About the position

The Department of Special Needs Education at the University of Oslo is one of three departments at the Faculty of Educational Sciences. The department focuses on basic and applied research and education of bachelor-, master- and doctoral level candidates within the field of special needs education in Norway.

Difficulties with socio-pragmatic aspects of language are common, and associated with many conditions, such as developmental language disorder, autism spectrum disorder, hearing loss, ADHD and right hemisphere brain lesions. Recently social/pragmatic communication disorder has also become a distinct diagnostic category (cf. DSM-V and ICD 11). Social and pragmatic language difficulties is a multidisciplinary field of research with draws on both the language sciences and the study of socio-emotional development. Within this field, there is an urgent need for foundational research on the development and cognitive mechanisms underlying social and pragmatic communication abilities as well as applied research aiming to develop high quality, reliable assessments and research-based interventions.

The Department of Special Needs Education has strong research environments in the fields of language development, socio-emotional development and neurodevelopmental disorders. This new position will serve as a bridge between these three fields and contribute to a research program taking a broader, more integrative perspective on communicative development and disorders. The successful candidate is expected to contribute to teaching also in all the master programs at the department, as well as in the bachelor’s program and in courses at the PhD level. The successful candidate will also contribute to supervision of students at the bachelor’s, master’s and PhD levels.

The subject area of pragmatic communication difficulties includes (but is not restricted to) the following topics:

• Development of socio-pragmatic communication skills
• Basic cognitive mechanisms underlying socio-pragmatic communication skills
• The interaction between pragmatic communication skills and other related abilities such as structural language skills and socio-emotional skills
• Assessment of pragmatic and social communication skills
• Development and evaluation of interventions targeting pragmatic and social communication skills
• Counselling and adaption of learning environments for individuals with pragmatic communication difficulties

Job description

• Promote the development of the subject area through research, publication of academic works nationally and internationally, and participate in national and international networks.
• Participate in the planning of study programs, teaching, supervision and examinations-related tasks at all levels from Bachelor’s to PhD level, and maintain the educational quality of the teaching programs
• Research dissemination targeted at both professional actors and the general public.
• Administrative tasks in accordance with the applicable provisions.

It is expected that the successful applicant will participate in one of the faculty’s research groups.

Qualification requirements

For Associate Professor:

• Doctoral degree or equivalent qualifications within the subject area of pragmatic communication difficulties
• Educational competence will count positively. Applicants who do not have documented basic university pedagogical competence must acquire this within two years from appointment
• Documentation of qualifications in dissemination, management and administration will count positively

For Professor:

• Substantial academic production in excess of that which is required for a doctoral degree within pragmatic communication difficulties
• Prolonged research activity with an independent research profile
• Documented basic university pedagogical competence. This requirement may be waived in special cases, but must then be met within two years from appointment. Appointment procedures, regulations on the requirements for basic teaching competence and a guide for applicants can be found on the following web page.
• Broad experience in the development and implementation of teaching, supervision and work with educational quality
• Good qualifications in dissemination and/or management and administration

Good communication skills both written and oral in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) are a prerequisite for performing all the tasks associated with the position. According to the guidelines of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo, applicants who do not master Norwegian or a Scandinavian language are given a deadline of two years to learn Norwegian. Within two years the person appointed in the position should be able to carry out the full range of tasks associated with the position in Norwegian, including lecturing, supervision, examination work etc.

In the ranking of competent applicants, the whole range of qualifications will be considered, including the applicant’s ability to communicate and personal suitability. Emphasis will also be placed on the applicant’s experience with applications for research funding from external sources.

We offer

• Salary from NOK 608 200 to NOK 708 000 per annum depending on competencies, in the position of Associate Professor (position code 1011)
• Salary from NOK 726 400 to NOK 887 000 per annum depending on competencies, in the position of Professor (position code 1013)
• Good pension schemes
• Good welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter
• CV
• Complete list of scientific publications
• For associate professor: Full-texts of up to 10 publications and a brief account of their scientific contribution and, in case of co-authorship, a description of the candidate’s contribution to the publication
• For professor: Full-texts of up to 15 publications and a brief account of their scientific contribution and, in case of co-authorship, a description of the candidate’s contribution to the publication
• An educational portfolio of 3-6 pages documenting educational competence and experience, including a reflection note in which the candidate’s own practice and learning vision is anchored in the SoTL criteria (focus on student learning, development over time, a research approach and a collegial attitude and practice). For guidance, se this page.
• Description of qualifications in dissemination, management and administration
• Diplomas
• References: a list of 2-3 persons with name, title, email and phone number

Application with attachments must be submitted via our online recruitment system. Please note that the application must be written in English, and that all documentation (i.e. transcripts) must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Interviews will be used in the appointment process, and applicants will be required to give a trial lecture.

Formal regulations

Please refer to the Rules for Appointments to Professorships and Associate Professorships at the University of Oslo, the Guide for Applicants and Members of the Assessment Committee and Rules for practicing the requirement for basic pedagogical competence at the University of Oslo.

Please also see guidance memo concerning promotion of professors at the Faculty of Educational Sciences

Pursuant to section 25(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, information concerning the applicant may be made public, even if the applicant has requested not to appear on the list of applicants.

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives. We will make adjustments for employees who require this.

If there are qualified applicants with special needs, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant in each of these groups to an interview.

Contact information

• Professor Janne von Koss Torkildsen
• Head of Department/Professor Ona Bø Wie

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