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

EURAXESS Ireland; Trondheim; Hybrid; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology seeks a PhD Candidate in Societal readiness for AI-supported life cycle assessment within the Architecture and Technology department. The project investigates AI-enabled LCA tools, trust, accountability, and governance in design and construction.

The role is based in Trondheim with collaboration across NTNU and SINTEF Industry. The candidate will conduct high-quality research, publish results, and engage in international activity, while

Qualifications

• Must have a relevant Master's degree (Architecture, Industrial Ecology, Science and Technology studies, Computer Science) with a major independent project (≥30 ECTS).
• Excellent written and oral English; Norwegian/Scandinavian language skills are a plus.
• Strong analytical skills and capability demonstrated through courses/thesis.
• Good programming skills in Python, MATLAB, or R.

Responsibilities

• Carry out high-quality research on AI-assisted LCA in environmental governance and societal readiness.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and disseminate results to a broader audience.
• Participate in the Energy and Environment research group and international activities.
• Complete academic coursework totaling at least 30 ECTS.
• Prepare for potential career-enhancing activities aligned with departmental needs.

Skills

English proficiency

Analytical ability

Programming languages

Team collaboration

Education

Master's degree in Architecture/Science and Technology studies/CS

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.

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.

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.

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).

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