PhD Candidate in geography with a focus on coastal geomorphology and plastic pollution

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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

The Department of Geography and Social Anthropology is seeking a candidate for a full-time, four-year Ph.D position studying the impacts of marine plastic pollution on coastal landscapes. The four-year contract includes a year of required duties. This year's master's graduates can apply with the requirement that the master's degree is completed by August 2025. The desired start date is early autumn 2025. 

 As a PhD Candidate in the Department of Geography and Social Anthropology at NTNU, you will work to achieve your doctorate degree, and at the same time, gain valuable experiences that qualify you for a career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. 

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Plastic pollution falls within one of the seven planetary boundaries that have been transgressed as of 2025 but exacerbates the impacts of all nine, including climate change and loss of biodiversity. Marine plastic pollution on the hundreds of thousands of islands that form the outer Norwegian coast is spatially heterogeneous, but also widespread and abundant, due the large, plastic-carrying currents that flow into this relatively remote area. In some bays and inlets, plastic pollution has been accumulating for decades, now embedded in the organic-rich coastal soils and sediments, changing the geomorphology and physical (and attendant ecological) properties of the coastal zone. As such, the primary objective of this PhD project is to improve our understanding of the long-term consequences of plastics pollution on coastal landscapes in Norway. Depending on the candidate’s background and interests, a secondary objective could be to investigate how political, economic, and/or social decisions have impacted coastal landscapes via plastic pollution.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a PhD in geography 
• Carry out high-quality research within the framework described above
• Academic (peer-reviewed articles) and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research groups, Earth Surface Science and the Plastic Research Cooperation Group and possibly Anthropologies of Sustainability
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at educational institutions outside of Norway
• Teaching 
• Mentoring

Note that there may be changes to these work duties following employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a Master's degree in Geography (especially Physical Geography), Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian program, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 31st August 2025.
• 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 PhD programme in Social Science - Specialization Geography
• You have proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

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 Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) 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

• Candidates who have proficiency in Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language), both written and spoken, in addition to English, will have a strong advantage.
• Experience conducting fieldwork
• GIS skills
• Experience in teaching and/or mentoring
• Courses or other experience in social anthropology
• Good problem-solving skills
• Driver’s license class B

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment NTNU will facilitate so that you can complete relevant Norwegian courses. 

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you have an overall positive, professional, and flexible attitude and be able to: 

• Work independently and take initiative
• Work carefully and safely, sometimes as a part of a team, in field and lab environments
• Present and discuss research (including yours) with other professionals
• Receive constructive criticism of your work
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of setbacks

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
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and will have access to employee benefits and discounts. 

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 in addition to 1 year of career promotion work. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Social Science - Specialization Geography 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 academic 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. If you have used AI when applying for this position: You must specify in the application in what way AI has been used when writing your application.

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.
• A short application letter that specifies your motivation for the position and relevant experience/skills/knowledge to date (400 words/1 page)
• An original PhD project description for a study that documents the impacts of plastic pollution accumulation in the Norwegian coastal environment. (Maximum 5 pages. A budget is not required but do include an introduction, brief description of the study area(s), methods, and a reference list).
• 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 works 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 Associate professor Chantel Nixon e-mail: chantel.nixon@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Renate Lillian Johansen e-mail: renate.johansen@ntnu.no

 

Application deadline: 22.08.2025

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.