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About the position

We invite applications for a PhD position focusing on stakeholder engagement in the context of nuclear-powered merchant shipping.

As the maritime sector seeks pathways towards deep decarbonisation, nuclear propulsion has re-emerged as a potential technology capable of delivering large-scale emission reductions while meeting the growing energy demands of international shipping. While research has focused on the technical, economic, regulatory, and safety aspects of nuclear propulsion, considerably less attention has been given to the social dimensions that may ultimately determine its successful implementation.

As part of WP6 on Stakeholder Engagement, included in the Centre for Research-based Innovation on Nuclear-powered merchant shipping (SFI SAINT), this PhD project will address this knowledge gap by investigating how local communities and other key stakeholders perceive the health risks associated with nuclear propulsion, and how information sharing and stakeholder dialogue affect trust, stress levels, and public concern.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

SAINT (Sustainable, Applied and Industrialized Nuclear Technology) is a research project investigating the use of nuclear propulsion for commercial and specialist maritime vessels and aims at launching 2-3 demonstration ships in the early 2030s. SAINT addresses the technical, safety, and operational challenges that must be resolved before such systems can be responsibly deployed. PhD candidates will be among the people shaping this emergent field. In the intersection of nuclear and maritime engineering qualified engineers and researchers are scarce globally, but also competence in stakeholder engagement is important for the successful implementation of nuclear-powered shipping. Stakeholder engagement is essential to build the public trust, safety confidence, and regulatory approval required for adopting nuclear power in commercial vessels. Candidates who complete a PhD within the SAINT project will be well positioned for careers in nuclear safety, maritime regulation, advanced vessel design, and the emerging commercial nuclear sector.

Duties of the position

Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
Academic publications and popular science dissemination
Participate in the research group SFI SAINT
Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Required selection criteria

You must have a relevant Master's degree covering topics such as stakeholder engagement, risk perception, psychosocial health, behavioural responses, risk management, risk- and crisis communication, or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position.
You must have a strong and relevant 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.
You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme (link), see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
Fluency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is required, as well as good oral and written presentation skills in English
We do not accept applications of citizens from countries on the OFAC and EAR lists and countries under US arms embargoes as well as heavy restricted/ITAR proscribed countries.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

Experience with statistical analyses is preferred.
While not essential, familiarity with nuclear technology, radiation protection or maritime operations would be beneficial for understanding the context.

Personal characteristics

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

Work independently
Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
Present and discuss your research with other professionals
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
Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

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.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 580 000,-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 Medicine and Health Sciences 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 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)
Any publications or other relevant research work
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.

IIf you have any questions about the position, please contact Associate professor Marianne Synnes Emblemsvåg, Phone: +47 47268858, Marianne.synnes@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Unni Sletten (HR), e-mail: Unni.sletten@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 05.10.2026

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.

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PhD Candidate in Stakeholder Engagement - the Social Dimension of Nuclear-Powered Merchant Shipping