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PhD Research Fellow in Human-Computer Interaction

Deadline: 28.02.2023

Universitetet i Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest rated institution of research and education with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. Its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally esteemed research communities make UiO an important contributor to society.


The Department of Informatics (IFI) is one of nine departments belonging to the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. IFI is Norway’s largest university department for general education and research in Computer Science and related topics.


The Department has more than 1800 students on bachelor level, 600 master students, and over 240 PhDs and postdocs. The overall staff of the Department is close to 370 employees, about 280 of these in full time positions. The full time tenured academic staff is 75, mostly Full/Associate Professors.

Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Human-Computer Interaction available at the Department of Informatics of the University of Oslo, Norway.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than October 1, 2023.

The fellowship period is three (3) years. A fourth year may be considered with a workload of 25 % besides the PhD candidate’s research. These additional responsibilities may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and/or research assistance. This is dependent upon the qualifications of the applicant and the current needs of the department.

More about the position

We seek a talented and motivated student with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)/Interaction Design. The goal of the PhD position is to design interactive technologies that support the health and well-being of users in an inclusive and sustainable way. Health technologies are very close to the user's body, work with sensitive data and can sometimes even become part of the user's body. In this context, various aspects can and should be considered.

The PhD candidate should focus either (i) on the perception of health- and well-being technologies, how the interplay between the autonomy of the user and the autonomy of the technology can be understood, and how potential negative effects, such as perceived creepiness of technologies, can be addressed in the design of future technologies, and/or (ii) on designing interactive technologies for and with vulnerable users conducting an iterative, exploratory, and inclusive design process.

If you are enthusiastic about exploring such questions, this may be the right position for you. The HCI and design methods that could be used to address this research challenge encompass a wide spectrum and will be applied in an iterative manner. They can range from qualitative and quantitative HCI methods to theoretical analyses and other design approaches such as participatory design.

The PhD student may conduct studies with users who belong to vulnerable groups and may not be fluent in English. Thus, being proficient in a Scandinavian language is desirable but not required.

Research environment:

The PhD fellowship will be situated within the Design of Information Systems research group, which is part of the Department of Informatics at the University.

The Design group’s research aims to design alternative interactive artefacts that contribute to making the world a better place as expressed by, e.g., the UN’s sustainability goals: health care, work life, equality and participation, and societal institutions and democracy. The research of the Design group aims to identify negative effects of digital technologies but also demonstrate their positive potential.

The Design group’s research includes theoretical and conceptual work as well as empirical studies and the design of novel interactive systems

Qualification requirements

The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences has a strategic ambition to be among Europe’s leading communities for research, education and innovation. Candidates for this fellowship will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

Required qualifications:

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in HCI, Interaction Design, Informatics, Computer Science, Psychology or a related field relevant to the position
  • Foreign completed degree (M.Sc.-level) corresponding to a minimum of four years of higher education in the Norwegian educational system
  • A very good command of English (reading/writing/speaking)

Desired qualifications:

  • Experience in designing and implementing interactive systems
  • Interest in conducting empirical research
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in a Scandinavian language

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2023 to complete the final exam.

Grade requirements:

The norm is as follows:

  • the average grade point for courses included in the Bachelor’s degree must be C or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the average grade point for courses included in the Master’s degree must be B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • the Master’s thesis must have the grade B or better in the Norwegian educational system
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English

English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries and exemptions from the requirements

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

The fellowship requires admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. The application to the PhD programme must be submitted to the department no later than two months after taking up the position. For more information see:

Personal skills

  • Highly self-motivated and good organizational skills
  • Social skills such as being able to collaborate with a diverse and international team

We offer

  • Salary NOK 501 200 – 544 400 per year depending on qualifications and seniority as PhD Research Fellow (position code 1017)
  • Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
  • Vibrant international academic environment
  • Career development programmes
  • Oslo’s family-friendly surroundings with their rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

  • Cover letter - statement of motivation (maximum length: 1 page)
  • Research statement – description of research interests related to the position (maximum length: 2 pages)
  • CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work)
  • Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and
  • If available: Letter(s) of recommendation
  • Documentation of English proficiency (if required)
  • List of publications and academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered by the evaluation committee
  • Names and contact details of 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, email and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be submitted to our electronic recruiting system (please follow the link “Apply for this job”). Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English.

Applicants will be called in for an interview.

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 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.

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.

Contact information

For further information please contact:

For questions regarding Jobbnorge, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no.

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