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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 NTNU University Museum is excited to invite applications from highly qualified candidates for a fully-funded PhD project focusing on human osteoarchaeology. This is a 3-year temporary position, with the possibility of extending up to four years including career-promoting work, for an enthusiastic, motivated individual with experience in human osteoarchaeology, stable isotope analysis or other biomolecular methods. As a PhD candidate with us, you will earn a doctorate and gain valuable experience working ethically with bioarchaeological materials in a laboratory setting, developing research skills for a future career in or outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The topic of the PhD will involve studying infant feeding and maternal and infant health in the Norwegian past, but the specific aims of the project will be developed in collaboration with the candidate. This position will benefit from access to extensive human osteology collections curated by the NTNU University Museum, as well as state-of-the-art laboratories for stable isotope analysis and radiocarbon dating.

Duties of the position

For a position as a PhD candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree within the employment period. Publication of the project results in peer-reviewed journals is expected. Duties of the position will include:

Carry out research of high quality within the framework described above
Academic publications and popular science dissemination
Present and discuss your research with other professionals
Participate in the research group
Participate in international activities such as conferences

Other career-promoting work such as teaching, outreach activities, field work, or laboratory work, depending on the University Museum's needs and the applicant's qualifications and interests, might be included in the position upon agreement.

Required selection criteria

You must have a master's degree in a relevant subject area, and your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at the Master’s level. Master’s students may apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before the application deadline
You must have a strong academic record and have an average grade from your Master’s degree which corresponds to a B or better, compared to NTNU’s grading scale. Shorter Master's degrees from other countries will be assessed in accordance with the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills' guidelines for recognition of foreign higher education
You must meet the requirements for admission to a PhD Programme at the Faculty of Humanities. The most relevant PhD programme is in Historical and Cultural Studies
Very good oral and written presentation skills in English

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

Previous relevant research experience
Completion of university-level biology, biochemistry or chemistry courses
Previous publications in peer-reviewed journals

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
Get involved and contribute constructively with feedback
Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
Analyse 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 for the doctoral work, with the possibility of extending up to four years including career-promoting work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Humanities within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment. The most relevant PhD programme is in Historical and Cultural Studies.

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.

The application must include:

A short letter of motivation (max 400 words/1 page)
CV
The names and contact information for 2 relevant references
Copies of diplomas and transcripts (Masters and Bachelors)
A project proposal (4-6 pages) according to our template
Copy of Master's thesis
Possible publications and/or other relevant research work

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.

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 Associate Professor of Human Osteoarchaeology Alison Harris, Department of Archaeology and Cultural History at alison.harris@ntnu.no

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Hege Kissten at hege.kissten@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 15.03.2026

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.

PhD Candidate in Human Osteoarchaeology