PhD Position in Geography with focus on Post-Fossil Fuel Transitions in Petroleum-Producing Nations

PhD Position in Geography with focus on Post-Fossil Fuel Transitions in Petroleum-Producing Nations

The Department of Geography and Social Anthropology offers a

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About the position

The Department of Geography and Social Anthropology offers a PhD Candidate position for a period of three years.

The Department of Geography and Social Anthropology invites candidates to apply for a three-year position as a PhD Research Fellow in Geography with focus on Post-Fossil Fuel Transitions in Petroleum-Producing Nations. The PhD fellow will be part of the Research Group “Geographies of Just and Sustainable Transitions”, and will join a dynamic and collegial research environment that includes both early career and senior researchers working across a broad range of fields at the Department.

The PhD fellow will also be affiliated with the NTNU Strategic Area on Energy under the focus area “Beyond the Fossil Fuel Era” and will be supervised by Alexander Dodge and co-supervised by Amber Nordholm and Espen Moe.

Starting date as soon as possible/by agreement.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The global oil and gas (O&G) sector sits at a critical conjuncture – there is broad consensus among governments, industry and market outlooks that global oil demand will plateau or peak between 2030 and 2035 as governments around the world work to meet their climate commitments and as new technologies (i.e. solar panels, heat pumps, batteries, etc.) gain traction in global markets. At the same time, however, the pace and speed of fossil fuel decline afterwards is highly uncertain. The Strait of Hormuz blockades have generated enormous revenue for O&G companies but may also prove to be an inflection point that accelerates efforts to move beyond fossil fuels. The uncertainty surrounding the future of fossil fuels is particularly prevalent for governments in petroleum-producing nations. On one hand, governments are under increasing pressure by the public and civil society organizations to end fossil fuel subsidies, stop new field exploration and development, and transition their economies away from fossil-fuel production. On the other hand, as the energy transition progresses, it has created its own counterforces and resulted in political pushback from climate-skeptical or even climate-denying political populists who have argued that the energy transition is inefficient, expensive, and unduly harming regular people, and that the only thing that protects the economy and preserves the welfare state is to open new areas for exploration and to provide tax relief/subsidies to stimulate new developments.

The primary objective of the PhD project should be to investigate and better understand the contradictions and dilemmas democratic states in petroleum-producing nations must negotiate and navigate through uncertainty surrounding the direction and pace of transition to a post-fossil fuel era. Drawing energy geographies, (cultural) political economy and/or sustainability transitions, the successful candidate should examine the politics, strategies, counterforces, and/or backlashes surrounding statecraft in democratic petroleum-producing nations. This entails a focus on the role of and relationships between institutional legacies, vested interests, labor, expertise (consultants, think-tanks, academia, etc.) and/or civil society in shaping how the democratic-states conducts public affairs, initiates government projects, and manages domestic and international relations surrounding the petroleum-sector and fossil-fuel transitions.

Successful candidates may choose to limit their study to the Norwegian-context or conduct a cross-comparative study between Norway and other democratic petroleum-producing nations such as United Kingdom, Indonesia, and Australia. Candidates should aim to contribute to discussions in national newspapers or public forums that could eventually feed into discussions surrounding the report from Norway’s Transition Commission (“Omstillingskommisjon”).

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Be a part of the Just and Sustainable Transition research group at the Department of Geography.
• Help organize events for the Beyond Fossil Fuel Focus Area at NTNU Energy
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties during the employment period.

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the PhD Programme in Social Sciences with Specialization in Geography at NTNU, see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
• Your education must be equivalent to a five-year Norwegian degree.
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Human Geography, Science and Technology Studies, Political Science or an equivalent degree in Social Sciences. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis
• You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Experience with Qualitative Research Methodologies in Social Science
• High-quality research proposals and a research plan that is relevant for the project and existing research at the department and among the supervisors.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Relevance of a professional background
• Experience with quantitative methods/social network analysis is a plus.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian equivalent level B2

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
• Analyze 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

• 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 580 000,-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 employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Social Sciences with Specialization in Geography within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment.

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 Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English.

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.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently 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.
• Project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 1500 words/4 pages)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

In addition, applicants are required to answer the position-related screening questions in Jobbnorge when submitting their application.

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 Alexander Dodge, +47 73591911, alexander.dodge@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor Renate Lillian Johansen e-mail: renate.johansen@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 01.12.2026

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.