UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

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.

PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD position at the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen. The Department of Comparative Politics offers an exciting place for research and education on political institutions, organizations, processes and behaviour at local, regional, national, and international levels. The Department offers bachelor's and master’s programmes in comparative politics, as well as a bachelor's programme in European studies. The staff participates actively in national and international cross-disciplinary research.

Tentative starting date of the position is October 1, 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 Trond Mohn Foundation (TMS) and the University of Bergen (UiB). This research project sets out to identify the conditions which facilitate good democratic regional governance. 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-candidate who can contribute to the overall research project and conduct independent research linked to important questions of governance and democracy at the regional level. The successful candidate will update and extend existing datasets set up by the PI which include regional and national elections in 392 regions nested in 23 European countries held from 1950 to 2020 and supplement these datasets with data on the regional context (e.g. regional electoral systems, socio-economic context). There is plenty opportunity to collaborate with the other team members of CREDGOV, i.e. two postdocs, one research assistant and the principal investigator. The team will also integrate 410 regional elections surveys conducted in 68 regions in 8 countries into one trend file and will field questions to a panel of regional and local voters and a panel of regional and local politicians on an annual basis.

There is ample opportunity for the successful candidate to develop own research objectives within the broad framework of the project. Applicants are asked to write a research proposal of maximum two pages with an outline on how the applicant would like to contribute to the overall goals of the project and how the applicant would like to pursue an own research agenda. Funding will be dedicated towards the professional training of the PhD candidate. This includes, for example, resources to cover expenses for summer school courses for training in statistical methods. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to carry out visits to 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 have been awarded a MA degree in political science or in a relevant field within social sciences (e.g. public administration/policy, sociology, economics) or must have submitted his/her master’s thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline.
• Should be proficient in both written and oral English.
• Should be interested in applying quantitative methods and preferably has experience with mainstream statistical packages (e.g. SPSS, Stata, SAS, or R)
• Is able to work independently as well as in a team.
• Preferably has some knowledge on one or more themes that relate to the project, for example, democracy (elections, voting behaviour, political parties, representation) or governance (institutions, policy making, policy implementation, multilevel governance).
• Is willing to disseminate research results beyond the academic community.
• Is willing to collaborate on an international level and to contribute to building an international collaborative network.

Potential candidates will be invited for an interview in late August. Candidates will be asked to deliver a presentation during which they present their research plans and their potential contribution to the research project (see below).

Applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with the teaching and research profile at the Department. The teaching language is Norwegian, one of the Scandinavian languages and English. Proficiency in Norwegian or one of the Scandinavian language is not a requirement for this position.

About the PhD position (applies to university PhD positions):

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:

The application must include a research proposal of maximum 2 pages. The proposal should outline how the applicant would like to contribute to the overall goals of the project and how the applicant would like to pursue their own research. There is ample opportunity within the project for the team members to develop and advance their own research agendas. The proposal should contain a preliminary timeline and milestones as well as a publication plan which includes a PhD dissertation. It is a requirement that the project is completed in the course of the period of employment. The budget of the project enables the team members to enrol in summer school courses for training in 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.

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 to the programme you must have completed a Master degree. The requirements to be included is generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the Master degree in total. The educational background must normally be equivalent to a five-year Master education, a three year Bachelor degree plus a two-year Master degree including a Master thesis. 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:

• Exciting development opportunities as part of your role in a strong professional environment
• 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.
• 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 CV
• A research proposal (up to 2 pages)
• The names and contact information for two references. One of these must be the main supervisor of the MA-thesis
• Transcripts and diplomas of bachelor's and master's degrees, or official confirmation that the MA-thesis has been submitted
• 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: 19/697.

The closing date is August 5, 2019

Applications sent by e-mail will not be evaluated.

General information:

Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting:

• Arjan Schakel, Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen: arjan.schakel@uib.no

Practical questions about the application process should be directed to Adviser - HR, Even Michal Endresen, e-mail: even.endresen@uib.no

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.

Apply for position