About this role
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 About the position The Department of Interdisciplinary Studies of Culture (KULT) has two vacancies for PhD research fellows in Science and Technology Studies (STS), with a focus on knowledge, expertise, valuation and feasibility in sustainability transitions. This entails a focus on decarbonization and digitalization. As a PhD research fellow at KULT, you will become part of an active and supportive interdisciplinary research environment working on among other things technology, science, sustainability, democracy and social change. The position will be affiliated with the Centre for Technology and Society and the research group Climate, Energy and the Environment (CLEEN), one of Europe’s leading social science research groups on energy, climate and sustainability transitions. The research fellows will join a larger project team and a cohort of PhD research fellows and postdoctoral researchers across NTNU, the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and the University of Oslo. The position offers excellent opportunities for academic development, international publication, conference participation, research collaboration and engagement with societal actors working on the green and digital transitions. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the project This PhD position is part of the Research Council of Norway TOPPFORSK project FEASIBILITY: The socio-political and techno-economic craft of enabling twin transitions. TOPPFORSK is among Norway’s most prestigious funding schemes for ground-breaking research, supporting projects with the potential to advance international research frontiers. FEASIBILITY investigates how societies make large-scale transformations towards climate neutrality and digitalization appear feasible, legitimate and actionable. The project focuses on the intersection of decarbonization and digital transitions, often referred to as the twin transitions. Across Europe, governments, industries and public institutions increasingly rely on scenarios, models, indicators, roadmaps and assessments to guide decisions about energy systems, infrastructure, industry, digital technologies and climate policy. The project starts from the observation that such tools do not simply describe possible futures. They actively participate in shaping what is considered realistic, desirable and achievable. FEASIBILITY therefore studies how knowledge, values and governance arrangements influence which transition pathways gain credibility and political traction, and which are marginalized or dismissed. Bringing together perspectives from Science and Technology Studies, sustainability transitions research, political science, geography and techno-economic analysis, FEASIBILITY includes comparative empirical studies across several European countries (Norway, Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom). The successful candidate will contribute to a growing international research frontier concerned with the role of expertise, knowledge production, valuation and future-making in societal transformations, primarily through qualitative methods. The two positions available are: PhD Project 1: The epistemic politics of Twin Transitions How do societies decide which futures are possible, desirable, and achievable? This PhD project explores the role of knowledge, expertise, and future-oriented analysis in shaping societal responses to climate change and digitalization. Governments, industries, and public institutions increasingly rely on scenarios, models, forecasts, roadmaps, and other forms of anticipatory knowledge when making decisions about energy systems, infrastructure, industrial development, and technological change. The successful candidate will investigate how such forms of knowledge influence political and societal decision-making, and how ideas about feasible futures are produced, negotiated, and contested. The project may engage with topics such as modelling, foresight, scenarios, expertise, policy advice, innovation, or governance in the context of the twin transitions. PhD Project 2: Valuation and Decision-Making in Twin Transitions How do societies decide what matters in processes of transformation? This PhD project explores how values become embedded in governance, policy, and decision-making in the context of climate and digital transitions. As societies seek to balance concerns such as competitiveness, sustainability, biodiversity, justice, security, and economic development, different actors promote different ways of evaluating progress and success. The successful candidate will investigate how values are translated into indicators, metrics, assessments, policy frameworks, and governance practices, and how these shape societal priorities and transition pathways. The project may engage with topics such as sustainability metrics, biodiversity, justice, industrial policy, energy transitions, or emerging approaches to evaluating societal change. Duties of the position As a PhD research fellow, you will complete doctoral education leading to a PhD degree. This includes: Conducting high-quality research within the framework of the FEASIBILITY project and the selected PhD topic Developing and carrying out an independent research project, including data collection, analysis, and academic writing. Publishing and disseminating research through international peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and relevant public and policy-oriented venues. Participating actively in the activities of the Climate, Energy and Environment (CLEEN) research group, the Centre for Technology and Society, and