Job description

The Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture (TIK) at the University of Oslo (UiO) invites applications for a two-year Research Fellowship (position code 1109) at the FUNGATERIA project.

The researcher employed in this position will be working at the intersections of STS and design. The contract’s starting date can be negotiated between August and September 2024. 

About the position

The researcher position (post-doctoral level) will be affiliated with the TIK Centre’s research group “Science, Technology and Culture” which carries out STS oriented research on science and technology as cultural and material practices that are shaped by society and crucial in the production of social and political reality. This research group is focused on understanding relationships and tensions between various forms of scientific and technological knowledge/expertise, the ways in which scientific knowledge is used in politics, and the dynamics of technoscientific controversies related to nature and culture. Research within the group uses historical and contemporary source material, as well as interdisciplinary methods and analytical resources. This includes an interest in developing participatory, inventive and design-oriented methodologies. Applicants should have a strong interest in and competence for contributing to the development of such research areas.

About FUNGATERIA

Imagine a world in which walls and everyday life things surrounding you are living. Engineered Living Materials (ELMs) are envisioned as enabling a wide range of solutions towards a transition to greener economies. The FUNGATERIA consortium explores collaborations between fungi and bacteria, developing models and prototypes to produce materials with computational capabilities.

Mycelium based living materials such as those being developed in FUNGATERIA open for new ways of imaging buildings and cities, and potentially many other objects. ELMs are qualified as being ‘smart materials’ in that they take advantage from intrinsic properties of life such as the capacity for self-repairing and healing. This creates opportunities and challenges with regards to designing such materials to behave in a controlled way over time. Anticipating futures through activities such as modeling is key to design activities in FUNGATERIA.

FUNGATERIA is organized in seven teams collaborating across European universities. The team based at the University of Oslo coordinates WP7 - ELM Futures. WP-7 develops a citizen science methodology to explore public issues, sensibilities and future projections of living materials, particularly ELMs. The announced researcher position will collaborate with the Oslo WP-7 ELMFutures team to design and produce prototypes using critical, speculative and participatory methodologies from STS, design and art.

The FUNGATERIA consortium is led by the Danish Royal Academy for Architecture, Design and Conservation, in partnership with The Free University of Brussels, The Democritus University of Thrace, The University of Ghent, University of Utrecht, University of the West of England, Bristol and the University of Oslo. The project builds on interdisciplinary collaborations, and all partners are involved in communication, public engagement and dissemination activities.

Qualification requirements

• Relevant candidates should have a Ph.D. in STS or other relevant fields in the social sciences, design, architecture and/or fine arts. Experience in these fields should be documented through academic degrees or course work, research, publishing and through practical design and artistic production. Multidisciplinary research experience across fields will be an advantage.
• The successful candidate should have documented experience in both theoretical development and empirical work in the intersections of STS and design.
• A strong international publication record and well-developed international research networks are meritorious.
• Only candidates who have submitted their doctoral thesis prior to the application closing date may apply for the position. A prerequisite for taking up the position is the successful completion of a doctoral degree.
• It is expected that the successful candidate participates actively in the FUNGATERIA project's activities. It is also expected that the candidate will contribute to a high standard of collegiality and the TIK Centre’s working environment. Residence in or close to Oslo is required.
• Applicants should describe their intellectual background and qualifications, indicating the main theoretical approaches, empirical tools, practical work and publishing goals of their work to date.

We offer

• Salary from 624 500 NOK - 720 100 NOK depending on qualifications.
• A pleasant and stimulating work environment
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement (Statens pensjonskasse) , in addition to Oslo's family-friendly environment with it's rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities.
• Help with questions regarding moving to Norway from our International Staff Mobilty Office (ISMO)

Evaluation of the application

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant’s project description for his/her proposed project, as well as the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out this project. Interviews will be part of the appointment process.

How to apply

• Application letter.
• Project description and progress plan (no more than 5 pages) for the work to be undertaken during the course of the term of appointment.
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity).
• A complete list of publications and practical work.
• Up to three publications and, if it applies, a sample of practical work pieces that the applicant wishes to have considered in the assessment process.
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only).
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

Formal regulations

According to the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives. 

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

Apply for position