Job description

The Department of Political Science recruits a candidate for a PhD research fellowship in political science focusing on nuclear proliferation and/or disarmament. The candidate will be a member of the Oslo Nuclear Project´s research cluster focusing on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. Oslo Nuclear Project is a research program supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The appointment is for a fixed, non-tenured term of 4 years, and has a 25% teaching component. This means that 75 % of the working time over four years is devoted to research activities.

The successful candidate will be part of the Faculty's PhD programme and the Oslo Nuclear Project. The work performed will be expected to lead to a PhD in Political Science. We invite applications from excellent candidates in all sub-fields of political science, including public policy and administration, comparative politics, political theory, international relations and research methods.

This doctoral fellowship will analyze topics related to nuclear (non)proliferation and disarmament and/or how states and international organizations seek to address specific challenges associated with these efforts. The project can examine past or current cases that include, but are not necessarily limited to, nuclear non-proliferation and/or disarmament.

Key responsibilities

• The candidate is expected to conduct research activities along with the PI and team members
• The candidate is expected to contribute to research dissemination, outreach and joint project activities

Interest in exploring and applying advanced social science methods and/or analytical tools is desirable.

The Oslo Nuclear Project is led by Professor Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer and the doctoral fellowship runs from 2021-2025. We encourage applicants to read about the Oslo Nuclear Project and its activities on the project website before applying. Women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.

Qualification requirements

• The prior education must be equivalent of five years at the university level in Norway, with two years (120 credits) at the master's level in a relevant field. The MA thesis must have at least half a year’s workload/30ECTS
• The Master degree must include relevant education in research methods
• Successful candidates must document top grades and a MA Thesis of very high quality

Other qualifications

• English language skills
• Personal suitability and motivation for working with the PhD project

We offer

• Salary according to “SKO 1017 PhD fellow”, pay grade 54-59, NOK 491 200-534 400 per year
• Budget for travel and research assistance (currently NOK 30 000 per year). Staff can apply for additional research support from the department and faculty
• An academically stimulating and international working environment
• A friendly and inclusive workplace
• A good pension scheme through the Norwegian Public Service Fund
• A good work-life balance and access to Norway’s excellent public services and welfare schemes, including generous parental leave provisions and affordable and accessible childcare
• PhD Fellows may acquire pedagogical competency upon agreement

How to apply

The online application must include the following items:

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages), including a statement of motivation
• A research proposal (maximum 3000 words including references). The proposal should clarify the research theme, main research questions, how the research contributes to the existing literature, theoretical approach, methodology, and a timeline
• A CV summarizing education, positions, research and pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities
• Copy of Master’s thesis (in English or Scandinavian language)
• Copies of transcripts: All applicants must submit their Master’s degree Diploma and transcript(s), preferably together with a class distribution of grades. The transcript must specify the grade achieved on the Master’s thesis
• Official explanation of the grading and credit system at your university
• Names and contact details for 2-3 reference persons (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number). Reference letters not needed

The application with attachments must be submitted in our electronic recruiting system. Please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian Language

The application deadline is October 11, 2021. The screening and evaluation of the candidates will begin immediately. We expect the whole evaluation process, from the application date to an offer is made, to take about 5-8 weeks, depending on the number of applications. Expected starting month is January 2022 (or a mutually-agreed upon date).

The evaluation of applications is based primarily on documented, academic qualifications (grades and quality of the Master’s thesis), the quality and relevance of the research proposal and the personal suitability of the candidate. The most promising candidates are invited to interviews.

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 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. 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

• Project leader, Professor Målfrid Braut-Hegghammer
• Head of Department, Bjørn Erik Rasch

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