PhD Candidate in Environmental Psychology

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.

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities in an interdisciplinary project between environmental psychology and artificial intelligence (AI)? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia. You will work from a psychological perspective with cutting-edge AI solutions to reduce the environmental footprint of households.

Your immediate leader will be the Deputy Head of Research.

The PhD position builds on previous work of researchers from the group “Citizens, Environment and Saftey”. In the EU project ENCHANT, we collected electricity use data of 2400 European households for five weeks and provided psychologically informed interventions to reduce energy consumption through a web-based app. Using machine learning, we then collaborated with a software company and trained an algorithm that can suggest the combination of interventions to households that are expected to result in the best electricity savings, given the socio-psychological profile of the households. The targeted algorithm-suggested interventions were (based on the data from the project) about 50 % more successful in energy saving than the best possible general intervention strategy. In this PhD project, we want to take the next step in this development and use generative AI to tailor the intervention messages and visuals dynamically to user preferences to increase the effect even more and integrate these solutions with smart steering and measurements in pilot households. The task of the PhD will be to work in an interdisciplinary team between psychology and AI experts to help train the tailoring engine, feed it with scientifically solid input and define the boundaries of the space it can operate in. When the prototype is developed, the second part of the PhD will be to test it on households and assess its appeal and effect both qualitatively and quantitatively.

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above in an interdisciplinary project with a solid base in psychology
• Academic publications and popular science dissemination
• Participate in the research group Citizens, Environment, and Safety
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Psychology or equivalent. Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where normally 120 ECTS credits have been obtained at master's level included a master’s thesis or equivalent work with a scope of at least 30 ECTS credits. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position, and no later than 31.08.2026.
• You must have a strong 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 grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme
• Solid methodological background in both qualitative and quantitative research
• Interest and ability to collaborate with computer science and cybernetics
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English

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

• A solid background in environmental psychology, behaviour change theory, intervention design or similar
• Experience with generative AI
• Experience with empirical field work
• Experience with interdisciplinary teamwork
• Scandinavian language abilities

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 also from other disciplines
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject and the perspectives of other disciplines on this subject
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• 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 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.

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- 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 the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Social Science within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout 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.

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 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)
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• Publications or other relevant research work
• Certificates
• Names and contact information of three relevant 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. 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).

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 Professor Christian A. Klöckner, +47 735 91977, email Christian.klockner@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Ina Halvorsen, email: Ina.g.halvorsen@ntnu.no

Application deadline: 31.08.2026

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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 Psychology

Our research and teaching are based on five perspectives: biological, cognitive, social, personality and developmental psychology. We offer a clinical programme in psychology as well as study programmes in the psychology of learning and in work and organizational psychology. We have also three outpatient clinics in which we treat patients as part of the clinical programme. The Department of Psychology is one of six departments in the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences.