund 

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues, could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

How to apply

• Cover letter - statement of motivation and research interests
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Transcripts of records, copies of the original Bachelor’s and Master’s degree diploma (see below)
• Letters of recommendation (Optional)
• Documentation of English proficiency if applicable
• List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
• Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and telephone number)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for this job".

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documentation must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews.

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian), Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.  

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.