Sustainable Societal Development is a targeted research area across the university created in order to focus and develop NTNU’s contribution to solving major issues facing society. This means national and global challenges where Norway has particular advantages and where NTNU, with our profile and academic strength, can contribute.

The initiative on Sustainable Societal Development is split into four main focus areas:
- Institutional framework conditions, the conditions necessary for sustainable policies and practices;
- Sustainable urban development, the design and planning of sustainable and resilient cities, communities and regions;
- Biodiversity and ecosystem services, knowledge about how human activities affect biodiversity and ecosystem functions, and the sustainable use of natural resources;
- Analysis of environment and sustainability, advanced modeling and analysis of sustainability at the society, business and production levels.

Additionally, four cross-cutting initiatives transverse the main focus areas. The cross-cutting initiatives are ICT as an enabling technology, ethical perspectives related to sustainability, sustainable design and business models, and land use and the sustainable use of natural resources, and will address topics across the four main focus areas.

Five PhD positions are advertised for a period of 3 years. One year of additional funding can be applied for, which will then include 25% compulsory work over the resulting four year period. Compulsory work is defined as teaching duties related to the strategic research area, and may also include committee and board membership and other administrative tasks.

Candidates will be enrolled in a relevant PhD program at NTNU depending on his/her topic. The candidate will be employed at the Faculty of which he/she has been admitted, and will most likely find his/her supervisor and daily workplace there. Candidates enrolled in the doctoral program at NTNU’s Museum of Natural History and Archaeology (Vitenskasmuseet) will have employer responsibilities. Collaboration across faculties will be emphasized, and at least two faculties must be involved in the candidates' team of supervisors.

Two Postdoctoral positions are also available. The positions are advertised for a period of two years, and can be applied for within the same research areas as the PhD positions. There is no compulsory work related to postdoctoral positions.

The sustainability initiative is guided by the motto, "Knowledge for Change.” We are searching for candidates who can help reach this goal through a contribution to a shift towards more sustainable solutions and research under focus areas i) - iv), while incorporating at least one of the cross-cutting initiatives. Candidates who can investigate the interface between focus areas and transverse themes, like the examples shown below, are therefore sought after.

Further details:
http://www.scholarships-links.com