Researcher - Systematic reviews and quantitative analysis of social inequality

Job description

A permanent position as Researcher (position code 1109/1108) is available in the project “Mapping of Longitudinal data of Inequalities in Education” (MapIE). The appointment is fulltime and is funded by a European Research Council Horizon Action grant with a secured funding for four years. 

We are mainly searching for a researcher holding a doctoral degree (position code 1109). If there are no qualified applicants with a doctoral degree, we will consider applicants holding a master’s degree for a position as researcher, position code 1108.

The position is based at the Centre for Educational Measurement (CEMO), Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo. The researcher will also become an integral part of, and affiliated with, the newly established Centre for Research on Equality in Education (CREATE), Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo. Moreover, the work will be conducted in close collaboration with partners in several other European countries (Finland, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Hungary). The project is coordinated by Tampere University in Finland.

About the project: 

The MapIE project aims to identify mechanisms causing educational inequalities and policies or interventions compensating for them. The project has several interrelated work packages: 1) to do a systematic review of how educational inequalities have been studied internationally using longitudinal designs; 2) to map existing longitudinal data and describe this pool of data in a publicly available metadata database; 3) to analyse the identified data to describe the mechanisms of inequalities with the aim to identify effective policies and interventions in different local contexts; 4) to establish a public framework for studying educational inequalities longitudinally in future studies, acknowledging the role of local contexts but aiming for comparability at the European level. The project focuses on the contextual differences between the Nordic and Central European countries that have structurally different education systems. Within national contexts and using comparative research designs, the aim is to describe and account for how features at system-, regional- and school-level (policies, practices, and individual-level factors) are associated with the development of educational inequalities and the successful prevention of achievement gaps.

The researcher will be involved in all the work packages in the project. However, a main responsibility is attached to a work package to design, conduct, and report a systematic review. This is a vital first step in the project, and the researcher will gradually over the first months be expected to take leadership over this work package. Furthermore, other work-packages will involve meta-analysis of data from large-scale studies where both the individual and aggregated level are jointly synthesised. The project start date is March 1st, and this is also the expected start date for the position as a researcher.

More about the position

We seek candidates with a background in educational sciences, psychology, economics, sociology, or other relevant fields. The candidate must have experience with and skills to plan, conduct, and report systematic reviews/meta-analyses. Further, the candidate must have advanced skills in quantitative analysis. A background including skills in either psychometrics or econometrics is an advantage. Moreover, the preferred candidate should express and motivate a genuine interest for studies of educational inequality.

The successful candidate will participate in an interdisciplinary and international research. It is also expected that the candidate hired for the position will contribute to high quality scientific publications and to help achieve that the project develops a strong and good practice for open science.

In the evaluation of candidates, emphasis will be placed on independence, creativity, as well as the ability to work as part of a team. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to define and pursue own research interests within the scope of the project and the work packages. Some time (>5%) should be devoted to duties related to project management and research support.

Qualification requirements

• For the position as researcher with a position code 1109 applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in educational sciences, psychology, economics, sociology, or other relevant fields
• For the position as researcher with position code 1108 applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian master’s degree in educational sciences, psychology, economics, sociology, or other relevant fields
• Documented deep knowledge of and experience with planning, conducting, and reporting systematic reviews/meta-analyses
• Documented advanced knowledge and skills to analyse complex survey data, including one or both of the following specific skills and experiences: 1. conducting meta-analysis where both individual and aggregate level are jointly analysed across data sets and/or 2. modelling and analysing longitudinal and time-series data from complex samples
• Familiarity and experience with academic publishing
• Well-developed oral and written communication skills in English

Desired qualifications:

• Programming skills and/or experience in method development
• A background including psychometrics or econometrics
• Mastery of a Scandinavian language (at B2-level) 

Personal skills

In the assessment of applicants, emphasis will be put on:

• Self-motivated, creative, and good interpersonal skills
• Cooperative, friendly, and team-oriented style of work
• Genuine interest for, and preferably knowledge of, the substantive themes of the project
• Positive attitude towards developing best practices for open science

We offer

• Salary NOK 667 700 – 759 100 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Researcher, position code 1109
• Salary NOK 548 600 – 624 500 per annum depending on qualifications in position as researcher, position code 1108
• Access to high-quality registry data
• An interdisciplinary team of highly accomplished scholars
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for cultural and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter that includes statement of motivation and descriptions of how the applicant meets the requirements and expectations for the position
• A separate document (max. 2 pages) identifying potential challenges in conducting the systematic review briefly described in the project proposal. The full project proposal is available upon request (see contact information below)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, experience with research, administrative experience, and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications
• A maximum of 3 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered
• 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 Jobbnorge. Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications as well as the candidates’ motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

Contact information

For questions about the position, please contact:

• Professor and director of CEMO Rolf Vegar Olsen 

Formal regulations

See rules for the use of research posts at UiO

According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

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