PhD Candidate in Societal readiness for AI-supported Life Cycle Asses

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Norway; On-site; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim invites applications for a PhD Candidate position in Societal readiness for AI-supported life cycle assessment within the energy and environment group of the Department of Architecture and Technology. The PhD project combines AI methods with LCA to study trust, accountability, and professional judgement.

The 3-year position requires a relevant Master’s degree, strong English, and the ability to work in a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Architecture, Industrial Ecology, Science and Technology studies, Computer Science, or equivalent.
• Degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) and be documented before starting.
• Strong English both written and spoken; good presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Carry out high-quality research on AI-assisted LCA in environmental governance.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and disseminate results to a broader audience.
• Participate in the Energy and Environment research group and related activities.
• Engage in international conferences or research stays as appropriate.
• Complete coursework totaling at least 30 ECTS as part of doctoral training.
• Contribute to teaching, supervision, and examination tasks as needed.

Skills

Excellent written and oral English

Strong analytical skills

Motivation to work on the topic

Education

Master's degree with major independent project (≥30 ECTS)

Tools

Python

MATLAB

R

Job description

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Organisation/Company NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology Department Department of Architecture and Technology Research Field Architecture Technology Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 17 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Country Norway Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with atechnical-scientific profile and a focusin 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.

About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? 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.

A PhD position in Societal readiness for AI-supported life cycle assessment in the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors is now open at the Energy and Environment Group at the Department of Architecture and Technology, NTNU. The Energy and Environment Group lead centres/projects like the Research centre on zero emission neighbourhoods in smart cities (ZEN) , syn.ikia – Sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods , and the Green Deal ARV project on Climate positive circular communities. We use real demonstration projects and our laboratory facilities (like the ZEB laboratory ) extensively in our research. The group currently comprises 10 senior staff members (professors and associate professors), and around 20 research fellows (research assistants, PhD candidates, and post-doctoral researchers). The duration of the position is 3 years.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Life Cycle Assessment is a key instrument for environmental governance in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. At the same time, new artificial intelligence (AI) based tools are beginning to automate central parts of the LCA-based design practice. This includes data gathering, model construction, scenario generation, results interpretation, and decision support. This development may increase speed and usability, especially in early-stage design, but it also raises important questions about transparency, methodological integrity, accountability, professional judgement, and institutional preparedness.

This PhD project will examine the societal readiness of the architecture, engineering, and construction sectors for AI-supported environmental assessments. The use of AI-supported LCA tools will be studied through case applications, including usage of machine-learning approaches, large language models, and automated workflows. The project will analyze how such tools reshape trust, responsibility, accountability, and professional judgement in environmental decision-making, by adopting a mixed-method approach.

The project will be carried out at the Department of Architecture and Technology at NTNU, in cooperation with SINTEF Industry, department of Manufacturing and NTNU Social Research.

The immediate leader is head of department. The place of duty is Trondheim.

Duties of the position

• Carry out research of high quality on AI-assisted LCA in-light of applied use, environmental governance challenges, and societal readiness.
• Publishing in high-quality peer reviewed journals and popular science dissemination.
• Participate in the Energy and Environment research group at the Department of Architecture and Technology.
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or research stays at foreign educational institutions.
• Complete academic training consisting of coursework corresponding to a minimum of 30 ECTS
• Career-enhancing work, which is in addition to the research project and doctoral education, may be offered to a candidate who demonstrates clear motivation and ability for such work, and if the Department determines there is a need. Examples of career-enhancing work include, but are not limited to, contributing to teaching, laboratory and exercise teaching, supervision, and examination work within the employee's areas of competence. Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in Architecture, Industrial Ecology, Science and Technology studies, Computer Science, or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis
• Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than November 1st, 2026.
• 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.
• Excellent written and oral English language skills.
• Strong analytical skills and capabilities, proven through courses and/or thesis deliverables.
• Motivation to work on the selected topic.
• Competence in Life Cycle Assessment and/or other environmental sustainability analysis methods.
• Previous relevant experience with use of Artificial Intelligence (e.g., large language models, machine learning, etc.), especially for Life Cycle Assessment or carbon accounting.
• Good programming skills in one or several languages (e.g., Python, MATLAB, R, etc.).
• Previous experience with relevant concepts from Science and Technology studies (such as co-production) will be seen in a positive light.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian language(s).

Personal characteristics

• Strongly motivated to work on the topic.
• The successful candidate will become part of a multidisciplinary research environment. The candidate is expected to embrace this setting and be a true team player.
• Self-driven with a strong ability to work independently and maintain good structure and discipline in their work.
• Demonstrated integrity and a strong sense of responsibility in their research conduct.

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
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues

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.

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 Architecture 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.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• A 1-2 page sketch summarizing how the candidates background and research ambitions match the requirements of the position.
• The list of publications or other relevant research work if applies.
• Any other relevant certificates or documentation providing evidence of relevant professional training, if appliable.
• 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).

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 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 have any questions about the position, please contact Associate Professor Jan Sandstad Næss (email: [e-mail] ). If you have any questions about the recruitment process, pleasecontact HR Advisor Natalia Swahn (email: [e-mail] ).

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.

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 Architecture and Technology

Our goal is to develop coherent and sustainable architecture of high quality. We work with form, theory and history, building materials and building structures, and energy-efficient and sustainable buildings. Our activities also include the preservation and development of traditional building craft skills. The Department of Architecture and Technology is one of four departments in the Faculty of Architecture and Design .

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Department of Architecture and Technology Country Norway City Trondheim Postal Code 7491 Street Høgskoleringen 1 Geofield