Job description

Applications are invited for a 4 year-position as PhD Research Fellow in speech and language pathology to be based at the Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo.

The successful applicant will conduct research within the Second Language Learners Plus (SL+) project financed by The Research Council of Norway (see project page). SL+ is a project within the research group ComPros.

The aim of the project is to develop and examine the effefcts of a digital vocabulary intervention program for second language (L2) learners in Norwegian kindergardens. The objective is to achieve sustainable effects on L2 vocabulary breadth and depth, and to obtain transfer effects to broader language skills. In the project, a litterature review (meta-analysis), observations, interviews, and a randomized control trial are utilized.

The successful candidate is expected to write an article based thesis in English, administer part of the intervention and write papers related to the data from the intervention, present the research in international peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences and participate actively in our research community including SL+ prosject team, ComPros research group and the department. Periods abroad are encouraged. We have various international collaboration partners that may be potential hosts.

More about the position

The fellowship period is up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. The position entails a compulsory work load of 25%, that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

The research fellow must take part in the faculty’s approved PhD program, and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

For more information, please see our web site.

Qualification requirements

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the faculty´s PhD programme.

This normally includes:

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in speech language pathology or a closely related discipline.
• A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with a minimum grade B.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language)

Desirable qualification requirements:

• Competence related to coding and analysis of shared book reading data/dialogue data
• Experience conducting RCT

In the assessment of applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The quality of the project description, the description of the research topic’s relevance to educational issues, the specific problems to be studied, the choice of scientific theory and method, and the proposed implementation plan for the study
• The quality and relevance of published articles and/or articles in progress
• The applicant’s experience, personal suitability and motivation for the post, including her/his ability to collaborate and to form part of a cross-disciplinary academic community
• The applicant’s academic attitude and motivation regarding completing the research training program
• The applicant's genuine interest in special needs education research and more specifically vocabulary interventions

Personal skills

• Good communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work in teams and independently.

We offer

• Salary NOK 501 200 – 544 400 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research Fellow, (position code 1017)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply and what to include in your application

The application must include:

• Cover letter, including statement of motivation and research interests
• A project description, including progress plan (8-10 pages) Please see our guidelines.
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only). Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• Documentation of English proficiency (for information on required documentation, see information on this webpage)
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link: “Apply for this job”.

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the project description and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

Contact information

For questions about the position, please contact:

• Professor Kari-Anne B. Næss

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

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.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

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