PhD Candidate in Human-Centered Data Governance, Privacy and Smart Environments
BI Norwegian Business School’s Department of Communication and Culture is inviting applications for a four-year doctoral scholarship linked to the DECODE research project, with a start date of 1 January 2027 or earlier by mutual agreement.
The project focuses on human-centered data governance, privacy, and smart environments, exploring how people understand and exercise privacy rights when data processing becomes increasingly complex and opaque. The PhD candidate will work on the communication and user dimensions of this agenda, with possible themes including privacy in smart homes, user perceptions of privacy-enhancing technologies, transparency, personalization and tailored privacy protection, regulatory communication, and the role of design and interface choices in supporting privacy rights.
DECODE is an interdisciplinary Swiss National Science Foundation-funded project led by Professor Dr. Aurelia Tamò-Larrieux and Professor Dr. Christoph Lutz, with Professor Dr. Simon Mayer as project partner. The research combines legal, social science, and technical perspectives and aims to produce regulatory strategies, policy prototypes, and best practices for stakeholders such as data protection authorities.
The successful candidate will be based at BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo and joined to a four-year doctoral programme designed for high-quality research and international academic careers. The department has broad expertise in communication, privacy, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and related social science and interdisciplinary fields.
Eligible applicants must hold, by the start date, a Master of Science degree with thesis work, a research master’s/M.Phil. degree, or an equivalent comparable degree relevant to communication. BI requires a two-year master’s programme and average grades of B or higher. An MBA does not satisfy the admission requirement. Preferred backgrounds include communication, media studies, HCI, information systems, sociology, psychology, law and technology, science and technology studies, management, political science, and related fields.
Applicants should also have strong English proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS unless exempt), solid research design and analysis skills, and a clear interest in privacy, digital governance, smart environments, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The scholarship currently amounts to 623,200 NOK per year and includes 25% teaching duties, pension membership, and funding for research stays in Switzerland and international conferences.
Applications must be submitted electronically with all required documents, including degree certificates and transcripts, diploma supplement, CV, references, a 2–3 page project proposal, publication list, and verification document. Documents submitted after the deadline will not be considered.
