This is NTNU
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.
Video: https://youtu.be/Xt-yHCN5QS0
Background
Integration of Justice and Socio-Environmental Risks into Wind-to-Hydrogen Energy Modelling– PhD position connected to the FME NorthWind (Sustainable Wind Development – WP5 - FME NorthWind)
There is a PhD position available at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management – section of Managerial Economics, Finance and Operations Research. The position is resident at NTNUs campus in Trondheim. This is an educational position, which will provide promising research recruits the opportunity for professional development through studies 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.
The department endeavors to promote research that meets high international standards. Consequently, collaboration with international institutions is considered important. The department therefore encourages the successful PhD candidate to spend one or two semesters of the contract period at a foreign educational institution. The department offers support in planning such research visits.
The mission of Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management (IØT) is to carry out education, research, and innovation activities at an international level at the intersection between technology/natural sciences and business economics, management, and HSE. The department’s activities aim to contribute to sustainable value creation within technology-based areas in industry, business, and the public sector in Norway.
For this position we are particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate the ability to integrate quantitative modelling approaches with socio-environmental and community-oriented perspectives, and who show strong potential for innovative, interdisciplinary, and critical thinking across engineering, spatial analysis, and sustainability challenges in industry and the public sector.
About the position
This PhD project is connected to FME NorthWind, a Norwegian national research centre led by SINTEF Energy Research. FME NorthWind advances research and innovation for the sustainable development of wind energy, with particular emphasis on balancing technological deployment with environmental and societal sustainability. The position is linked to Work Package 5: Sustainable Wind Development, which develops tools and knowledge for reducing environmental and community-related conflicts and supporting robust decision-making under uncertainty.
This PhD position focuses on the sustainable development of wind-to-hydrogen systems through a comparative study of offshore wind development in Northern Norway and onshore wind–hydrogen development in the Magallanes Region of Chile. The project will develop stochastic and GIS-integrated spatial energy modelling approaches that account for climate-driven uncertainty, socio-environmental risks, and competing land- and sea-use interests.
Particular emphasis will be placed on integrating considerations of justice, equity, biodiversity impacts, community-related risks, and spatial trade-offs associated with large-scale renewable energy expansion into wind-to-hydrogen energy modelling and decision-support frameworks.
This interdisciplinary approach combines spatial energy modelling, stochastic optimization, GIS-based analysis, qualitative fieldwork, and socio-environmental assessment to support more robust and geographically informed wind-to-hydrogen system design under conditions of environmental uncertainty and competing spatial priorities.
The candidate will be co-supervised in collaboration with the University of Chile and will engage with industry and research partners affiliated with FME NorthWind and collaborating institutions in Chile.
Duties of the position
- Conduct original scientific research relevant to the research topics above
- Publish and disseminate research results obtained in a suitable and timely manner
- The candidate must engage in FME NorthWind conferences, webinars and activities.
- Complete mandatory PhD coursework during the initial part of the employment period
- Meet with and plan research tasks in collaboration with relevant municipalities, communities and researchers.
Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.
Required selection criteria
- Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field such as Environmental Sciences, Geography, Engineering, Energy Systems, Energy Economics, (Applied) Mathematics, Spatial Planning, or related disciplines.
Applicants must have a weighted average grade for the last two years of their Master's degree (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits) of B or higher in accordance with NTNU’s grading scale
- The successful candidate should demonstrate interest (or knowledge of) in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of energy systems, spatial analysis, and sustainability transitions. Experience in two or more of the following areas is required:
- Energy systems modelling
- Programming in Python, Julia, Matlab, R or similar languages
- GIS-based spatial analysis and/or geospatial data processing
- Knowledge of energy justice, or sustainability transitions
- Familiarity with renewable energy systems, hydrogen systems, or wind energy
- Applicants must have excellent written and oral communication 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 for general criteria for the position.
Factors that will contribute positively to the evaluation
These factors must be documented in the application:
- Experience with multi-objective optimization, or spatial energy modelling
- Experience with Public Participatory Geographic Information System (PPGIS)
- Experience with qualitative or mixed-methods research, including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, or stakeholder engagement
- Experience with participatory research action
- Working knowledge of Spanish and/or a Scandinavian language
Recent graduates, or applicants who are in the final stage of their Master’s program are encouraged to apply. Such an applicant may be offered the position under the condition that the diploma will show satisfactory final term results.
Personal characteristics
We seek a motivated and independent candidate with strong analytical skills, intellectual curiosity, and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research on sustainable energy transitions. The successful candidate should demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an international and cross-disciplinary research environment.
Personal qualities that will contribute positively to the research team include initiative, creativity, strong work capacity, and openness to integrating technical, spatial, and socio-environmental perspectives. We also value good communication and interpersonal skills that support a collaborative, inclusive, and constructive working environment for PhD candidates, researchers, and project partners.
We offer
Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.
- Exciting and stimulating research tasks in a strong international and interdisciplinary academic environment
- An open, inclusive, and collaborative work environment with dedicated colleagues and research partners
- Opportunities to contribute to cutting-edge research on sustainable wind and hydrogen energy transitions
- Close collaboration with academic, industry, and policy partners through FME NorthWind and international research networks
- Co-supervision and international collaboration with the University of Chile
- Research stays abroad and international conference participation
- Career guidance, academic mentoring, and professional development throughout the PhD period
- Working Capital to support fieldwork, research activities, dissemination, and project implementation
- Opportunities to engage with both quantitative modelling and qualitative field-based research approaches
- Favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Employee benefits
Information about Working and living in Norway can be found at the following link: http://www.nyinorge.no/en.
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
PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, remunerated at gross NOK 550 800,- per year 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. The position is connected to the PhD program at the Faculty of Economics and Management, and the faculty will be your employer. Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Industrial Economics and Technology Management within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period. Your work place will be at the Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management in Trondheim.
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 be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.
After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.
As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.
The position is subject to external funding.
For the necessary academic and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.
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. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
The application must include:
- An application letter describing your motivation for pursuing this interdisciplinary PhD position.
- A CV (maximum three pages) including information on education, previous research experience, and other relevant qualifications, together with authorized documentation of certificates and academic transcripts.
- One academic work (e.g., a master’s thesis or academic paper). The academic work must be attached to the application and not provided as an external link.
- Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
- The names and contact information of three references.
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).
Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered.
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.
Questions about the position can be directed to Tatiana González Grandón tatiana.grandon@ntnu.no . Please include “NorthWind PhD” in the subject line of your email.
If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Hilde Selli Egelie, e-mail: hilde.s.egelie@ntnu.no.
Application deadline: 01.08.2026
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.
Om arbeidsgiveren:
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
We conduct research and teaching at an international level in the interface between technology/natural sciences and economics, management, and HSE (health, safety and the environment). Our goal is sustainable creation of value within technology-based areas in industry, business and the public sector in Norway. We have academic groups in Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management is one of four departments in the Faculty of Economics and Management.