PhD programme in Biology
PhD in Biology
About the programme
The scientific fields of the PhD thesis will be closely related to ongoing research within the research areas at the Department of Biology. Research at the department is internationally oriented, and the students will often work in larger groups involving both national and international collaborators.
Research areas
- Aquaculture
- Ethology
- Evolutionary biology
- Environmental toxicology
- Physiology
- Marine biology
- Molecular biology
- Natural resource management
- General ecology
Research sections at the Department of Biology
Animal Physiology
Research activities within the section address various biological questions like energetics in fishes and birds, chemical communication in insects and plants responding to climatic change.
CBD - Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (SFF/CoE)
The vision behind the Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics at NTNU is to develop an interdisciplinary centre for research into changes in time and space of biological diversity at different organismal levels.
Cell and Molecular Biology
Research activities within the section address various biological questions involving single cell as well as multicellular organisms and use a large range of different technologies.
Environmental Toxicology
The research activities in ENVITOX span from genotoxicity, molecular and cellular toxicology and pollutant effects on fish, amphibians, free ranging marine mammals and birds, including Arctic species.
Marine Sciences
The Marine Sciences research section is focused upon sustainable management, production and utilisation of biological marine resources.
Multiscale Biology
The Multiscale Biology research section studies biological processes from molecule to ecosystems. Much of our research focus on plants and how processes within plants scale up to effects on ecosystems.
SFF/CoE Centre of Excellence
Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD)
ERC Grants
- CLIMEVOLVE - Evolution and mechanisms of thermal performance – answers through artificial selection in zebrafish - Professor Fredrik Jutfelt
- STOCHPOP - Stochastic Population Biology in a Fluctuating Environment - Professor Bernt-Erik Sæther
PhD education
A Philosophiae doctor degree (PhD) is the highest level of formalized education in Norway. The goal of a PhD education is to enable the candidate to conduct original research at a high international level.
The PhD degree is awarded after examination of a thesis. The original contribution to knowledge required of candidates must be consistent with at least three years of supervised research and significant parts of the work should be worthy of publication at international levels.
The PhD candidate will be able to solve complex research problems independently using creative solutions that will have a social and economic impact on society.
Degree: Philosophiae doctor (PhD)
Duration: 3 years, 180 ECTS
Programme code: PHBI
Language of instruction: English
City: Trondheim
Faculty: Faculty of Natural Sciences
Department: Department of Biology
Contact person: Maja C. Haaker
Useful PhD links
PhD at the
Faculty of Natural Sciences
(Faculty-specific information)
PhD at NTNU
(General information at NTNU)
My PhD - Blog posts
- Technology and natural sciences