University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad. 

There are seven departments at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments. 

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

Researcher position

At the Department of Sociology, there is a vacancy for a temporary part-time position (50% for 18 months from 1 August 2024) as a researcher in the fields of Environmental and Media Sociology to work with Professor David Herbert on the Horizon Europe projects Pro-Coast (A PROactive approach for COmmunities to enAble Societal Transformation) and ARM (The Long Arms of Authoritarian States: Suppressing Independent Voices within and beyond their Borders) and the UiB Humanities Strategy Fund project Collaborative Digital Storytelling for Educational Advantage (CoDiSEA). Information on these projects can be found on Professor Herbert’s website: David Herbert | University of Bergen (uib.no).

The position is affiliated to the named externally and internally financed projects. The proportion of time spent on each project will vary during the period of employment. In the fall of 2024, the researcher will focus on CoDiSEA, which is a one-year project concluding in December 2024. From January 2025 the focus of the research will be on ARM, with Pro-Coast forming a smaller strand running in parallel.

About the project/work tasks:

• Pro-Coast: to contribute to the development of the research design, methods and tools for the project’s case studies, in particular the use of social media network analysis to identify local network mobilization and resistance, and how these networks interface with meso (national) and macro (European/global) levels.
• ARM: to contribute to formulation of hypotheses about Rwandan information-suppression TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures), and of theoretically informed research questions to be empirically addressed, by participating in a comprehensive review of available secondary and primary data, including academic and journalistic articles, and legal documents.
• ARM: to identify the strategies and narratives used by the Rwandan regime to bury information it wants to suppress under positive narratives, online and offline, using digital ethnography, discourse, and visual analysis.
• CoDiSEA: to contribute to the design, implementation, organization and evaluation of a multi-stranded project piloting education and science communication applications of the digital story-telling tool Instorier.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• Applicants must hold a Norwegian PhD or an equivalent degree.
• Experience of computational sociology or equivalent use of computer applications in social or natural sciences is an advantage.
• Experience of research in the environmental natural or social sciences is an advantage.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and have excellent organizational and teamworking skills.
• Applicants must have excellent skills in oral and written English.
• Applicants must have at least an intermediate command of the Norwegian language. (Level 2)

In assessing the candidates, a review of both the quality and the breadth of the candidate's research will be conducted. Personal and relational qualities and organizational skills will be emphasized.

We can offer:

• A good and professionally challenging working environment.
• Gross annual salary as researcher, code 1109, of NOK 624500,- (pay grade 64 according to the state salary scale). For particularly highly qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered. Further promotions are made according to length of service. 
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A position in an inclusive workplace (IW)
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
• The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of these should be the main advisor from the PhD programme.
• CV
• Transcripts and diplomas and official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted
• Relevant certificates/references
• List of any works of a scientific nature (publication list)
• Publications (as applicable)

The application and any attachments along with certified translations in English or another Scandinavian language must be uploaded to JobbNorge.

Closing date: May 19th, 2024.

The application must be marked case no. 2024/5844.

General information:

For further details about the position, please contact:

• Professor David Herbert, David.Herbert@uib.no

Diversity is a strength that enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or gaps in their CV to apply. By indicating such circumstances in your application, you may receive favourable consideration. We ensure that at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups is invited for an interview as part of our commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunity.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here.

Apply for position