PhD in stroke rehabilitation | Feasibility of group-based cognitive and emotional rehabilitation

PhD in stroke rehabilitation | Feasibility of group-based cognitive and emotional rehabilitation

Quick Decision

Promising with material uncertainties. This is a focused, three-year NTNU PhD employment opportunity in clinical neuropsychology and stroke rehabilitation. The project is a randomized feasibility study of group-based rehabilitation for people three to six months after stroke. Its stated tasks span recruitment, data collection, intervention delivery, quantitative and/or qualitative analysis, publication and public communication. The named VaDi team and its research record align closely with cognitive and emotional outcomes after stroke.

Three points should be resolved before investing heavily in the application: the appointment is conditional on external funding, the vacancy requires C1 or C2 Norwegian and English in both oral and written skills, and the candidate’s health-profession master’s must meet NTNU’s Social Sciences PhD admission route. The application deadline is 28 November 2026. Ask HR and the faculty PhD administration to confirm these items first. The vacancy text states the specific requirements and employment condition.

Research Problem and Doctoral Work

What Is Unsolved and Why It Matters

Stroke recovery can leave persistent cognitive and emotional symptoms that affect daily functioning and quality of life. In the vacancy, NTNU frames the project around whether two group rehabilitation programmes can be delivered and studied for people three to six months after stroke. This is a feasibility question; the advert does not present the study as a definitive test of efficacy.

The plan is to recruit 54 people through the stroke unit at St. Olavs Hospital and randomly allocate participants among Goal Management Training, an adapted Love Your Brain yoga/mindfulness programme, or usual follow-up. The two rehabilitation programmes are described as groups of four to six people over six weeks. Data collection includes cognitive tests, questionnaires and interviews before and after the programmes; family members may also share their experience. No detailed treatment protocol is needed to understand the research question, and none is reproduced here. The design and recruitment description come from the vacancy text.

The researcher is expected to support recruitment, data collection and delivery of the study interventions; conduct quantitative and/or qualitative analyses; prepare scientific articles; communicate results to non-specialist audiences; participate in VaDi activities; and take part in international courses, conferences or research visits. This combines clinical research operations with outcome measurement and academic writing.

Work, Methods, and Potential Outputs

A feasibility study can ask whether recruitment and retention are workable, whether group delivery and follow-up data collection are acceptable, whether measures can be completed, and what should change before a larger study. It may also describe exploratory outcome patterns for executive function, quality of life and related measures. These are reasonable research angles suggested by the advertised design, not confirmed endpoints or progression thresholds. A sample of 54 is presented for feasibility; it should not be described as powered proof that one programme is more effective than another.

The posting promises doctoral research and publications but gives no guaranteed number or journal of outputs. It also does not state project start date, exact outcome battery, sample-size rationale, ethics approvals, data-governance arrangements or numerical criteria for moving to a future trial. The CONSORT extension for randomized pilot and feasibility trials explains the role of such work in informing a future definitive study, but it does not establish that this project has a continuation phase. CONSORT feasibility-trial guidance.

School, Programme and Field Context

NTNU and the PhD Route

NTNU is the employer and degree-awarding institution. The role is hosted by its Department of Psychology and the Vascular Diseases Research Group (VaDi). The relevant degree route is the Social Sciences PhD programme, Psychology specialization. NTNU describes the programme as a full-time three-year doctorate with at least 30 ECTS of coursework and an independent research thesis. Programme overview.

Admission is a separate faculty decision, not automatic upon appointment. The vacancy requires the employee to obtain admission to the Social Sciences PhD programme within three months after starting. The programme admission process is separate, so confirm the application and decision timeline with the faculty. NTNU normally requires a 120-credit master’s in a relevant specialization, an independent thesis worth at least 30 credits, and academic results equivalent to a B average or better. The faculty can consider comparable qualifications through an individual assessment. An NTNU PhD appointment is considered adequate funding evidence, but the programme still requires a separate admission application and documented funding for the full three-year period. Programme admission and funding rules.

Institutional Signals and Their Limits

The QS 2026 overall ranking lists NTNU at #267; ShanghaiRanking’s ARWU 2026 places NTNU in the 151–200 band. These are broad institutional rankings, based on different methodologies. They do not rank the Psychology specialization, VaDi, the named supervisors or this specific project. A current psychology-subject rank was not verified in the ranking pages reviewed. QS profile, ARWU institutional profile.

The local clinical-research context is relevant. VaDi describes an interdisciplinary group studying cognitive and emotional symptoms after stroke, with members based at NTNU and St. Olavs Hospital. St. Olavs also describes close research collaboration with NTNU. These pages support the existence of a broader partnership and research setting; they do not independently establish the project’s clinical access schedule or resources. VaDi group, St. Olavs research department.

