PhD Candidate in Responsible Innovation and Social Knowledge in Artificial Intelligence

15th May 2026
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English

• English

English

The Department of Computer Science has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in Responsible Innovation and Social Knowledge in Artificial Intelligence
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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.

   

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About the position

The central theme of the PhD is to sociotechnically investigate how European healthcare organizations responsibly handle the risks of moving from small-scale AI pilots toward broader implementation. As AI technologies mature, the debate has shifted from whether AI will impact society to understanding where these impacts occur, how they unfold in real-world settings, and who may be affected. In Europe, these concerns have led to major regulatory developments, most notably the EU AI Act. The AI Act introduces a risk-based framework that classifies AI systems by intended purpose and defines risk as the likelihood and severity of harm. Healthcare AI systems, including diagnostic tools, clinical decision support, and medical imaging applications, are typically categorized as high risk, requiring strong oversight and comprehensive governance.

Yet even with clear legal categories, AI risks remain difficult to identify and assess. Many arise not only from technical limitations but from interactions among algorithms, users, workflows, and clinical environments. This requires organizations to develop new expertise, assessment methods, and governance models capable of managing risks across the AI lifecycle. At the same time, Responsible AI principles like transparency, fairness, accountability, human oversight, and trustworthiness have become widely endorsed. However, Responsible AI offers limited operational guidance, creating a gap between ethical ideals and regulatory compliance. 

This PhD project aims to generate knowledge in this gap through the concept of Responsible Risk, integrating Responsible AI values with regulatory compliance. The PhD will be part of the NordForsk funded project RISK-AI which focuses on the Nordic‑Baltic context to examine how two healthcare cases with different AI-tools interpret the AI Act, define acceptable clinical risk, and develop strategies for responsible AI use. The disciplinary home of this position is Information Systems (IS) as the sociotechnical challenges underpin the field of IS and knowledge beyond the technical is needed to unpack the complex web of legal, organization, and ethics aspects of AI in healthcare.

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.

Your immediate leader will be the head of the AIT group.

About the project

The position is funded through the NordForsk project ‘RISK-AI’ 230778. https://www.nordforsk.org/projects/responsible-innovation-and-social-knowledge-artificial-intelligence-risk-ai and is based at the Department of Computer Science in Trondheim. The candidate will work cooperatively with all the members of the consortium which includes Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Latvia. 

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out and publish research of good quality within the framework described above
• Engage with the project consortium and project management activities
• Participate in relevant international workshops, seminars, and events; expect travel to be part of this position including longer stays in various regions of Norway and Latvia.

The PhD candidate will be supervised by Associate Professor Casandra Grundstrom (main) from NTNU and co-supervised by Associate Professor Line Silsand (secondary) from the Norwegian Centre for E-health Research in Tromsø. The candidate is expected to work together with other researchers in both institutions. 

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in information systems or interdisciplinary backgrounds within computing, law, medicine, and/or healthcare.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's PhD program in Computer Science.
• Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than September 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 , and an average grade from your Bachelor’s degree study which is equal to or better than a C. 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 have demonstrated knowledge in sociotechnical traditions.
• You must have demonstrated expertise in qualitative research methods.
• You must have excellent written and oral English language skills
   

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

• Documented experience working in relevant interdisciplinary projects will be considered an advantage
• Documented skills in oral and written Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) or Latvian will be considered a strong advantage given the emphasis on qualitative research methods

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Work both independently and collaboratively in a team of interdisciplinary experts
• Be open, curious and motivated to deliver results in a timely manner
• Communicate complex information in academic and social environments
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
   

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
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• 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

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 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 with a possibility for 4 years with 25% teaching duties for the right candidate.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in the PhD programme in Computer Science 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 through NordForsk.

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 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
• 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.
• Research plan which describes relevant research question(s), theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and a progress plan for the position (maximum 1500 words/4 pages).
• A short declaration of how AI was used in the research plan and letter of motivation.
• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page).
• If relevant, publications or other research work.
• 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 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 Associate Professor Casandra Grundstrom, casandra.a.grundstrom@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact our HR department at hr@IDI.ntnu.no. 
 

Application deadline: 15.05.2026

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. 

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NTNU - knowledge for a better world

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 Computer Science 

We are the leading academic IT environment in Norway, and offer a wide range of theoretical and applied IT programmes of study at all levels. Our subject areas include hardware, algorithms, visual computing, AI, databases, software engineering, information systems, learning technology, HCI, CSCW, IT operations and applied data processing. The Department has groups in both Trondheim and Gjøvik. The Department of Computer Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering .

 

Questions about the position

Casandra Grundstrom

Førsteamanuensis

casandra.a.grundstrom@ntnu.no

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Deadline

15th May 2026

Employer

NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Municipality

Trondheim

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Temporary

Place of service
Høgskoleringen 1, 7491 Trondheim

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