Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in Archaeology is available at the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo.

The position is associated with the archaeological research group Materialities. Materialities encompasses a time span from the Early Stone Age (Lower Palaeolithic) to Historical and Contemporary Archaeology. A central concern for the group is the exploration of the materiality of pasts and presents, based on both empirical and theoretical attention to material culture. Central research topics include social organization and change, migration, human eco-dynamics in the past and present, technology and systems of knowledge, religion and ritual practices, social identity, cultural and natural heritage, and the uses and politics of the past.

Applicants are asked to propose a research project relevant for the research group, within the scopes of Nordic Prehistory, Mediterranean Archaeology (Iron Age to Roman Republic), Africanist archaeology, or Contemporary Archaeology and Heritage Studies. The project description must be theoretically and methodologically sophisticated and should clarify the conceptual frameworks and methods to be employed. It is an advantage (though not a requirement) that the proposed project is interdisciplinary in scope and approach (e.g., tuned towards the natural sciences, ecology, geography, history, museology or anthropology).

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.

The start date for the position will be in the autumn semester 2024. 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.

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in Archaeology. 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 Language requirements.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes 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 programme’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 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 (if applicable)
• Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)

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.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

For questions regarding the position:

• Associate Professor and Head of Research Training Kristin Ranestad
• Professor Thora Petursdottir

For questions regarding how to apply:

• HR Adviser Mira Kramarova

Apply for position