Field Outlook

The field has moved toward multidisciplinary, longitudinal and function-relevant stroke rehabilitation research. The 2026 AHA/ASA guideline summary emphasizes coordinated rehabilitation and restorative as well as compensatory approaches, while noting that optimal approaches, timing and dosage remain uncertain. Canadian Stroke Best Practices describe cognitive-rehabilitation evidence as growing but often based on limited or mixed patient groups. NICE guidance emphasizes attention to cognitive, emotional and psychological changes and to functional outcomes. Together, these sources support continued research on what can be delivered, measured and sustained; they do not establish that either programme in this vacancy is effective. AHA/ASA 2026 guideline summary, Canadian cognitive-rehabilitation recommendations, NICE stroke-rehabilitation recommendations.

Supervisor and Lab Assessment

Supervisor Research Directions

Ramune Grambaite is an Associate Professor in clinical neuropsychology at NTNU, a certified specialist and leader of VaDi. Her institutional profile describes work on cognitive and emotional changes after stroke and related brain changes. VaDi’s stated group methods include neuropsychological assessment and MRI, but MRI is not listed as part of this advertised project. Grambaite’s NTNU profile, VaDi group overview.

Jan Egil Stubberud is a Professor at the University of Oslo’s Department of Psychology. His official profile lists cognitive rehabilitation, executive function and intervention research, with projects related to post-stroke fatigue and Goal Management Training. His UiO position is co-supervision; it does not change the degree-awarding institution from NTNU. Stubberud’s UiO profile.

Trude Reinfjell is a Professor in NTNU Psychology. Her recent institutional publication list includes work on neurocognitive outcomes and rehabilitation in childhood-cancer survivorship. This provides related cognition and rehabilitation expertise, although the record reviewed does not establish a stroke-specific research programme. Reinfjell’s NTNU profile.

Recent Important Publications

Four recent papers from the named research environment help clarify what it studies and where the limits are.

1. Cognitive change is heterogeneous. Etesami and colleagues’ 2025 exploratory study of 85 stroke patients reported varied trajectories, with 26% showing overall cognitive improvement by three months. Grambaite is a co-author. This supports careful interpretation of pre/post outcome variation, but the study is observational and does not test rehabilitation. PubMed record.

2. Long-term cognitive and psychological outcomes matter. Gjestad and colleagues’ 2024 Nor-COAST analysis associated acute-stroke delirium with later cognitive and psychiatric symptoms; Grambaite is corresponding author. It illustrates the team’s longitudinal clinical-research work, but it is an observational study, not evidence that an intervention caused improvement. Publisher article.

3. Prediction work captures post-stroke fatigue. Luzum and colleagues’ 2024 multi-centre cohort study used early data to predict fatigue at 18 months and reported an AUC of 0.79 in unseen data. Grambaite is a co-author. It demonstrates quantitative outcomes expertise; it does not establish clinical deployment or programme effectiveness. PubMed record.

4. Brief cognitive screens have limits. Navickaite and colleagues’ 2024 Nor-COAST study examined the diagnostic accuracy of the Clock Drawing Test and reported lower accuracy than MoCA for identifying post-stroke neurocognitive disorder. Grambaite is a co-author. The paper is relevant to measurement choices, not treatment effects. BMC Neurology article.

The team’s broader Nor-COAST work provides local infrastructure and cohort experience in stroke cognition, symptoms and follow-up, but it is a separate study from the advertised feasibility project. NTNU Nor-COAST overview.

Funding, Application, and Living Cost

Employment and Funding

The position is full-time for three years. The normal salary is NOK 580,000 gross per year, subject to qualifications and seniority, with 2% deducted as a statutory contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund. At the posted normal figure, this is approximately NOK 48,333 gross per month; the pension contribution is about NOK 11,600 per year, leaving approximately NOK 47,367 per month before tax after that contribution. This is a simple gross-pay calculation, not an estimate of take-home pay.

The vacancy explicitly says the position is conditional on external funding. The public notice does not state whether the award is approved, pending or subject to a later decision. NTNU’s PhD programme separately requires full three-year funding and operating costs, and admission remains a faculty decision. Clarify the funding status and contingency with HR before relying on the appointment or a start date. NTNU admission and funding rules.

Trondheim Costs

NTNU’s indicative student budget estimates a shared room at NOK 5,000–6,500 monthly including utilities and food at at least NOK 3,600. That is a student reference, not a guarantee of student-housing eligibility or a complete employee budget. Statistics Norway’s 2025 rent survey reports NOK 11,850 per month as the average for a two-room dwelling in Trondheim. NTNU says housing for international researchers and PhDs is unsubsidized, may not cost less than the private market, and depends on departmental verification and availability. NTNU living-expense guide, SSB rental-market survey, NTNU researcher housing.

The housing choice is the main visible budget variable. Salary is gross and personal net income depends on tax and household circumstances. Rent, deposit, transport and other costs require current individual estimates; no savings or net-pay forecast is inferred here.

Application Requirements

The required background is a psychologist, physician or other health professional with an equivalent master’s degree. The vacancy specifies a Norwegian-equivalent five-year education, normally a 120-ECTS master’s level and an independent thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with grades normally equivalent to B or better. It also requires eligibility for the faculty’s PhD programme and C1 or C2 in oral and written Norwegian and English. Clinical experience, cognitive or emotional assessment, neurorehabilitation, research/intervention experience, statistical and/or qualitative methods, and neuropsychology/stroke interest are listed as preferred experience.

