PhD in History

The Department of Modern History and Society has a vacancy for a PhD Candidate in History

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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.   

About the position

The PhD candidate will contribute to the project “All the names” by developing their own research agenda around the issues described below. As a PhD Candidate, 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, inside and outside academia. The successful candidate is expected to join the department by August 15, 2025 (or September 1, 2025, at the latest). Interested applicants may contact the project leader for more details (francisco.beltran.tapia@ntnu.no). 

The immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

Gifting a baby with a personal name is a universal cultural phenomenon that is attached with a profound symbolical value. Although the pool of potential names is theoretically infinite, the range of names traditionally used has been quite limited because the choice of a specific name was bound by existing cultural practices. In historical Europe, for instance, many children were named after their close relatives or cherished religious figures. The weight of tradition therefore implied that many individuals shared the same names, a circumstance that was transmitted across generations. Parents had nonetheless the last word and the degree to which they conform to those practices speaks a great deal about their cultural identity and preferences. Indeed, the stock and variety of names expanded, slowly and unevenly, from the 18th century onwards as the importance of religious considerations and the need to transmit names within families declined in response to the underlying societal changes that Europe was undergoing. Naming practices thus reflect the cultural context underpinning a particular society, together with the values and beliefs of the parents themselves, thus offering a unique opportunity to study cultural variation, persistence and change. Likewise, given that names provide crucial insights about parental values and beliefs, they can shed light on how cultural factors may have influenced the way parents raised their children (i.e. the care they devoted to their children, the importance they attached to education, etc.).

This project therefore uses the information contained in names as expressions of parental values and beliefs, as they signal the importance that families attached to religious values, family ties, political beliefs, and gender roles, among other dimensions. Relying on individual-level information contained in parish and civil registers and population censuses (and other historical sources), the project seeks to:

• Trace the relative importance of different naming practices in Europe (circa 1750-1950).
• Analyse the dimensions that explain the variation in naming practices, not only across regions and over time, but also between families.
• Explore how culture helps shedding light on how parents raised their children and therefore shaped their individual outcomes (i.e. infant and child mortality, education, heights, marriage age, etc.).

Proposals are welcome for any European region and period. As well as the main research questions, the project description should describe both the source material and the methodology.

Duties of the position

As a doctoral fellow, you will be expected to:

• Complete the doctoral education 
• Carry out research within the framework described above
• Publish texts oriented toward popular science dissemination
• Participate in international activities such as conferences and/or workshops
• Teach history subjects and/or computational methods to historians

Required selection criteria

• Master’s degree in history, economics or another relevant field 
• 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.
• 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.
• Meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program.
• Good written and oral English language skills. 

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

If you cannot document skills in Norwegian, Swedish or Danish you will have the opportunity to take a Norwegian courses corresponding to at least 15 credits. NTNU will facilitate this. The Norwegian course is optional. 

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations for the Universities and Colleges Act (university and colleges regulations) 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

• Research proposal
• Experience working with historical sources and/or quantitative methods
• Knowledge of the study area / period of study 
• Teaching experience
• Good written and oral language skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is also an asset.

Personal characteristics

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

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment
• An open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• As a public employee, you have favourable benefits as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

You will be employed as a PhD Candidate at NTNU and 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. 

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  536 200,-  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 doctoral work and with the possibility of 1 additional year for teaching responsibilities depending on the candidate’s qualifications. 

For employment as a PhD Candidate, 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.

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 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 with the 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 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 The application must include: (decide on what must be included - remove what does not fit):

• Motivation letter (maximum 2 pages)
• Project proposal containing an overall description of research question(s), source material, theoretical perspectives and methodological design (maximum 5 pages) 
• CV 
• Certificates, transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• 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.
• Electronic copies of publications or other relevant research work (if any)
• 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 works 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 Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia (francisco.beltran.tapia@ntnu.no). 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR-Advisor Hege Kissten, hege.kissten@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 01.06.2025 

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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