PhD Research Fellowship: Challenges of Scaling Practice-Based Initiatives across Governance Levels
Deadline: 02.08.2026
Publisert
Universitetet i Innlandet har om lag 15 000 studenter og 1 450 ansatte. Vi har studiesteder i Lillehammer, Hamar, Elverum, Rena, Evenstad og på Blæstad, og tilbyr også noen utdanninger på Kongsvinger, Tynset og i Oslo.
NOKUTs styre godkjente Høgskolen i Innlandets søknad om universitetsakkreditering den 12. september 2024. 8. november besluttet kongen i statsråd at høgskolen ble Norges 11. universitet. Universitetet i Innlandet er kjent for sterke og solide utdannings- og forskningsmiljøer som setter spor etter seg regionalt, nasjonalt og internasjonalt.
Visjonen vår er «Sterkere sammen - vi bygger universitetet i tverrfaglig fellesskap, sammen med samfunns- og arbeidsliv.»
About the position
Center for Research on Digitalization and Sustainability (CREDS), a part of University of Inland Norway (INN), invites candidates to apply for a three-year PhD research fellowship: Challenges of Scaling Practice-Based Initiatives across Governance Levels in the Public Sector. The position is connected to the field of innovation studies focusing on public sector services, with particular attention to how practice-based initiatives with demonstrated effects often fail to scale, stabilize, or become institutionally embedded across governance levels. Within this broad area, relevant topics may include perspectives on organizational and institutional theory, complex adaptive systems, and co-creation of value in service ecosystems.
The position is connected to the Department of Organization, Leadership and Management. Depending on the department’s needs, and the candidate’s competence and preferences, the position may be transformed into a four-year position with 25% teaching duties. The workplace is at CREDS research group, University of Inland Norway (INN) at Kongsvinger.
Admission to INN’s PhD program, Innovation in Services in the Public and Private Sectors (INSEPP), is a condition for employment as a research fellow. The candidate is expected to participate actively in INSEPP’s activities. After commencement, the candidate must apply for admission to the PhD programme within three months. An agreement for admission to the PhD programme must be in place within six months after commencement.
The PhD research fellow will join an international team of researchers at CREDS, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences. The project addresses a persistent and underexplored challenge in public sector innovation: why practice-based innovations that demonstrate strong local effects often fail to scale, stabilize, or become institutionally embedded across governance levels.
The project focuses empirically on practice-based qualification pathways (e.g., within health care) targeting individuals at risk of social exclusion. The project will follow innovation initiatives in public sector that test practice-based pilot initiatives to address complex societal challenges. While such initiatives often demonstrate clear positive outcomes, they frequently encounter significant barriers when attempts are made to articulate, legitimize, and scale them within broader institutional and governance structures. As such, the project will investigate how structural tensions arise from differing rationalities, how complexity arise across levels of governance, the role of meaning-making processes, and experience of paradox situations.
Candidates are encouraged to define their own research design within this theme. This includes developing the specific research questions, theoretical perspective, empirical focus, and methodological approach in dialogue with the supervisory team and the academicenvironment at CREDS. A broad range of methodological approaches is relevant for the theme, including qualitative case studies, action research, system dynamics modelling, and more. Please note that the project may later be modified in accordance with the supervisors’advice and the academic research agenda of CREDS. The successful candidate will have a primary supervisor among CREDS’ academic staff.
Qualifications
The candidate must have a master’s degree and thesis on a relevant topic.
The master's degree must normally constitute 120 ECTS credits. INN’s PhD regulationsrequire that the qualifying education includes a master’s thesis of 30 ECTS. As a rule, theaverage grade at master’s level must be B.
The qualifying degree(s) must be awarded from institutions in Norway, the EU/EEA orSwitzerland, or from an international institution accredited by AACSB, AMBA and/orEQUIS. Where applicable, candidates should specify such accreditation in theapplication.
Candidates who have not yet obtained the master’s degree at the time of application mayapply. In this case, candidates must have submitted their master’s thesis by theapplication deadline. Temporary transcripts and the master’s thesis must be submittedwith the application. The final diploma must be available by the time of employment.
Good oral and written proficiency in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language with aminimum of B2 competence is required, as the project involves empirical data collectionwithin Norwegian-speaking public sector organizations where Norwegian is the primaryworking language.
Relevant professional experience from practice-based settings in the Nordics, or in acomparable context, is considered a strong merit.
Evaluation of candidates for the position will be based on a total assessment of educationalbackground, experience and personal suitability, as well as motivation and other eligibilityrequirements, as defined in the advertisement. In assessing the applications, special emphasiswill be placed on the project proposal's scientific merit, research-related relevance andinnovativeness. In addition, the following will also be emphasized: documented independentresearch and development work, or experience relevant to the project.
The position and associated tasks must be carried out in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations for government employees,including also the Act on Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology, etc. Candidates who, after assessment of theapplication and attachments, come into conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to take up the position at University of Inland Norway. Necessary approvals must be maintained throughout the employment relationship.
We offer
An academically stimulating and supportive work environment at a developing institution. Possibility of professional development in an exciting academic researchenvironment.
Position is paid and placed in position code PhD candidate 1017 in the Government Salary Scale.
Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension, with among other things, good pension and insurance schemes.
For more information about INN University as an employer, please see here.
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How to apply
Relevant applications will be considered by an expert committee. The application and all attachments are to be submitted electronically and should include the following:
The applicant must submit a project proposal with a progress plan (in Norwegian or English, 2000 words) that explains how the research work will be carried out and addresses academic relevance, challenges and possibilities within the project. The PhD research fellow hired will, in collaboration with a supervisor, prepare a complete project proposal creating the basis for admission to the PhD program. The project proposal plays an important part in evaluating applicants and must show how the project will lead to a successful completion of a doctoral degree.
Application letter
CV (summarizing education, job positions, and academic work)
Other work that is relevant for the application
Certified copies of transcripts and diplomas for the whole bachelor and master’s degree. An English translation of all education documents is required unless the documents are in Norwegian/Scandinavian.
Names and contact information of at least 2 reference persons.
A copy of the master’s thesis (in PDF)
Attachments must be uploaded as separate files. If the attachments exceed 30 MB, they must be compressed prior to upload. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all attachments are uploaded. Documents submitted after expiry of the deadline will not be considered in the evaluation of your application.
General information
INN believes that there is strength in inclusion and diversity. We desire employees with different competencies, professional combinations, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to an even better way of solving problems. We will facilitate for employees who need assitance to realise their goals. Relevant adaptations can be, for example, technical aids, adapting furniture or adjusting routines, work tasks and working hours.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in the CV or immigrant background, we shall call at least one applicant in each of these categories for an interview. In order to be considered as an applicant in these groups, the applicants must meet certain requirements. You can read more on this here: https://arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling.
We encourage applicants to tick in Jobbnorge if they have a disability, a gap in their CV or immigrant background. The ticks in the jobseeker portal form the basis for anonymised statistics that all state-owned enterprises report in their annual reports
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.
