PhD Candidate in Human-AI interaction in teaching and learning

1st September 2025
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English

• Norsk Bokmål
• English

English

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PhD Candidate in Human-AI interaction in teaching and learning
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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.

   

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About the position

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? This PhD fellowship is intended to collaborate with and be an integral part of the newly established AI Centre for the Empowerment of Human Learning (AI LEARN).

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 Norwegian Centre for Writing Education and Research, Department of Teacher Education.

About the project

The position is one of the two PhD fellowships belonging to a university-wide project called Symbiosis (Human-AI symbiosis as a means to tackle societal challenges). Symbiosis takes an interdisciplinary approach to address the opportunities, challenges, and risks associated with the use of AI in one of the main pillars of our society, that of life-long learning and participation.

The project follows the principles of Design-Based Research and Responsible Research and Innovation and will employ extensive case studies in collaborating schools and flexible learning arenas. Symbiosis aims to reinforce the foundations for responsible, trustworthy, and sustainable use of AI in our educational institutions by developing ethical and sustainable principles to guide human-AI collaboration and advancing AI literacy.

The goal for Symbiosis is to offer novel, interdisciplinary insights and knowledge into how to nurture humans-AI collaboration and symbiosis, which will lead to productive and sustainable embeddedness of AI technologies that are aligned with societal and cultural values.

This particular PhD fellowship will explore how students and teachers interact with artificial intelligence (AI). The position focuses on identifying opportunities, risks, and challenges emerging from this human-AI symbiosis, and on guiding the ethical, sustainable, and inclusive implementation of generative AI in educational settings. Possible areas of investigation include literacy, languages, assessment, and the development of AI literacy among school leaders, learners and educators. The PhD candidate will also take part in and conduct research within existing and ongoing projects in schools and teacher education

Duties of the position

The candidate will be a member of the Professional Learning in Assessment Communities (PLAC ) group.

The goal of this project is described above. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who wants to excel in a research environment. Part of the main duties and responsibilities include conducting the following tasks:

• Plan and conduct case studies in schools and/or flexible learning environments
• Facilitate participatory design activities with teachers, students, and other stakeholders
• Collect and analyze empirical data,
• Write up reports and research articles,
• Attend international conferences,
• Organize dissemination and communication activities within the Symbiosis project,
• Participate in collaborative activities within the Symbiosis project.

Your work duties may be adjusted during your research period.

Required selection criteria

• You must have an academically relevant background within teacher education.
• You must have a Master's degree in teacher education or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than the end of September 2025.
• 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
• Good written and oral skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language and English
• Relevant experience from the school sector is beneficial.

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

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish at level A2 upon employment NTNU will facilitate so that you can complete relevant Norwegian courses .

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

The following qualifications will be considered as an advantage:

• Relevant experience from school
• Good oral and written presentation skills in Norwegian/Scandinavian
• Relevant experience as a research assistant in research projects
• Published or submitted relevant research

Emphasis will be put on personal qualities and potential as a researcher. High importance will also be attached to personal communication and collaborative skills.

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is essential to:

• be reliable
• contribute to teamwork
• work independently, systematically and structured

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience, and personal suitability, in terms of the qualification requirements specified in the advertisement.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• 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
• Participation in a Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits and discounts.

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. 

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality. 

If you find this position relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability, cultural background, and unemployment history.

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. If career promotion work will be added, the employment period will be extended accordingly.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Educational Sciences 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 up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary academic 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 withthe principles of the State Employees Act , and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technologyand 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.

If you have used AI when applying for this position: You must specify in the application in what way AI has been used when writing your application.

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:

• CV, certificates and diplomas
• A copy of your 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, no later than the end of September 2025.
• Project proposal with an overall description of research questions, subject area (literacy, languages, assessment, the development of AI literacy among school leaders, learners and educators), theoretical perspectives, methodological design for the project and progress plan (maximum 3000 words, references included)
• A short application letter that specifies your motivation for the position (400 words/1 page)
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 3 works)
• Name and address of until 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.

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 Professor Lise Vikan Sandvik, telephone +4791785002, email lise.sandvik@ntnu.no or Associate Professor Elin Strømman, telephone +4799360342, email elin.stromman@ntnu.no . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Terese Brå, email: terese.bra@ntnu.no . 

Application deadline: 01.09.2025

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 Teacher Education
The Department of Teacher Education offers a full range of study programmes for primary and secondary education in Norway.
Our department supports several active research and development projects in learning, teaching, and school leadership and management, as well as artistic work. The Department of Teacher Education is part of the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences at NTNU. We offer an open and inclusive work environment.  
Questions about the position

Lise Vikan Sandvik

Professor

lise.sandvik@ntnu.no

Elin Strømman

Førstelektor

elin.stromman@ntnu.no

Apply for this job
Deadline

1st September 2025

Employer

NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Municipality

Trondheim

Scope

Fulltime (1 positions) Fulltime (%)

Duration

Fixed Term

Place of service
Sverres gate 12, 7012 Trondheim

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