Stilling:

Postdoctoral Researcher in Environmental Humanities

Deadline: March 24, 2019

University of Stavanger

The University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12,000 students and 1,700 employees. We are the only Norwegian member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The University has high ambitions. We wish to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Together with our staff and students, we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.


The Department of Cultural Studies and Languages, which is part of the Faculty of Arts and Education, is responsible for the University's new lector programme and practical pedagogical education. The Institute also offers programmes in Nordic, English, Religion and History as well as Master's programmes in History with Didactics, Nordic with Literacy Studies and English Literacy Studies. In cooperation with other departments at the faculty, the Department of Cultural Studies and Languages offers a doctoral education in Literacy Studies. There are currently 70 employees and 890 students at the department.

The University of Stavanger invites applications for a 2-year position as Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Humanities at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Cultural Studies and Languages. The position is vacant from 1 August 2019.

The position is funded by the project “Beyond Dodos and Dinosaurs: Displaying Extinction and Recovery in Museums” financed by the Norwegian Research Council.

The objective of the position is to strengthen research, and to give researchers/scholars holding a doctoral degree within relevant academic field(s) the opportunity for further qualification toward a permanent academic position.

The appointment is 100% for two years with research duties aligned to the project “Beyond Dodos and Dinosaurs: Displaying Extinction and Recovery in Museums”, which is led by Professor Dolly Jørgensen and financed by the Norwegian Research Council. This project explores the multifaceted narratives mobilized in the remembering of extinction and near extinction in museums, including exploration of the multiple framings active simultaneously in museum displays, such as loss, guilt, belonging, care, mourning, and celebration. For more information about the project, see http://newnatures.org/extinction/

This post-doctoral fellow will specifically focus on museum narratives of species that were near extinction but have not become extinct because of active human intervention. Case studies selected for the post-doctoral project can be located anywhere in the world. A historical dimension to the project is preferred. The fellow will be expected to produce two scholarly articles for publication in international outlets during the project. In addition, to working on an individually-defined case study, the postdoc will be responsible for scoping, developing, and launching an online exhibit associated with a temporary museum exhibit “The Beaver’s Journey” on beaver reintroduction that is also being developed by the project.

The position will also be associated with The Greenhouse, a program area in environmental humanities at the University of Stavanger, co-directed by Professor Dolly Jørgensen and Professor Finn Arne Jørgensen. For more information, see http://newnatures.org/greenhouse/

Applicants must have already earned their PhD in a specialization relevant to the project, including but not limited to history, literature, museum studies, heritage studies, or environmental humanities, preferably acquired recently.

The applicant must submit a proposal for a specific research project and a plan for its completion (maximum of 3 pages). It must be clear from the project proposal in what way the project will draw on and add to the applicant's competence and contribute to the “Beyond Dodos and Dinosaurs” project.

The applications will be assessed in relation to the relevance, quality and feasibility of the project, as well as the academic background and accomplishments of the candidate. In addition to an evaluation of their submitted project plan and scientific work, potential candidates will be invited to an interview.

Qualifications within the areas of creativity and innovation of research will be given emphasis in appointments to academic positions at the university.

The research project will be carried out at the University of Stavanger. It is assumed that the appointee will work full time on the project and that she/he will participate in the scholarly circles at the faculty and university.

The position salary is set according to the State Salary Code, l.pl 17.510, code 1352, NOK 534.100-586.500 per annum. In special cases, higher salaries may be considered. The position provides an automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which guarantees favorable retirement benefits.

Further information about the project and the position can be obtained from:

Information about appointment procedures can be obtained from HR advisor Camelia Danaei, email camelia.danaei@uis.no.

The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in its employment practices. The University currently employs few female postdoctoral researchers within the academic field in question, and women are therefore particularly encouraged to apply.

Please, register your application in an electronic form at jobbnorge.no. Relevant education and experience must be included. You should submit the following as attachments to the application as separate files as part of the application:

  • Research proposal (max 3 pages)
  • Copies of certificates/diplomas
  • List of all publications
  • Copies of up to 5 publications
  • Any other documentation that you may consider relevant

The documentation must be available either in a Scandinavian language or in English. If the attachments exceed 30 MB altogether, they will have to be compressed before upload.

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