PhD Candidate in Socio-technical Information Infrastructures through qualitative research design

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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

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities related to the energy transition in Norway? The Department of Computer Science (IDI) at NTNU has a vacancy for one PhD fellowship in the intersection between social science, business development and Information Systems. The Norwegian government’s ambitions to reduce climate gas emissions by 55% by 2030 can only be achieved through the massive electrification of sectors that today use fossil fuels. There is an ongoing change in the energy systems that should be studied interdisciplinarily to understand its complex trajectory. In this position you will approach it as a socio-technical challenge, how technological, organizational and societal development and changes influence the energy landscape.

You will be part of a research group at IDI but also participate in the bigger ‘energy’ multidisciplinary research environment at NTNU that addresses the challenges and solutions of the twin energy transition The NTNU Energy Transition Initiative - Strategic Advice for Energy Systems - NTNU, the integrated movement to electrification and renewable power sources and digital transformation. It is a precondition that the PhD application and the proposed project will focus on the interplay of social and technical challenges associated with this twin transition using a qualitative research design. Candidates that do not have this approach to their PhD work (application and project description) will not be considered relevant for the position. In this position you will be collaborating with key energy actors in Norway and be in a unique position to develop an attractive career either in industry or in research/Academia.

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

Your immediate leader will be the Head of unit, Applied Information Technology.

About the project

The PhD shall address the interplay between energy transition and digital transformation in Norway. It will study how this digitalization process is supporting both centralized and decentralized energy systems on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The PhD project will approach this transition as a form of information infrastructure evolution. Information infrastructure conceptualizes the energy system as part of a shared, evolving and open process. An information infrastructure in relation to an energy system is a shared, evolving, open, standardized, and heterogeneous installed base, including all the people, processes, procedures, tools, facilities, and technology which supports the creation, use, transport, storage, and destruction of information. The case will be offshore electrification and the transition from gas turbine/fossil-based energy consumption to renewable energy systems and the organizational and societal consequences of this development We refer to this report developed by NTNU. 

It is a precondition that the PhD application will focus on the technical, organizational, and societal challenges of this twin transition at the same time. The application should be based on Information Systems (IS) research (or similar) and a qualitative research design.

Applicants are invited to draw on one or more of the following three themes as basis for their application: 
1.    Interoperability as key in the energy transition. The ongoing energy transition requires further integration of existing control and optimization systems, making energy forecasting particularly critical. Improved interoperability will allow operators to anticipate fluctuations better and coordinate responses across the energy system. Electricity's scarcity and regulation demand transparent systems enabling NCS operators to collaborate utilizing the power. Digital tools for collaboration and reporting will become vital, which will change existing work process and mindsets. 
2.    We refer to this report developed by NTNU.   Emerging digital energy platforms. New digital energy platforms are emerging, triggering new businesses building on advances in electricity grids and power markets to facilitate energy resource interaction and exchange. These platforms provide data for flexibility and demand response, connecting distributed resources across decentralized ownership and spatial boundaries. By making energy interactions visible and meaningful, they create roles like aggregators and balancing service providers, who coordinate production and demand across assets. These actors, existing in Norway and the EU, are likely to influence the future of the Norwegian Continental Shelf, including offshore wind, carbon capture, and hydrogen/ammonia production.
3.    Material participation and infrastructuring. New energy coordination mechanisms are essential for effective energy collaboration. These coordination mechanisms we call ‘energy hub control centers’ and they may differ from traditional control rooms, accommodating both centralized and decentralized energy systems. Those that work in these centers can be co-located or not, but they have the necessary ICT infrastructure for efficient energy management, both short-term and long-term and can act as aggregators to manage demand response and flexibility on behalf a group of users/customer. It will be possible to study empirically how this infrastructuring progresses in one or several organizations during the PhD work.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Participate in the research group at IDI NTNU
• Be part of NTNU Energy transition initiative and contribute to their activities
• 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
• Teaching can be agreed upon during the hiring process and can consist of one additional year of employment (career-enhancing work).

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant master’s degree in information systems or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level.
• You must 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. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• Have a background in socio-technical studies of information systems.
• Have a background in empirical and in particular qualitative research methods.
• Have an interest in conducting research in external organizations.
• The applicant’s master thesis must be research-oriented.
   

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

• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language equivalent to level B2.
• Publication activities in relevant disciplines will be considered an advantage.
• Relevant work experience and knowledge of industrial domain.
• Be willing to collaborate with other researchers in a cross-disciplinary setting.
• 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.

Personal characteristics

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

• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Be willing to collaborate with other researchers in a cross-disciplinary setting
• 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

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 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 or 4 years (including career-enhancing work as teaching). If learning Norwegian (level A2 corresponding to at least 15 credits) is to be completed before the end of the employment period, the employment period can be extended by 10 weeks after completed and documented the Norwegian course. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Computer Science within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout 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 be in 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 Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or 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 Vidar Hepsø (Adjunct Professor) telephone: 48034803, email: vidar.hepso@ntnu.no If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR at e-mail: HR@idi.ntnu.no

Application deadline: 24.01.2026

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.