PhD Candidate in Impact Assessment on Biodiversity at a Company Level

Research collaboration in sustainability

In 2015, the 2030 agenda with the 17 sustainability goals was adopted by all UN member states. The sustainability goals see the environment, economy and social development in context. The time horizon for necessary changes is short, and it is challenging to combine different considerations without conflicts of objectives and unintended consequences of measures. 

NTNU is now announcing 43 individual PhD positions that will contribute to a greater understanding of system effects, societal changes and conflicts of interest related to the sustainability challenges. These positions are divided into 9 interdisciplinary projects  with mainly 4-7 PhD positions in each project. In this position, the candidate is expected to cooperate with the other PhD students in the project "Nature-based solutions for land use transitions towards more sustainable societies ". 

About the project

This is a 3-year PhD position with the possibility of an additional year with working duties at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management – section for Health, Safety and Environment Management. The position is resident at NTNUs campus in Trondheim. It is an educational position, which will provide promising research talents the opportunity for professional development towards a PhD-degree. The position is connected to the PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Management and the faculty will be your employer.

We are searching for a PhD candidate to develop and test tools for impact assessment on biodiversity from land use activities at a company level.  

The position will be part of a larger multidisciplinary project "Nature-based solutions for land use transitions towards more sustainable societies", funded by the NTNU Sustainability call. The project has the following main objectives:

• To quantify how land use changes affect local and regional biodiversity, and to assess the societal costs such biodiversity losses
• To provide an in-depth understanding of the societal aspects related to land use change and biodiversity loss and identify the roles and rights of stakeholders in defining biodiversity and nature
• To develop tools to implement compensation and restoration of societal and biodiversity costs into practical planning in order to reach the aims of the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDG).

The project involves a collaboration between the following departments at NTNU: Department of Biology, Department of Geography, Department of Natural History, and Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management. The main study area for the project is Trøndelag county.

About the position

The aim of the PhD project is to develop tools for assessment of the use of area on an industry or company level, and potential habitat degradation this might cause. Such an assessment should enable comparison of alternative locations and/or management and create a foundation for potential compensatory actions.

One task will be to evaluate existing strategies and tools, such as biodiversity offsets schemes, compensation and restoration, and LCA. Further tasks will be to test these on case studies within the project, and suggest improvements and new tools if relevant. The work will interact with activities within the project to fulfil the overall goals.

We search for a highly motivated candidate with a relevant background. The candidate preferably has competence in environmental impact assessments and indicator development, with additional knowledge in either biology or economics. Backgrounds in social sciences, management and/or ecology could all be relevant. The successful candidate will be part of a multi-disciplinary research team in environmental management. In addition, being part of the NTNU Sustainability project "Nature-based solutions for land use transitions towards more sustainable societies", the candidate will be in close contact with PhD-candidates from other departments at NTNU. The project will be included as a part of the proposed Gjærevoll-centre for biological diversity and green transitions. The project will be in collaboration with The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) who also will contribute in the supervision of the candidate.

The position will suit a PhD candidate who is motivated by collaboration with different scientific professions as well as research on companies and industry. It will provide complete doctoral education to obtain a doctoral degree, including primary research training, PhD-level credit courses, and appropriate teaching experience (if agreed). Research training will include data management, case studies, critical evaluation of existing methods, and experience of working within a collaborative research team.

Required selection criteria

• A relevant master’s degree in environmental impact assessment, preferably with knowledge in biodiversity and/or economics. A master’s degree in ecology or economics could also be relevant if the candidate has additional competence in environmental impact assessment  
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Good scientific communication skills (written and oral English)

The following criteria will count positively in the evaluation:

• Well-developed understanding of environmental reporting, value chain assessments, and land use impacts. Additional competence in either biology or economics is an advantage.
• Ability to communicate in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language
• Experience with case studies

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants  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  

Incomplete applications will not be considered. This also applies to applications from candidates originating from countries covered by ITAR or “Electronic Code of Federal Regulations ”

Personal characteristics

Personal characteristics of the successful candidate are enthusiasm for interdisciplinary and team-based research, self-motivated, strongly collaborative and solutions-orientated.

We are looking for a candidate with social skills benefiting the work environment for the PhD candidates and in general.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer

Information about Working and living in Norway can be found at the following link: http://www.nyinorge.no/en/Ny-i-Norge-velg-sprak/New-in-Norway/

Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, at gross NOK 491 200,- per annum before tax. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years with the possibility of an additional year with working duties. Appointment to a PhD position requires admission to the PhD programme in Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management (https://www.ntnu.no/iot ).

As a PhD candidate, you undertake to participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. A condition of appointment is that you are in fact qualified for admission to the PhD programme within three months.

Primary residency in Trondheim is a prerequisite. The person appointed must live in a location enabling him/her to be present at and available to the institution.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants.

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

About the application

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• Letter of interest in the position, summarising key attributes and reasons for application
• A suggested outline for the project on maximum 3000 words 
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have 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.
• Contact details of three references
• If you have publications or other relevant research work these can be included

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.

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

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

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

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.

In accordance with The Public Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

For more information about the position, please contact Professor [email protected] . For more information on the NTNU Sustainability project "Nature-based solutions for land use transitions towards more sustainable societies", also Professor [email protected] or Researcher [email protected] can be contacted.

For questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Hilde Selli Egelie on [email protected] .

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. 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) .

Application deadline: 14.01.2021

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management

The department (IØT) has as its mission to carry out educational and research activities at a high international level. IØT’s core activity lies in the intersection between technology/natural sciences, business economics, management, and HSE, aiming to promote sustainable value creation in technology-based areas in industry, business and the public sector in Norway.

We recruit new employees who are passionate about contributing to the department’s vision “More research, interaction and cooperation which increases our value creation at the interface between technology/natural sciences and business economics, management, and HSE”. We are looking for you who have experience with and potential for continuous innovation at this interface.

Deadline 14th January 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service