Priority topics for applications for PhD Research Fellowships

Topics for doctoral dissertation projects at the School of Economics and Business 2024

1. 1. Sustainable Entrepreneurs Navigating Stakeholder Relations

Sustainable entrepreneurship is gaining traction as a driving force for positive social and environmental change. This research project explores how sustainable entrepreneurs navigate complex stakeholder relationships to achieve their mission and create lasting impact. We seek candidates with a passion for entrepreneurship and sustainability to conduct qualitative research on this emerging field.

Desired qualifications:

• Master's degree in entrepreneurship, business administration, or related field
• Experience with the use of qualitative research methods
• Proficiency in English and a Scandinavian language is preferred

Supervisors: Elin Kubberød (elin.kubberod@nmbu.no ), Charlotta Levay (charlotta.levay@nmbu.no), Gro Ladegård (gro.ladegard@nmbu.no)

• 2. Resilient Small Businesses in the Aftermath of War: Exploring Trust, Performance, and Survival

Political instability and climate change highlight the importance of understanding how businesses survive and rebuild post-conflict. This research project investigates the impact of the Tigray civil war on business groups and their members, utilizing longitudinal survey and experimental data. The project aims to examine trust, performance, and survival strategies of resilient small businesses in the region. The doctoral fellow can make use of already collected data. The project is based on collaboration between the School of Economics and Business and Mekelle University, Tigray, Ethiopia.  

Desired qualifications:

• Master's degree in economics or related field
• Strong methodological skills (econometrics)

Main supervisor: Stein Holden (stein.holden@nmbu.no)

Co-supervisors: Silja Korhonen-Sande (silja.korhonen-sande@nmbu.no), Mette Wik (mette.wik@nmbu.no), Erlend Dancke Sandorf (erlend.dancke.sandorf@nmbu.no), Dag Einar Sommervoll (dag.einar.sommervoll@nmbu.no)

• 3. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Supply Chain Management

This PhD project aims to improve the efficiency and sustainability of CO2 transport operations in the Nordic countries. The research will identify and recommend integrated system solutions, considering various transport modes, capture, storage, infrastructure, and stakeholder partnerships. It will also conduct a comprehensive cost- and risk analysis of CO2 supply chain operations and develop robust business models.

Desired qualifications:

• Strong quantitative and analytical background
• Experience with simulation and optimization techniques

Main supervisor: Jens Bengtsson (jens.bengtsson@nmbu.no)

Co-supervisors: Knut Einar Rosendahl (knut.einar.rosendahl@nmbu.no) and Erna Engebrethsen (erna.engebrethsen@bi.no)

1. 4. Finance

Five alternative topics are proposed related to Finance:

• Green Economy and Climate Policy: This project will examine the macroeconomic impacts of the transition from nonrenewable to renewable energy sources and the economic drivers of green investments.
• Aquaculture and Marine Resource Economics: This project will explore sustainable management practices in aquaculture, economic dynamics of aquaculture markets, and risk management strategies in the aquaculture and marine resource sectors.
• Market Microstructure in Commodity Markets: This project will investigate the mechanisms that drive trading and price formation in commodity markets, the impact of high-frequency trading on market efficiency, and the implications of technological advancements for market stability.
• Empirical Corporate Finance and Firm Behavior: This project will analyze the relationship between corporate financial policies and firm performance, market valuation, and regulatory frameworks.
• Risk Management and Financial Stability: This project will evaluate the effectiveness of risk management strategies in mitigating market risks, the role of financial institutions in maintaining market stability, and the resilience of the financial system against shocks.

Desired qualifications:

• Master's degree in finance, economics or related field
• Strong quantitative and analytical background

Supervisors: Atle Guttormsen (atle.guttormsen@nmbu.no), Muhammad Yahya (muhammad.yahya@nmbu.no)

• 5. International Economics, Business, and Policy

Globalization is a major force shaping the modern world, but the existing multilateral institutions are struggling to adapt. The current geopolitical challenges and overlapping crises are disrupting supply chains, energy markets, and trade patterns. The doctoral fellow may be able to make use of the Centre for Tax Research’s extensive administrative micro data on firms, trade and investment transactions, and additional sectoral details. These data combined with other datasets can be used to address tariff barriers, excise taxes, customs-related procedures, and other non-tariff barriers that affect trade and investment.  

