PhD Position in Artistic Research

About the job

The faculty of Architecture and Design (AD), NTNU, has a temporary position available as a PhD in artistic research for a period of three years with the possibility of a fourth year related to teaching or other relevant assignments. The position is open for applicants with a background from fine arts, architecture or design.

The need for transition increases in line with the growing complexity of societal challenges. This applies to issues such as the climate crisis and loss of natural diversity, increasing social and economic inequalities, migration, demographic changes and public health. Ability to change is closely linked to innovation and creativity.

Applicants are invited to present a research proposal on how art, architecture and/or design practice engages in societal change and the transition of cities and communities. We call for proposals that focus on the development of creative and critical methods approaching complex societal challenges. The research should explore how artistic practices may be drivers for innovation. It should contribute to further positioning of the AD faculty within a potential future interdisciplinary program at NTNU level on creative methods and approaches to innovation (NTNU Create).

The proposal should describe how interdisciplinary perspectives may be included in the research, considering ongoing research activities at the faculty. As part of developing the project proposal applicants must show a connection to a relevant ongoing research at AD and identify a potential supervisor / contact person within the faculty. The research should preferably also show a relation to future strategic research areas at NTNU (e.g. Health, Energy or Community).

Artistic research is understood as research where the artistic, architectural or design performance is at the center of the work. It is required that the candidate in parallel formulates a critical reflection upon their own work. The critical reflection should present and reflect upon the process, the positioning of the work in a national and international context and how the project contributes to the artistic development in line with NTNUs PhD program for artistic research .

The candidate will report to the head of the respective department.

Duties of the position

The candidate’s artistic doctoral work consists of the artistic result, documentation, and a critical reflection. The outcome will be presented through diverse materials that reflect and document the candidate’s progress over the entire course of the process and will be evaluated. The candidate will be enrolled in the PhD program for artistic research.

The candidate will:

• develop and carry out and disseminate an artistic research project
• carry out coursework that contains professional and methodological training at doctoral level  
• share the outcome of the artistic research and production on different scales participate in relevant national and international conferences and disseminate research results on relevant platforms (such as Research Catalogue ).
• present and defend the final PhD result

The faculty of Architecture and design conducts research at a high international level. As part of this, contact with international research institutions is important. It is therefore desirable that the candidate spend at least 3 months at an institution abroad during the employment period.

Required selection criteria

You must:

• hold a master’s degree in Fine Art, Architecture or Design. The degree must be completed within the application deadline
• have substantial experience resulting from an ongoing artistic practice at a high level within Fine Art, Architecture or Design
• develop a maximum 5-page project description  where you demonstrate your potential to carry out an artistic research project at international. The outline should 
  • describe the main project idea, background and research questions
  • express a clear understanding of the theoretical foundation and the research and artistic methods that are intended to be used in the project 
  • identify which of the departments at the faculty the project is intended to be linked to and provide information about scientific staff member(s) who have agreed to be your supervisor(s)
  • present a track record of relevant activities in contemporary venues relevant for their field (exhibitions, performances, publications or other artistic projects etc.) 
• have good oral and written communication skills in English 
• document sufficient experience with and competence in artistic research methods that are relevant for the Department and NTNU  
• show your capacity to contribute to complex artistic research projects across creative disciplines and/or in collaboration with scientific or technological academic environments 
• convey a strong interest in exploring future methodologies of cross-disciplinary collaborations between art, technology, and society

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 

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience from international work
• Good written and oral Norwegian or Scandinavian language skills
• Project management or project development experience

Personal characteristics

We are looking for a highly motivated, quality oriented, conscientious, creative and independent scientist. You should enjoy interdisciplinary research and be a team player with good communication skills. A self-driven, structured and proactive attitude will be central for this position.

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

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. 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 a fourth year related to teaching or other relevant assignments.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD program for Artistic research 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.

About the application

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

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include: 

• Motivation letter with an emphasis on providing relevance to the proposed tasks
• Project proposal including a research plan (maximum 5 pages).
• Name of contact person at the relevant department who have agreed to supervise the project
• A CV with information on education, previous research and practice experience and publications together with authorized documentation of certificates and study records
• Name and address of three 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. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

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.

General information

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 vice dean for research, Professor Eli Støa, telephone +47 932 09 345, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR advisor Natalia Swahn, e-mail: [email protected] .

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: 07.05.23

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.

Faculty of Architecture and Design

The Faculty of Architecture and Design  conducts research and teaching in design, art, architecture, urban and regional planning, real estate development and facilities management, as well as traditional building crafts.The Faculty consists of four departments and a Faculty administration.

Deadline 7th May 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporar
Place of service