PhD research fellow in Modern Economic History

Organisation/Company

NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Department

Faculty of Humanities

Research Field

History » Modern history

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Positions

PhD Positions

Application Deadline

30 Apr 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?

Horizon Europe - ERC

Reference Number

101166983

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

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.

About the position

The Department of Historical Sciences at the Faculty of Humanity offers an exciting 3-year PhD position that gives you the opportunity to develop a strong profile as researcher. The 3-year PhD position is associated with a European Research Council/Horizon Europe research project, entitled “BLOCKADE: The Hidden Weapon. Blockade in the Era of the Two Worlds”. The project explores the impact and legacy of the (sea) blockades during and after both world wars and is undertaken by international teams in four locations, including at NTNU, the University of Freiburg, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Hamburg. For a position as a PhD research fellow, the goal is a completed doctoral education and the attainment of a doctoral degree.

The PhD research fellow will focus on the work package Blockade-induced innovations and imitations, and postwar market integration. The Blockades and the expectation of blockades in the era of the world wars prompted autarky policies, investments in R&D, and import substitution by imitation as well as innovation to cope with scarcity. Whereas some of these innovations and new domestic industries were commercial failures after the war, others became competitive, integrating new (imitative) industries in the world market and crowding out old suppliers. Little is known about the long-term effects of most blockade-induced innovations and the fate of new industries resulting from blockade-induced protection. The work package will use company files relating to two countries affected by the blockade in one of the world wars (e.g. Italy, Norway, Austria-Hungary or Japan, among many others), in order to explain when and why innovations and imitations failed or, by contrast, proved to be of long-term benefit to companies and economies. 

The PhD research fellow is encouraged to develop their own approach to these questions, for example by focusing on one specific industrial sector. The work package is one of six positions across the four BLOCKADE locations that should speak to the theme of 'Integration/disintegration', exploring the short- and long-term integrative and disintegrative effects of blockades with regard to markets, wartime societies and the international order. The team members will work together across locations to build a rich primary source base for BLOCKADE.

Planned starting date for this position is 01.09.2026.

The PhD research fellow will work with the project leader of the Trondheim team, Jonas Scherner. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. 

About the project

BLOCKADE (ERC Synergy Grant #101166983, www.blockades.eu ) explores the two blockades of the First and Second World Wars, and their aftermaths. In these total wars, the Allies imposed a global blockade on their enemies, and the Central and Axis powers responded with blockades of their own. Over a period of six years, the BLOCKADE team, based in Trondheim, Hamburg, Amsterdam and Freiburg, will analyse the impact of blockades on households, states, corporations and the international order; on the development of political and military strategy; on how the wars were prepared, experienced and remembered; and on how peace was made. BLOCKADE sets out to prove that these blockades are crucial to understanding not only the way the world wars were fought but also their globality and totality, their immediate effects and their long-term global repercussions. More information about the project can also be found on www.blockades.eu .

At NTNU’s Department of Modern History and Society, the project team will be located within a rewarding professional environment with an active community of PhD research fellows and postdoctoral fellows.

Duties of the position

• Develop your own approach to the project
• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Work closely with the other members of the project team
• Actively participate in the research and outreach activities of BLOCKADE
• Actively participate in the project’s workshops, seminars and conferences as well as in organizing and hosting those events taking place in Trondheim
• Contribute to data collection (qualitative and quantitative primary sources) for the central database located in Amsterdam

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a master’s degree in history or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level.
• 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
• Excellent oral and written presentation skills in English (equivalent to level B2)
• Excellent reading skills in the languages of both of the countries to be examined in the doctoral project (equivalent to level B1)

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Academically relevant background within economic history.
• Experience working with historical sources

Personal characteristics

• Self-motivated and enthusiastic
• Strong attention to detail
• Goal-oriented
• Team player
• Intellectual independence and creativity

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• Working in a stimulating international academic environment
• Generous travel funds
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• 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 Research Fellow, 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 employment as a PhD research fellow, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Historical and Cultural Studies  within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding. 

As an employee at NTNU, it is important to keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and to 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 be in 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 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, including diploma supplement.
• 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)
• Possibly publications etc. other relevant research work
• Possibly certificates
• Name and contact information of three 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.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal qualities. Motivation, ambitions and potential for research will also be emphasized in the assessment of 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 list of applicants, 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 Professor Jonas Scherner, email: jonas.scherner@ntnu.no . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-advisor Martin Jakobsen, email: martin.jakobsen@ntnu.no .

Application deadline: 30.04.2026

-----------------

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. 

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.

Faculty of Humanities

The Faculty of Humanities offers a wide range of study programmes in the humanities, and is Norway’s second largest faculty of humanities measured in the number of students. We develop leading academic groups in the action-oriented humanities, as well as innovative and inquiry-based teaching and learning. The Faculty consists of six departments as well as a Faculty administration.

Website

https://www.jobbnorge.no/en/available-jobs/job/296312/phd-research-fellow-in-mo…

Research Field

History » Modern history

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Faculty of Humanities

Country

Norway

City

Trondheim

Postal Code

7491

Street

Edvard Bulls veg 1

Geofield

City

Trondheim

Website

http://www.ntnu.no

Street

Edvard Bulls veg 1

Postal Code

7491

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