PhD in Economics in NTNU

Do you have a Master’s degree in Economics or a closely related field with excellent results and wish to immerse yourself in the subject through independent research? If yes, you might be the person we are looking for!

The Department of Economics is looking for a committed, curious, and ambitious person for a three to four year position as a PhD candidate.

We are looking for candidates who wish to conduct research in the fields of development economics, political economics, behavioral economics, or a combination thereof. These are profile areas of the department, which means that the PhD candidate will have ample support and opportunities for collaborations.

You will become part of an active and inclusive group of PhD candidates at the department. Through the PhD programme, you will also interact and engage with PhD candidates from other departments at the Faculty of Economics and Management.

Your immediate leader is the Head of Department at Department of Economics.

The main goals of the PhD positon are competence building and research training, and you will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Economics and Management.

Your tasks as a PhD candidate will be to

• conduct research
• take part in an organized programme which includes high level training in relevant topics and research methodology
• present you own research at national and international scientific conferences

The Department of Economics aims to conduct research at a high international level. Contact with universities and researchers abroad is an important part of this, and we encourage our PhD candidates to spend one or two semesters abroad during their degree.

In order to be qualified for this position you must have

• completed (or be in the process of completing) a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 ECTS) in Economics (or a closely related field)
• a grade average of B or better according to NTNU’s grading scale.
• solid methodological (econometric) skills
• proficiency in English
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral programme

Special attention will be given to candidates’ documented aptitude for quantitative methods. Experience in working with experimental-, survey, and/or geospatial data will be considered a significant advantage in the selection process.

Master’s students can apply, but the master’s degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Phd candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant 

Completing a PhD is demanding. Therefore, you ought to be able to

• work independently
• set goals, make plans to reach these goals, and work hard to achieve them
• creatively approach your subject matter
• present and discuss your research, and constructively engage with feedback from colleagues

A good working environment is important to us. We strive for an atmosphere that is friendly, informal, and characterized by collaborative relationships between our employees. We are looking for a person who:

• works from campus and actively participates in department activities, such as lunch gatherings and weekly research seminars
• constructively engages in academic discussions with colleagues
• actively contributes to academic and social activities for the group of PhD candidates as well as the rest of the staff

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

As a PhD candidate you will receive:

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• an open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues
• a supportive group of PhD candidates at the faculty level
• opportunities to participate in international research conferences and build an international network
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which includes an occupational pension scheme, occupational injuries insurance, and group life insurance
• employee benefits
• A competitive salary

PhD candidates are remunerated from gross NOK 532 200 per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund and NOK400 for funds for organizational development initiatives.

The period of employment is 3 years full-time (no teaching obligations) or 4 years (with teaching obligations).

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Economics within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas, and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. The application deadline is Sunday, 18 February, 2024.

The application must include:

• Application letter concerning your motivation for completing a Ph.D
• CV
• certificates
• transcripts of grades for bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
• diplomas (preferably from the Diploma Registry (Vitnemålsportalen) if you have studied in Norway)
• Research plan or project proposal (1-2 pages)
• Academic works – published or unpublished – that you would like to be considered in the assessment. Joint works will be considered, but to be able to identify your contributions in the project, you must attach a brief description of your participation.
• Name and contact information of three referees

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

Please also note that Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI).

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA.

Working at NTNU

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation 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.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself 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 reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact the Head of Departmen Anne Borge Johannesen, telephone +47 412 15 281, email: anne.borge.johannesen@ntnu.no, or Associate Professor Gustav Agneman, telephone +46 793 587 908, email: gustav.agneman@svet.lu.se. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Randi Holvik e-mail: randi.holvik@ntnu.no

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation.

Application deadline: 18.02.2024