Job description

Applicants are invited for two year position as Postdoctoral Fellow in in language, reading and math development to be based at the Department of Education, University of Oslo.

The position is connected to a project funded by the research council Norway,” Development of numeracy and literacy: Influence from cognitive skills, social background and gender”. Principal Investigator Arne Lervåg. The work are related to working on monitoring and develop publications from an ongoing longitudinal study about children’s numeracy and literacy DEVELOPMENT. In addition, the candidate will be responsible for a meta-analysis examining how interventions on children with learning problems (literacy and/or math problems) affect both socio-emotional functioning and literacy and/or math skills.

More about the position

The appointment is a fulltime position and is made for a period of up to two years.

The main purpose of the fellowship is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

The candidate needs to work in Norway, and also to engage in the activities in the department.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in psychology or education. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English are required.

The following qualifications will count in the assessment of the applicants:

• The candidate has to have knowledge about the development of language and reading skills.
• It is also an advantage if the candidate has knowledge and experience with topics that goes broader than language and reading skills.
• The candidate needs to have experience in conducting randomized controlled trials and knowledge concerning statistical analyses of such trials.

Personal skills

• The candidate needs to be motivated and engaged.
• The candidate has the ability to work independent but also have good collaborative skills.

We offer

• salary NOK 534 400 - 615 800 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• a professionally stimulating working environment
• 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

The application must include

• cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• project description of 8-10 pages (cf. Guidance) and PhD thesis
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• a complete list of publications
• academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered
• list of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description and the quality of the project as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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.

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives. We will make adjustments for employees who require this.

If there are qualified applicants with special needs, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant in each of these groups to an interview.

Contact information

• Professor Arne Lervåg

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