Job description

Position as PhD Research Fellow in Sustainable Design available at the Department of Informatics.

The fellowship period is 3 years devoted to research education carrying out a project entitled Democratizing technology: DIY movement, startups and social innovation for sustainability. Candidates may be offered one additional year by the Department of Informatics; the 4 years position then entails a compulsory work load of 25% that may consist of teaching, supervision duties, and research assistance.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo. Starting date no later than 01.10.2020.

More about the position

The successful candidate will be working in an interdisciplinary environment of the Digitalization Section. While the home group for the project is Sustainability and Design, the candidate will be co-supervised by faculty from the Design and Entrepreneurship groups as well. A brief description of the project follows.

A decrease in costs and a broader availability of computational components, platforms and ecosystems support the rise of the maker movement and DIY (Do-it-Yourself) cultures. These movements can be viewed as a form of democratization of technology design, e.g., MyNatureWatch camera, where a wildlife camera was made available for people to build for themselves and use to capture images of nature.

With the current interest in social innovation, they also open for entrepreneurship opportunities. At times of a need for societal transitions toward more sustainable living, it is an exciting proposition to explore ways in which sustainability can become a part of maker, DIY and startup cultures. The research proposal calls for an interdisciplinary inquiry into such innovation spaces and their potential for creating value for transforming cultures and building of sustainable social entrepreneurship.

The candidate is expected to be able to do research and design, where design is an integral part of the research, as is the case in approaches such as research through design or transition design. In the first phase of the project, the candidate will map out different aspects of sustainability thinking for social innovation with communities of interest. In the second phase, several designs will be explored both conceptually and practically to understand their sustainability and innovation potential and enable the candidate to articulate findings as guidelines for the sustainable maker and DIY movements and social innovation startups.

The project is related to, and may draw on and contribute to, the Futuring Sustainable Business Models (UiO: Nordic) project, also located in the Sustainability and Design group, and the InTransit centre (TIK; IfI) activities, both of which engage faculty across the Digitalization Section. In addition, the candidate will collaborate internationally with the Interaction Research Studio at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Prof. Bill Gaver.

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 these fellowships will be selected in accordance with this, and expected to be in the upper segment of their class with respect to academic credentials.

• Master degree or equivalent in Interaction Design or Transition Design is preferred. However, candidates holding Entrepreneurship, Business/Management, Sustainability Studies, or relevant areas of Social Science, e.g., Social Change or Design Anthropology degrees, will be considered.
• Foreign degrees (M.Sc.-level) must correspond to a minimum of four years in the Norwegian educational system
• Experience with interdisciplinary research is desired.

Candidates without a Master’s degree have until 30 June, 2020 to complete the final exam.

Personal skills:

• It is desirable for the candidate to be able to, and enjoy, communication with a variety of audiences (entrepreneurs, researchers, designers, public).

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. Good skills with a Scandinavian language would be an advantage, but it’s not required.
• English requirements for applicants from outside of EU/ EEA countries

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:

http://www.uio.no/english/research/phd/

http://www.mn.uio.no/english/research/phd/

We offer

• Salary NOK 479 600 – 523 200 per annum 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 and research interests
• A half page proposal showcasing the candidate’s take on the project
• CV (summarizing education, positions and academic work - scientific publications)
• Copies of the original Bachelor and Master’s degree diploma, transcripts of records and letters of recommendation
• Documentation of English proficiency
• 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, e-mail and telephone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in 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 (or a Scandinavian language).

Applicants may 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.

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 more information please contact:

• Alma Leora Culén or Maja van der Velden, e-mails: almira@ifi.uio.no and majava@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact: Torunn Standal Guttormsen, phone:+47 22854272,e-mail:t.s.guttormsen@mn.uio.no

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