Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History

Job description

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

The position is associated to the project ClimateCultures: Socionatural entanglements in Little Ice Age in Norway (1500-1800), financed by the Norwegian Research Council (grant number 315441). It asks: what happened the last time Nordic societies encountered rapid climate change? How did climate and culture interact during this Little Ice Age? The interdisciplinary project brings together historians, climatologists, and museum practitioners. It connects the ‘archives of society’ (historical documents/objects) with the ‘archives of nature’ (tree-rings/ice-cores) and disseminates its findings in partnership with museums and Oslo’s new Klimahuset.

The doctoral research fellowship at the University of Oslo will focus on the historical part of the research. The successful candidate needs to research societal responses in Norway to the Little Ice Age (1500-1800). The work must be based on historical sources and objects from archives, libraries, and museums in the Nordic countries. The project should draw on the approaches of environmental history, historical climatology and material culture studies. Particular attention should be payed to extreme events (such as the 1630s, 1740s or 1770s).

The researcher will be expected to cooperate closely with the other participants in the project. This includes participation in meetings, workshops and conferences. The researcher will be based in Oslo with an expected start date of January 2022.

More about the position

The person appointed will be part of the Faculty’s organized research training and the Norwegian Graduate School in History. 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 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 3years 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 history or a related discipline. 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 a Scandinavian language and 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.
• Experience in working with historical source material from archives, libraries or museums
• 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 483 700 – 534 400 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
• Up to 5 pieces of academic writing (including the MA thesis)
• A provisional project description (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters) that connects the candidate’s academic interests to the research project described above. 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

• Professor Dominik Collet
• Head of Research Education, Associate Professor Ulrike Spring
• HR Adviser Tonje Olsen (for questions regarding how to apply)

Apply for position