PhD Fellowship in Communication and Leadership

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. 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 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.