Desired qualifications:

• Strong quantitative and analytical background

Main supervisor: Roberto J. Garcia (roberto.garcia@nmbu.no)

Co-supervisor: Ron Davies (Ronald.davies@ucd.ie)

• 6. Tropical Deforestation and Supply Chain Policies 

Several policies are in place to try to contain tropical deforestation, responsible for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and a major source of loss of biodiversity and local incomes. One such policy put in place is deforestation-free supply chains. These policies include government ban on importing commodities produced on recently deforested land (cf. the EU Deforestation Regulation of 2023); banning import of ‘deforestation commodities’ such as palm oil; company pledges on greening their supply chains; and various certification schemes by governments, NGOs or producer organizations. In general, the impacts of these are ambiguous or unknown, and more high-quality empirical research is sorely needed.

This PhD project will investigate and evaluate the impact of one or a few of these policies.  The candidate may use large data sets on land use and other spatially explicit variables to analyze policy effectiveness and identify potential leakage effects. The work will link to ongoing research at the faculty and by collaborating partner, in particular a recently started project on deforestation-free supply chains, funded by the research council in Norway, Sweden and Germany  (https://mgbastoslima.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BEDROCK-summary-final.pdf ). NMBU also hosts the Tropical Forest Arena (http://tropicalforestarena.org ), which maintains the collaboration with the private sector and NGOs in Norway. Furthermore, the main supervisor is involved in a large comparative study on REDD+ (https://www.cifor-icraf.org/gcs/ ) 

Desired qualifications:

• Strong quantitative and analytical background
• Knowledge of analyzing GIS data would be an asset
• Fluency in English

Main supervisor: Arild Angelsen (arild.angelsen@nmbu.no)

Co-supervisors: Jens Bengtson (jens.bengtsson@nmbu.no), Martin Persson (Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden; martin.persson@chalmers.se)

• 7. Economics: Real Tax Policy for the Real World

Skatteforsk – Centre for Tax Research invites applications for a PhD position in Economics. The Centre is funded by the Research Council of Norway through a dedicated Centre grant, and the successful candidate will delve into tax, inequality, and climate-related projects within a vibrant interdisciplinary research group. 

Skatteforsk's central research group, based at NMBU, is at the forefront of tax research, collaborating extensively with a diverse network of researchers nationally and internationally, including researchers at the EU Tax Observatory, Oxford University, Princeton, Harvard, the Frisch Center, among others. The group fosters a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment which encourages direct interaction between established scholars and early-career researchers. Skatteforsk places a strong emphasis on dissemination, actively engaging with academics, policy makers, and journalists to ensure the broadest societal impact of its research. 

The selected Ph.D. candidate will gain access to exclusive administrative data, facilitating participation in groundbreaking research directly relevant to societal and public discourse. 

The Ph.D. position offers an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research across 8 main topics: (1) Data infrastructure and research ethics, (2) The frontiers of financial activity, (3) Real estate, (4) Taxation of multinationals and its effects, (5) Inequality within and across countries, (6) Connecting the dots - Climate change, equity, and taxes, (7) Firm and individual reactions to taxation, and (8) Compliance and enforcement by design. 

Candidates are invited to express their preference by submitting a tentative research proposal in their chosen area.  We seek a candidate with a master’s degree in economics or a related field with a keen interest in tax and inequality topics. The ideal candidate should possess experience with Stata and/or R, and basic knowledge of current economic policy challenges.

Main supervisor: Annette Alstadsæter (annette.alstadsater@nmbu.no)
 

8. Open Topic

The School will also consider applications from well-qualified candidates who are interested in joining the program based on a research proposal unrelated to any of the above topics.