PhD Fellowship in Communication and Leadership: Household Engagement in the Energy Transition-Practice-Based Living Labs

Kristiania University

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences offers study programs in management, organization, marketing, communication, computer science, information technology, health sciences, innovation and creative arts. Kristiania University of Applied Sciences is Norway's largest independent comprehensive university college with its 24,000 students and a large education offering in Oslo, Bergen and online. Our mission is to strongly contribute to the country's social and economic development through problem-driven and applied knowledge development and dissemination, in close cooperation with society at large.

The School of Economics, Innovation, and Technology

The School of Economics, Innovation, and Technology delivers research and study programmes at bachelor and master level. The emphasis for both research and study programmes is on economics, innovation, digitalization and information technology. Information science, information systems and the interaction between technology and human beings are other exciting focus areas. We also have our own PhD programme in Applied Information Technology. The department is expanding its online offers and offers in further and continuing education in cooperation with working life. The department has well-established research groups and research labs at a high international level.

About the position

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences is offering a fully funded PhD fellowship in Communication and leadership. The successful applicant will be included in a team of researchers with ambitious plans to further develop research and pedagogical activities related to the interaction and interdependencies of business, society, government and the environment from both theoretical and empirical perspectives.

The PhD project is conducted in collaboration with CICERO Center for International Climate Research and leading European universities. CICERO is an internationally recognized research institute that provides research, analysis, and policy advice on climate change, global environmental challenges, and international climate policy. Its mission is to generate knowledge that supports effective climate solutions and strengthens international climate cooperation.

The position is part of the research project REDNEED (Reducing Energy Demand and Meeting Human Needs: A Systemic Approach to Engaging Households in the Energy Transition), funded by the Research Council of Norway (2026–2029). The project is led by CICERO and carried out in collaboration with Kristiania University of Applied Sciences, Nord University, the University of Geneva, Lofotrådet and the municipalities of Varøy, Flakstad and Vågan in the Lofoten archipelago.

The successful candidate will contribute primarily to the development and analysis of practice-based living labs with a focus on communication and leadership as instruments of coordination and cooperation between stakeholders. In collaboration with the REDNEED research team, the candidate will study the co-development, implementation, assessment and communication of energy-related interventions concerning mobility, food, and energy practices in selected households in the Lofoten archipelago.

The candidate will:

• Study the theoretical underpinnings of practice-based living labs and the challenges and opportunities associated with the communication and leadership necessary to involve households and local stakeholders in the energy transition
• Conduct fieldwork in the Lofoten region to support the design, implementation, and post-implementation assessment of a living lab addressing interventions to reduce the energy embedded in food consumption, transport, and household energy use
• Collaborate with REDNEED researchers to gather data enabling the measurement and evaluation of energy savings and environmental impact reductions resulting from the living lab experiments
• Support REDNEED researchers in the organization and implementation of workshops and interviews with local stakeholders and households in the Lofoten region
• Contribute to the dissemination of research findings through participation in academic conferences and other dissemination activities

The main outcome of the position will be a PhD thesis advancing new knowledge on the role of communication and leadership in supporting the co-design of living labs to enable households to reduce energy demand without compromising human needs.

The candidates must have:

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS or equivalent) in a relevant subject area with a grade B or better on the master’s thesis and for the master’s degree overall. The master’s thesis must be a minimum of 30 ECTS or equivalent. The relevance of the subject areas is dependent on the type of project proposed by the candidate
• Relevant bachelor’s degree (180 ECTS)
• Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Experience with research activities such as qualitative data collection, survey work, or assisting in academic projects
• Willingness and ability to spend an extended period (6-9 months) in the Lofoten archipelago during the living lab development and implementation phases.
• Analytical thinking and enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research
• Proficiency in both written and spoken Norwegian and English

Ideally, candidates should have:

• Experience with qualitative data analysis
• Familiarity with qualitative data analysis software, such as NVivo or similar tools
• Knowledge of the energy transition, or of sufficiency-oriented approaches in ecological economics

Personal qualities:

• Curiosity and a strong motivation to carry out independent interdisciplinary research
• Good communication and cooperation skills
• The ability, desire and capacity to work independently, systematically, and purposefully
• Orientation toward the completion of projects and the attainment of goals

Emphasis will be placed on personal suitability for the position.

Benefits:

• High salary compared to international standards (NOK 550,800 per year)
• Equipment at your disposal during employment (e.g., high-end laptop, mobile and mobile subscription)
• NOK 50,000 per year to support travel to conferences and other running costs
• Free health insurance, travel insurance, and pension plan
• Strong labour laws (e.g., fully paid parental and sick leaves, 25 paid days of vacation and paid sick leave)

The application must include:

• Motivation letter for the position
• Approved diplomas and transcripts (in Scandinavian or English language)
• CV
• At least two references
• Master’s thesis
• A project proposal of up to 4 pages, written in English, outlining the candidate’s intended PhD research in relation to the described project. The proposal should reflect the candidate’s own ideas and work, including relevant literature, objectives, methods, expected contributions, and a timeline. AI-generated text must not be used.

Admission to the PhD programme is a requirement for taking up a position as a research fellow. The application must be submitted to the School of Doctoral Studies within three months of the start date. For more information, see the Regulations relating to conditions of appointment for research fellowships: https://lovdata.no/forskrift/2024-06-28-1392/§3-19.

The PhD fellowship period is 3 years, and the earliest start date is 15.09.2026.

Working place located in Oslo, with numerous amenities, recreational spaces and urban fun right next door.

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences welcomes and encourages applications from diverse backgrounds. Women and persons with minority background are particularly encouraged to apply.

For more information about Kristiania, visit: https://www.kristiania.no. To learn more about the PhD in Communication and Leadership, visit: https://www.kristiania.no/en/research/phd.

If you have any questions regarding the PhD project, please contact Erlend Nybakk (Erlend.nybakk@kristiania.no).

If you have any questions regarding the PhD programme, please contact Nigel Halpern (nigel.halpern@kristiania.no).

Prospective applicants can contact Monica Guillen-Royo (monica.guillen-royo@cicero.oslo.no), Principal Investigator of the REDNEED project, to request additional information to support the preparation of their 4-page proposal.

Application deadline: 1.06.2026.

Only applications received through our application portal will be considered.

We use Semac background checks in our recruitment process.

The employment is to be made in accordance with the regulation to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who, by assessment of the application and attachments, are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to Kristiania.

Only applications received through our application portal within the deadline will be considered.