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 and three centres at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.

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PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, linked to research within the research fields of subnational government and electoral studies. The position is for a period of 4 years, starting September 1st, 2019.

About the project/work tasks

The successful applicant will conduct research within the research project “Strengthening Regional Democracy – Contributing to Good Democratic Governance” funded by the Bergen Research Foundation (BFS) and the University of Bergen (UiB). This research project sets out to facilitate good democratic regional governance by identifying the causal mechanisms underlying regional voting and by assessing how regional representation is affected by regional voting. By studying regional democracy, the project team will seek to contribute to understanding the role of regions in multilevel democracies at a time when considerable decision-making and budgetary powers are channelled towards regional government. The project foresees the establishment of the Centre on Regional Democratic Governance (CREDGOV) which will expand, consolidate, and disseminate knowledge on regional elections and governments and which aims to become the world leading institute on regional democratic governance.

We are looking for a PhD who can contribute to these goals, as well as conduct independent research related to the overall project theme (outlined out in a short research proposal, see below). The project team will build a Comparative Regional Government Dataset based on the data collection of the principal investigator (Arjan Schakel). The successful candidate will be responsible to update and extend this dataset to include regional and national elections in 392 regions nested in 23 European countries held from 1950 to 2020 and to supplement the dataset with data on the characteristics of regional parliaments and regional executive governments, socio-economic context, territorial cleavages, regional parties, and regional reform. The successful candidate will also take the lead in analyzing the assembled aggregate data and will collaborate with the two postdoctoral team members to validate the findings based on aggregate data against survey data and panel data.

The successful candidate will be able to contribute to the societal dissemination of the project’s results through, for example, writing policy reports and policy blogs, (co-)organising policy seminars, and accepting invitations to act as expert or discussant. The successful candidate will make the collected and assembled data (easily) available through the project’s data download portal.

The budget of the project enables team members to enrol in summer school courses for training in advanced statistical methods. The successful candidate will also be able to visit the Centre on Constitutional Change at the University of Edinburgh and the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University.

A full outline of the project can be obtained by contacting the principal investigator, Arjan Schakel: arjan.schakel@uib.no

Qualifications and personal qualities

The successful candidate will be expected to relocate to the University of Bergen, participate in the scholarly activities of the Department, and conform to the regulations that apply to the position.

The applicant must:

• Hold a two-year master's degree or the equivalent in political science, or must have submitted his/her master’s thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded.
• The requirements are generally grade B or better on the master’s thesis and for the master’s degree in total.
• Be proficient in both written and oral English. Knowledge of Norwegian (or one of the other Scandinavian languages) is an advantage.
• Have advanced skills in quantitative methods and preferably has experience in experimental survey design and Bayesian statistics.
• Be willing to disseminate research results beyond the academic community.
• Be willing to collaborate on an international level and to contribute to building an international collaborative network.
• Be able to work independently and have the ability to cooperate with others.
• Preferably have research experience within one or more themes that relate to the project, for example, voting behaviour, political representation, and political parties.

Potential candidates will be invited for an interview between April 23. and April 26., 2019.

About the PhD position

The duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25 per cent of the time comprises duties for the department, such as teaching, supervision, or administration. The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.

Project proposal

A research proposal of 5 - 8 pages must accompany the application. The proposal should present the topic, the research question(s) and choice of theory and methods. The proposal should also include a progress plan for the different parts of the project. A budget of running costs should be included. Admittance to the PhD-programme will be based on the research proposal.

About the research training:

As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the doctoral educational programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the submission of the PhD dissertation. To be eligible for admission you must have completed a Master degree. The educational background must normally be equivalent to a five-year Master education, including a two-year Master degree and a Master thesis (at least 30 ECTS). It is expected that the topic of the Master degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission

We can offer

• Salary equivalent to NOK 449 400 per year upon appointment (code 1017 on the government salary scale. Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position.
• A good and professionally challenging working environment.
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• Good welfare benefits.
• The city of Bergen - a unique mix of vibrant cultural life and extraordinary nature.

Your application must include

• A cover letter detailing the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position (1-2 pages)
• A project proposal (5-8 pages), including progress plan and a budget.
• CV
• A reference list including all works of a scientific nature
• Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (including your master’s thesis)
• The names and contact information for two references. One of these must be the main supervisor of the MA-thesis
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees
• Relevant certificates/letters of recommendation

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at www.jobbnorge.no. The application has to be marked with: 19/679. Applications sent by e-mail will not be evaluated.

The closing date is February 17, 2019

General information

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting Arjan Schakel: arjan.schakel@uib.no

Practical questions about the application process should be directed to Adviser - HR, Even Michal Endresen

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

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

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.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here.

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