With about 17,000 students, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest higher education institutions in Norway. A broad range of academic programmes are offered at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, spread out on five campuses Førde, Sogndal, Bergen, Stord og Haugesund.

Our ambition is to build stronger and more solid academic and research environments that will interact nationally and internationally. The aim is to become a recognized actor on the international higher education arena. Increased international cooperation and engagement in externally funded projects will work towards this goal. 

The Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences offers a wide range of courses both at undergraduate and graduate levels in: Engineering and Natural sciences Economic and Administrative sciences Maritime sciences Social sciences and Humanities. 

The Faculty is also responsible for PhD programmes in computer technology, innovation and regional development and in nautical operations.

The HVL Business School is a new department which has approximately 2,000 students and 100 full-time employees, divided between the Bergen, Haugesund and Sogndal campuses.

The HVL Business School has a comprehensive professional environment in Economics and Administration and a range of subjects in the Social sciences and Humanities. The department is responsible for 11 bachelor's programmes, four master's programmes in addition to one-year programs and part-time studies. The HVL Business School has a strong academic and research environment, and is central to the doctoral programme in Responsible Innovation and Regional Development (RESINNREG).

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Technology, Environmental and Social Sciences has a vacancy for 2 PhD Research Fellow positions within Responsible innovation and regional development.

About the position:

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a vacancy for two PhD Research Fellow positions within the PhD-programme Responsible innovation and regional development (RESINNREG). The positions are for a period of 3 years, with an option for 1 more year. In that case 75% dedicated to research and 25% to other tasks (i.e. teaching, supervision and / or administrative work). The positions are affiliated with the HVL Business School at the Faculty of Technology, Environment and Social Science.

The HVL Business School has a comprehensive professional environment in economics and management, and a range of subjects in the social sciences and humanities. It has approximately 2000 students and 100 full-time employees, divided between the Bergen, Haugesund and Sogndal campuses. The PhD fellow will be part of this professional environment as well as the PhDenvironment at RESINNREG.

Workplace will be campus Bergen.

About the PhD project/ work tasks:

The PhD fellowship positions are part of the PhD-programme Responsible innovation and regionaldevelopment (RESINNREG). This is an interdisciplinary doctoral programme investigating howinnovation can address social, economic, and environmental challenges within regionalcontexts. Currently, there are 36 PhD research fellows enrolled in the program.

The RESINNREG programme represents a broad understanding of responsible innovation, drawingupon a diverse foundation of literature, such as evolutionary economics, innovationsystems,innovation management, institutional theory, sustainable transitions & development, andResponsible Research and Innovation (RRI). The programme encompasses research that investigateshow innovation can meet social, economic and environmental challenges in regional contexts.

The regional dimension is emphasised in RESINNREG, not just at a practical level, but also when itcomes to theoretical foundations. Similarly, RESINNREG encourages critical reflections on thenormative dimensions of the role of researchers engaged in innovation processes. RESINNREGcandidates will learn how to act as change agents in processes of regional development throughinsight into innovation processes and principles for RRI, reflecting critically on its application toresearch and practice. Thus, independent of the specific area of specialisation, PhD candidatesgraduating from the programme will have state-of-the-art research knowledge, skills andcompetences relating to how to understand and implement innovation processes.

The program’s research is structured around three core thematic areas:

• Responsible Industry Innovation: Examining how firms and industries can innovateresponsibly, balancing economic performance with social and environmental sustainability.
• Public Sector Innovation: Investigating how innovation within public institutions canenhance welfare and address societal challenges effectively.
• Green Innovation: Exploring sustainable practices within the public, private and / or civicsector that promote environmental stewardship alongside economic development.

The call is open for applications from within or across all three thematic areas, as well as allacademic areas covered by the HVL Business School.

For more information on the programme and research profile, check our homepage. 

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a master's degree within the academic area of the RESINNREG program and of the HVL Business school. The master’s degree must include a master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. The master’s thesis must be submitted for assessment by the application deadline, and the masters’ degree must be approved no later than 4 weeks after the application deadline.

The application must contain a preliminary project description of up to five pages, explaining the topic, the problem, the choice of theory and method, as well as the plan for the implementation of a potential project. 

The successful candidates will write a full project proposal together with their assigned supervisor(s) within the first three months of employment for admission to the RESINNREG PhD Program. 

The candidate must be diligent and display the ability to work independently, supplemented with regular guidance, and is expected to carry out high-quality research and to publish the results in national seminars, international workshops, conferences, and journals.

The PhD research fellow must enrol in the PhD programme RESINNREG at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, and must meet the formal admission requirements for this PhD programme.

The PhD candidate will be assigned two academic supervisors at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. An application for enrolment should first be submitted after an appointment is made and the supervisor(s) will help with this procedure. Normally the candidate apply for enrolment within three (3) months after the start of the employment according to Regulations relating to programmes of study and examniations at Western Norway University of Applied SciencesHVL § 2-4. 

Applicants who cannot document proficiency in Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at level A2 upon employment, must complete Norwegian language training equivalent to at least 15 ECTS credits by the end of the term of appointment. For terms shorter than four years, the term can be extended accordingly.

The following qualifications will be particularly emphasized:

• Academic qualification within the research area of the RESINNREG program and HVLBusiness school
• Quality of the master’s thesis (minimum grade B on Master thesis, and minimum averagegrade C on subjects included in the master’s degree)
• Quality of the project description
• Additional scientific publications

Application procedure:

Applications will be evaluated by an expert panel of three members.

Applicants are asked to submit their application and CV online. Please use the link “Apply for this job” (“Søk stillingen”).

The following documentation should be uploaded as an attachment to the online application:

• Master Thesis
• Copies of selected academic publications (no more than 5)
• Project description (5 pages)
• A CV with a complete list of academic publications
• Diplomas and certificates

Applicants should indicate which publications or parts of publications should be given special consideration in the evaluation. If the documents submitted are not in a Scandinavian language or in English, the applicants must submit certified translations of these. The transcripts must specify the topics, the course works, and the grades at the bachelor`s and master`s degree levels. 

Applicants with a degree from a country other than Norway, need to attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcripts of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, in addition to the original documents, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant encloses a recognition document showing that their degree is equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD. You can read more about applying for recognition of foreign higher education here.

The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) offers an automatic recognition document for certain degrees from selected countries. If the applicant’s degree is covered by the automatic recognition, it will be sufficient to attach this document. Read more about automatic recognition here.

As the HK-dir application process may take some time it is recommended to apply to HK-dir as soon as possible. If you have not received a recognition document from HK- dir within the application deadline, please enclose documentation from HK-dir showing that they have received your application.

Applicants should note that the evaluation will be based on the documentation submitted electronically via Jobbnorge within the submission deadline. The applicants are responsible for ensuring that all the documentation is submitted before the closing date. It is of utmost importance that all publications to be considered in the evaluation are uploaded as an attachment with the application, since these are sent electronically to the expert panel. Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at the college.

Salary:

• Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
• Opportunities for training within the working hours 

The Research Fellow position is compensated according to position code 1017 Research Fellow.

There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.

General information:

The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.

Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

Short-listed applicants will be called in for an interview.

Employed on condition that you are granted a work and residence permit.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to The Export Control Regulation. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications. 

Contacts:

• Head of the RESINNREG Programme, Ole Andreas Brekke, E-mail: oabr@hvl.no, Phone: +47 55 58 71 21
• Head of Department, Tone Merete Brekke, E-mail: tone.brekke@hvl.np, Phone: +47 52 70 27 41

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