"PhD Fellowship in Communication and Leadership: Leadership, Voice, and Communication in Equestrian Sport"

About the position

Kristiania University of Applied Sciences is offering a fully funded fellowship on its PhD programme in Communication and Leadership at the Department of Leadership and Organization.

The Ph.D. position is associated with the project "Speaking for the Horse: Participant Voice and Equestrian Wellbeing (EQUIP)", funded by the Swedish-Norwegian Foundation for Equine Research. In collaboration with researchers from the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the project will investigate the relationship between voice behavior, organizational processes, and equine welfare in Scandinavian equestrian sports during the period 2026-2029. With an academic foundation in a relevant social scientific discipline such as leadership/management, communication, organization theory and sport management, the project's goal is to acquire new knowledge on how to create a “culture of openness” in equestrian sports as means to improve animal welfare and examine the sport’s “social license to operate” in society.

To help achieve this goal, the appointed candidate must design an independent project related to the project’s sub-theme: how do leaders in Scandinavian equestrian sports address issues related to animal welfare, stakeholder communication, democratic governance, and ethical leadership responsibility? On this basis, we seek applicants with a professional interest in how the fields of organizational development, leadership practice, communication skills, and sport management can mutually develop each other.

The PhD candidate will:

• Design and conduct original research aligned with the project’s overall aim
• Engage in critical literature review and synthesis, and develop theoretical frameworks and conceptual models
• Collect and analyse data using appropriate methods
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at academic conferences
• Contribute to the research group Workplace, Inclusion and Diversity (WID)

The candidate must have:

• Master’s degree (120 ECTS or equivalent) in a relevant social scientific discipline such as leadership/management, communication, and organization theory, 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 180 ECTS bachelor’s degree
• Proficiency in written and spoken English

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 (max. 2,000 words, excluding references), written in English, outlining the candidate’s intended PhD research in relation to the described PhD project, including background, relevant literature, objectives, methods and expected contributions

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.

The PhD fellowship period is 3 years, and the earliest start date is 01.09.2026.

Working place is the School of Communication, Leadership and Marketing. The school is 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 backgrounds 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

Application deadline:

02.03.2026.

Only applications received through our application portal will be considered.