PhD candidate in One Health and Social Health Science

ABOUT INNLANDET HOSPITAL TRUST (Sykehuset Innlandet HF)

Innlandet Hospital Trust has an active and well-established research environment, currently hosting approximately 70 PhD candidates, around 20 postdoctoral fellows, ten research groups, and two research centres.
Research and innovation are statutory responsibilities within specialist healthcare services and are essential to the quality and development of patient care. Strong professional and research environments foster critical thinking and contribute to improved diagnostics, treatment, care, habilitation, and rehabilitation through the integration of research-based knowledge. Research at Innlandet Hospital Trust is expected to be of high scientific quality and to address topics that are relevant to the hospital and beneficial to patients.

For more information about Innlandet Hospital Trust, please visit: https://www.sykehuset-innlandet.no/

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The interdisciplinary One Health project RoBoZoo applies a One Health framework to investigate how food production systems, rodent ecology, and climate-related environmental change interact to influence human exposure to rodent-borne zoonotic microbes. The project further explores how such exposure may be associated with long-term fatigue and other health outcomes among farmers.
RoBoZoo combines nationwide rodent sampling, epidemiological surveys and questionnaires, and close collaboration with the agricultural sector and public health stakeholders.

PROJECT PARTNERS AND COLLABORATION

RoBoZoo is a collaboration between research institutions and societal partners, including the University of Inland Norway (project owner), Innlandet Hospital Trust (IHT), the University of Helsinki, the Norwegian Agricultural Advisory Service (NLR), and other partners relevant to recruitment, data collection, and dissemination.
The PhD candidate will work closely with these partners and stakeholders throughout the project period.

THE PHD POSITION

Innlandet Hospital Trust invites applications for a full-time (100%) PhD candidate position in One Health and Social Health Science as part of the interdisciplinary project “Farmer Health: Assessing Risks and Mitigation Strategies for Rodent-borne Zoonoses in Food Production under Climate Change” (RoBoZoo), funded by the Norwegian Research Council.

The PhD candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology at the University of Inland Norway (INN). Innlandet Hospital Trust is a public hospital trust in Innlandet County and a project partner.

This PhD position is embedded in the One Health project RoBoZoo, with a particular focus on farmers as a population experiencing high and heterogeneous exposure through their working environment. Special attention is given to long-term fatigue as a potentially under-recognised consequence of cumulative zoonotic exposure.

The PhD candidate will take a central role in the project and will be responsible for designing, implementing, and analysing a large-scale questionnaire study targeting both farmers and the general public. The work will focus on how farming practices, wild rodent activity, exposure pathways, risk perception, and preventive behaviour relate to self-reported health outcomes, including fatigue.

A key scientific ambition of the project is to link questionnaire data with independent exposure and contextual data generated elsewhere in RoBoZoo, including data on wild rodent communities, pathogen prevalence, farm characteristics, and environmental conditions. This integration will support the development of a food-production-specific Risk Exposure Index and enable interpretation of results within a coherent One Health framework, in close collaboration with ecologists, epidemiologists, clinicians, and social scientists.

Beyond data analysis, the PhD candidate will contribute actively to translating research findings into practice. This includes contributing to the development of mitigation strategies and stakeholder-oriented guidance aimed at reducing zoonotic risk and supporting climate-resilient food production. The role involves interaction with farmers, agricultural advisors, and health professionals, as well as participation in dissemination activities such as workshops, outreach materials, and policy-relevant communication.

PHD ENROLMENT AND WORKPLACE

The PhD candidate will be enrolled in the PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology at the University of Inland Norway (INN) and supervised by Associate Professor Magne Neby (INN), Associate Professor Cecilie Dyngeland (INN), Professor John Linnell (INN), and PhD Karoline Berger (IHT).
The employer will be the Department of Microbiology, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer. The main workplace will be at Campus Blæstad (INN). Periods of presence at Innlandet Hospital Trust and project-related travel are expected.

Planned fellowship period: 1 August 2026 – 31 July 2029

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Applicants must hold a completed Master’s degree at the time of employment, with a minimum grade of B or equivalent.
• Applicants must be eligible for admission to the University’s PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology. Applicants who already hold a PhD will not be considered.
• Admission to the doctoral programme normally requires a Master’s degree (120 ECTS credits) or equivalent education in social sciences, public health, epidemiology, biology, ecology, medicine, veterinary medicine, agriculture, environmental sciences, or related disciplines.
• Applicants who complete their Master’s degree after the application deadline may be considered; however, a complete degree certificate must be submitted as soon as possible and no later than 1 June 2026. Further information about admission requirements and regulations for the PhD programme in Applied Ecology and Biotechnology is available on the University of Inland Norway website: https://www.inn.no/english/research/doctoral-degree/organization-and-regulations-for-the-phd-programme/
• Excellent written and spoken English. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must document English proficiency through an approved test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), or Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE)). Exceptions apply as described on the University of Inland Norway website: https://www.inn.no/english/research/doctoral-degree/organization-and-regulations-for-the-phd-programme/supplementary-provisions-for-admission-phd.html
• Experience with survey and/or questionnaire design, implementation, and analysis.

Desirable qualifications:

• Experience with multivariate statistical methods and modelling (e.g. regression analysis, mixed models).
• Experience working across disciplines (e.g. One Health, eco-epidemiology, occupational or public health, zoonoses, agriculture, or environmental sciences).
• Proficiency in the statistical software R.
• Norwegian or Scandinavian language skills are an advantage for interaction with farmers and stakeholders and for dissemination activities, but are not required.
• Documented competence in quantitative statistical analysis.

PERSONAL QUALITIES

• Strong motivation to conduct interdisciplinary research and complete a PhD within the project period.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and deliver results within agreed timelines.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across research, healthcare, and agricultural sectors.
• Structured, reliable, and committed to research integrity and high ethical standards.

The evaluation of applicants will be based on an overall assessment of educational background, relevant experience, personal suitability, motivation, and compliance with eligibility requirements as stated in this advertisement.

WE OFFER

• An exciting and challenging PhD position within a high-impact, interdisciplinary One Health project with strong societal relevance for farmer health and climate-resilient food production.
• An ambitious and internationally oriented research environment.
• Collaboration with a broad national and international network of researchers, healthcare professionals, and societal partners.
• Salary in accordance with applicable collective agreements and comprehensive public-sector pension and insurance schemes.
• Professional development opportunities in a strong research environment.
• Membership in the company sports association SI Aktiv: https://www.siaktiv.no/

Employment will be in accordance with applicable laws, collective agreements, and regulations in force at any time.

HOW TO APPLY
Applications must be submitted electronically via the portal specified in the official job announcement.

The application should include:

• A cover letter describing motivation and suitability for the position.
• A curriculum vitae (CV).
• Copies of academic diplomas and transcripts (certified English translations are required unless documents are in Norwegian).
• A list of publications (if applicable).
• Names and contact details of two referees.

PUBLIC DISCLOSURE NOTE
After the application deadline, a public list of applicants will be prepared. Applicants may request exemption from the public list in accordance with Section 25 of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova §25). The employer will assess whether the criteria for exemption are met. Please note that an application may be made public even if exemption has been requested. In such cases, the applicant will be notified.