The application comprises a CV in the application system, a 400-word/one-page motivation letter, bachelor’s and master’s transcripts and diplomas, a copy of the master’s thesis (or a draft if just submitted), and a proposal of up to 1,500 words/four pages with a high-level research description and timeline. Publications, research experience and certificates may also be included. Foreign qualifications should be documented with the scope, level and grading context; NTNU’s guidance explains documentation requirements. A final-stage master’s applicant may apply but must document completion before starting. NTNU foreign-credential guidance.

The posting says application documents must be in a Scandinavian language or English. At interview, certified copies and two references may be requested. The employer may publish an applicant list containing name, age, job title and municipality; a request for exemption may be declined. The notice also refers to export-control/legal review. C1/C2 proof types and individual foreign-degree equivalency are not specified, so clarify these before submission.

Applicant Fit and Preparation

The strongest preparation is a concise account of how the candidate’s clinical or health-profession background, thesis and research methods relate to stroke outcomes and feasibility research. Show personal contribution to prior studies, ability to work across clinical and research settings, and a realistic proposal that fits the four-page limit. Distinguish mandatory qualifications from the advert’s preferred experience; the candidate is not required to have every preferred skill.

Foreign academic equivalency and permission to practise a regulated profession in Norway are separate matters. NTNU’s PhD admission process assesses academic eligibility. The Norwegian Directorate of Health states that psychologist is a protected title and that practice requires Norwegian authorization or licence; foreign qualifications are assessed individually. This rule matters for a career involving professional practice, but it does not itself decide eligibility for this research position. Directorate of Health guidance for psychologists.

Next Actions and Questions to Verify

Before Applying

1. Ask HR whether the external funding is already approved and committed for the full salary period and project operating costs, and what happens if approval is delayed.
2. Ask which documents or tests establish C1/C2 for oral and written Norwegian and English.
3. Ask the Social Sciences PhD administration whether the candidate’s exact health-profession degree, thesis credits and grade scale meet the Psychology specialization criteria.
4. Confirm the required translations or credential assessments for non-Norwegian degrees and the project start date.
5. Prepare the one-page motivation letter and proposal within the stated limits only after the first three eligibility points are clear.

At Interview

1. Ask which feasibility outcomes, progression criteria, outcome measures, ethics/data approvals and sample-size assumptions are already approved.
2. Confirm the recruitment support and clinical access agreed with St. Olavs Hospital.
3. Clarify how Grambaite, Reinfjell and Stubberud divide supervision and what clinical-research support is assigned to this project.
4. Ask whether a larger definitive study is planned, while treating any answer as future intent rather than guaranteed employment.

Before Accepting an Offer

Confirm that the external funding condition is satisfied in the final employment terms, the salary placement and start date, the vacancy’s three-month deadline for obtaining programme admission, and current housing availability and rent. Check tax and professional-authorization requirements separately for any future clinical-practice role.

Evidence and Sources

Vacancy, programme and university

• NTNU PhD vacancy text — duties, required/preferred qualifications, salary, funding condition, application materials and deadline.
• NTNU Social Sciences PhD programme — Psychology specialization, programme duration, coursework and career framing.
• NTNU Social Sciences admission requirements — degree/thesis thresholds, funding and supervision rules.
• NTNU admission and financing — central PhD admission and employee model.
• NTNU foreign-education documentation — foreign-degree evidence.
• NTNU Psychology research — department groups and PhD route.
• Social Sciences programme career information — programme-level career possibilities.

Supervisors, group and clinical context

• Ramune Grambaite’s NTNU profile — research direction and publications.
• VaDi research group — group scope, methods and collaboration.
• VaDi members — listed members and collaborators.
• Trude Reinfjell’s NTNU profile — role and publication record.
• Jan Egil Stubberud’s UiO profile — role, research interests and projects.
• NTNU Nor-COAST study overview — separate local cohort context.
• St. Olavs Hospital Research Department — clinical research support and NTNU collaboration.

Publications and field evidence

• Etesami et al., cognitive improvement after stroke (2025) — cognitive trajectories.
• Gjestad et al., delirium and later outcomes (2024) — longitudinal cognitive/psychiatric outcomes.
• Luzum et al., post-stroke fatigue prediction (2024) — cohort prediction research.
• Navickaite et al., cognitive screening after stroke (2024) — measurement evidence.
• AHA/ASA 2026 stroke rehabilitation guideline summary — current field-level guidance.
• Canadian Stroke Best Practices: cognitive rehabilitation — evidence summary.
• NICE stroke rehabilitation recommendations — cognitive, emotional and functional assessment context.
• CONSORT randomized pilot/feasibility extension — feasibility-study reporting rationale.

Ranking, cost and career

• QS NTNU profile — overall QS rank.
• ShanghaiRanking NTNU profile — ARWU and institutional subject listings.
• NTNU living-expense guidance — indicative student budget.
• NTNU housing for international researchers and PhDs — unsubsidized housing process.
• Statistics Norway rental-market survey — 2025 Trondheim rent statistics.
• Norwegian Directorate of Health: psychologists — protected title and authorization rules.