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 a PhD Fellowships in Responsible Innovation and Regional Development

The HVL Business School at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) invites applications for one temporary PhD fellowship position. The position is affiliated to the HVL Business School and the PhD program «Responsible Innovation and Regional Development» (RESINNREG) at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. The PHD is partly sponsored by Agenda Vestland. 

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 fellows will be part of this professional environment as well as the PhD-environment at RESINNREG. 

Workplace will be campus Bergen. 

The PhD Program: Responsible Innovation and Regional Development (RESINNREG) 

The PhD fellowship position is part of the RESINNREG PhD program, which focuses on how innovation can address social, economic, and environmental challenges within regional contexts. 

The program’s research is structured around three core pillars: 

• Responsible Industry Innovation: Examining how industries can innovate responsibly, balancing economic performance with social and environmental sustainability. 
• Public Sector Innovation: Investigating how innovation within public institutions can enhance welfare and address societal challenges effectively.
• Green Innovation: Exploring sustainable practices that promote environmental stewardship alongside economic development.

Applications for the pillar Green innovation pillar will have priority, but other thematic will be considered. 

The RESINNREG programme represents a broad understanding of responsible innovation, drawing upon a diverse foundation of literature, such as evolutionary economics, innovation systems, innovation management, , institutional theory, sustainable transitions & development, and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). The programme encompasses research that investigates how 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 it comes to theoretical foundations. Similarly, RESINNREG encourages critical reflections on the normative dimensions of the role of researchers engaged in innovation processes. RESINNREG candidates will learn how to act as change agents in processes of regional development through insight into innovation processes and principles for RRI, reflecting critically on its application to research and practice. Thus, independent of the specific area of specialisation, PhD candidates graduating from the programme will have state-of-the-art research knowledge, skills and competences relating to how to understand and implement innovation processes. 

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

Key duties and responsibilities 

The PhD fellow will be part of the PhD programme for a period of 3 years, with possibility for one extra year. In that case 75% dedicated to research and 25% to other tasks (teaching, supervision and / or administrative work).

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a master's degree within the academic area of the 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. 

Admission to the RESINNREG PhD program within three months of employment is a prerequisite for the position. 

The following qualifications will be particularly emphasized: 

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

Application procedure:

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 15)
• A CV with a complete list of academic publications
• Diplomas and certificates

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. 

For applicants whose education is from another country than Norway, it is required that the applicant enclose a review from NOKUT whether the education (bachelor and master’s degree) is of a scope and level that corresponds to the level of a Norwegian master’s degree. Please see www.nokut.no/en for more information about NOKUT’s general recognition. 

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. 

The applicants will be evaluated by a scientific committee of three members. Based on the committee’s recommendation, a short list of qualified candidates will be invited to an interview.

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 

Initial salaries will be offered at grade 54 (code 1017) in the Civil Service pay grade table scale.

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 (must be considered individually).

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is subjected to the regulation for export control system. The regulation will be applied in the processing of the applications. 

Contacts:

1) Professor Ole Andreas Brekke, email: ole.andreas.brekke@hvl.no, phone: +4755587121

2) Assosicate professor Tom Skauge, e-mail: tom.skauge@hvl.no, phone: +4755587730

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