Department of Literature, European Languages and Area Studies

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in linguistics is available at the Department of Literature, European Languages and Area Studies, University of Oslo.

The position will be affiliated with the research program DESCRYPT – Echoes of History: Analysis and Decipherment of Historical Writings funded by the Swedish Riksbankens Jubileumsfond from January 2025–December 2032. The program investigates new approaches to analyzing and deciphering historical sources with non-standard, rare or unknown writing systems through advanced computational linguistics and artificial intelligent techniques. The key outcome of the program is the development of robust, scalable tools to assist researchers in the Humanities in unlocking these historical writings. 

The doctoral research fellowship will be connected to the part of the program that focuses on recognition and transcription of rare scripts and on historical language models. 

Possible areas of research include but are not limited to:

• Theoretical grapholinguistics with a particular focus on graphetics and the typology of written characters across writing systems
• Comparative perspectives on variation in historical languages with a particular focus on spelling variation
• Multilingualism and code-switching in historical written documents
• Historical language models and cryptanalysis

Applicants are invited to submit a project proposal including a Digital Humanities and/or a comparative approach across several writing systems and/or languages. Candidates may present their own choices of material. A background in Germanic Philology is advantageous but not required. 

The successful candidate will be part of the research program’s international research group including both senior and junior researchers and will have the possibility to draw on the members’ rich expertise in the fields of historical linguistics, philology, computational linguistics, cryptanalysis, computer science, and history. The candidate is expected to participate in and to contribute to the program’s overarching activities such as online meetings and workshops. The position also offers the opportunity to conduct field and/or archival work. 

The research program will collaborate with the Swedish Graduate School in Digital Philology based at the Universities of Lund, Stockholm, and Uppsala and the successful candidate will have the possibility to participate in the Graduate School’s activities. 

The research program DESCRYPT – Echoes of History: Analysis and Decipherment of Historical Writings starts in January 2025 and builds on the previous project DECRYPT – Decryption of Secret Historical Manuscripts. For further information on the research program contact the program’s Deputy Director Michelle Waldispühl (see contact information below). 

Applicants must upload a research proposal (hf.uio.no) with research questions and theoretical and methodological approaches. 

Expected start date: 1 September 2025.

More about the position

The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty's organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree (hf.uio.no).

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant (hf.uio.no).

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in one or several of the following: linguistics, philology, Digital Humanities, computational linguistics or related relevant fields. The Master's degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline. 
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, see (see Language requirements (hf.uio.no). Applicants will be asked to document these skills prior to admission to the PhD programme. Language skills in a Scandinavian language and German are advantageous but not required.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programs at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study program’s scope and quality.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

• The project's scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The project's relevance to the DESCRYPT research program
• The applicant's estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
• The applicant's ability to complete research training
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

• Salary NOK 532 200 - 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications.
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
• Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master's degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university's grading system
• Documentation of Language requirements (hf.uio.no) (if applicable)
• Project proposal, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project proposal (hf.uio.no)) 

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no. 

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

Contact information

• DESCRYPT’s Deputy Director, Professor Michelle Waldispühl: michelle.waldispuhl@ilos.uio.no 
• Head of Administration, Karina Kleiva: karina.kleiva@ilos.uio.no

For questions about the process: HR adviser Tonje Olsen, e-mail t.n.olsen@hf.uio.no.

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