With about 17,000 students, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest higher education institutions in Norway. A broad range of academic programmes are offered at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, spread out on five campuses Førde, Sogndal, Bergen, Stord og Haugesund. 

Our ambition is to build stronger and more solid academic and research environments that will interact nationally and internationally. The aim is to become a recognized actor on the international higher education arena. Increased international cooperation and engagement in externally funded projects will work towards this goal. 

The Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences offers a wide range of courses both at undergraduate and graduate levels in: Engineering and Natural sciences Economic and Administrative sciences Maritime sciences Social sciences and Humanities. The Faculty is also responsible for PhD programmes in computer technology, innovation and regional development and in nautical operations.

 The HVL Business School is a new department which has approximately 2,000 students and 100 full-time employees, divided between the Bergen, Haugesund and Sogndal campuses. The HVL Business School has a comprehensive professional environment in Economics and Administration and a range of subjects in the Social sciences and Humanities. 

The department is responsible for 11 bachelor's programmes, four master's programmes in addition to one-year programs and part-time studies. The HVL Business School has a strong academic and research environment, and is central to the doctoral programme in Responsible Innovation and Regional Development (RESINNREG).

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a researcher position within sustainable food system transition available.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a researcher position within sustainable food system transition available for a project period until June 30, 2028. The position is affiliated with the Section for Innovation Studies at the HVL Business School, Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences, Campus Bergen.

The candidate will conduct research within the project FOODMISSION - Engaging citizens as agents of change for sustainable food system transition with a novel gamified educational citizen science platform. The project is funded through the call HORIZON-CL6-2024-FARM2FORK-01 ‘Fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption’. The project aims to engage citizens in the food system transformation through a gamified educational citizen science virtual platform. The platform will support the collection, sharing, and analysis of data on food practices – here understood as choice, purchase, production, preparation, consumption, and disposal of food – contributed by citizens and from other data sources. At the same time, citizen engagement and motivation for individual and collective behavioural change is facilitated by embedded gamification, learning and social interaction features. By analysing and visualising data collected by the platform, and by measuring change activated by the platform use over time, the project will provide individuals and communities with evidence on the impact of their decisions and empower them as agents of change for sustainable food system transformation. Please see FOODMISSION’s website for morte information.

Key duties- and responsibilities:

The candidate is expected to contribute in research activities of the FOODMISSION project such as qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, development of content for the platform, running pilots, and organization of participatory workshops for various stakeholders.

The qualification requirement is a PhD degree within Business, Innovation, Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, or other social science fields with relevance to the subject area of «Sustainable Food System Transition». Scientific publications in the above mentioned fields are expected. Comprehensive skills in quantitative and qualitative research methods are required. The candidate also needs to have good written and oral presentation skills in English. In addition, the candidate should preferably have an experience with stakeholder engagement and organizing stakeholder events.

Preferable qualifications:

• Knowledge about citizen science and/or gamification.
• An existing network within the Norwegian food industry.
• Academic or professional knowledge about the food system and food industry.
• Experience in running/organizing stakeholder events.
• Norwegian language skills.

Personal characteristics

The candidate must be able to work independently and as a co-researcher in the research group of the umbrella project. Good organizational skills are desirable.

The appointed candidate will be part of an active research milieu at the Section for Innovation Studies at the HVL Business School.

Application procedure

Applicants are asked to submit their application and CV online. Please use the link “Apply for this job” (“Søk stillingen”). Applicants are strongly encouraged to respond to the job description in their application letter. 

The following documentation must be uploaded as an attachment to the online application: 

• CV including a comprehensive list of academic publications and contributions to EU-funded projects. 
• Diplomas and certificates 
• Documents related to other achievements relevant to the position 
• The names of two contacts who are willing to act as reference

Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Suitable candidates will be invited to an interview.

We offer:

• Exciting and stimulating work as part of a strong international academic environment 
• An open and inclusive work environment with dedicated colleagues 
• Favourable terms in the Norwegian 
• Public Service Pension Fund 
• Employee benefits

The position as Senior Researchers is paid according to the Government's salary regulation, in position code 1109 - Forsker (Senior Researcher). 

There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no/en for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.

General informasjon:

The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansate”). Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected. 

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.

Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected. Applicants may be called in for an interview. 

Contacts:

• Assistant Head of Department HVL Business School Radina Trengereid, E-post: rht@hvl.no, Phone: +47 930 56 727. 
• Professor Natalia Mæhle, Natalia.Mehle@hvl.no, Phone: +47 55 58 72 14

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