About the position

The Department of Political Science is recruiting a PhD Research Fellow (SKO 1017) with specialisation in the study of cabinet government in Scandinavia. The successful applicant will be part of the research project The Political Executive: Cabinet Government Praxis Between Laws and Norms (POLITEX), which is funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The person appointed may be given either a three year-appointment with no teaching requirement, or an appointment for a period of four years with a 25 per cent teaching requirement, depending on how the candidate’s competence fits in with the Department’s teaching portfolio.

The POLITEX project asks four questions: What are the functions of the cabinet? How does the cabinet make its decisions? What characterizes and shapes the role of the cabinet minister? And: How are norms about agenda setting, decision-making, and roles in the cabinet transferred to new office holders?

POLITEX combines sociological and historical perspectives with perspectives from political science and legal scholarship in studying the operation of cabinet government. In terms of research design, the project is in-depth, spatial and temporal. The most in-depth data will be collected for Norway, but considerable data will be collected for Sweden and Denmark, too, to accommodate spatial comparisons. The project's data collection components are interviews, a survey, document/archive study, and biographic data. More information about the project can be found here.

The PhD Fellow is expected to develop his/her own project within the project’s topical and geographical borders. We encourage a project proposal with a tentative overall thematic and theoretical framework and ideas for at least three academic articles. There is no preference for specific theoretical approaches. Also, there is no absolute requirement on the methodological approach, but the project has a preference for a PhD Fellow whose proposed project involves strong elements of quantitative methods. The candidate will be given access to data collected by the project but is expected to design a project with also additional data collection activities especially suited to the needs of the PhD project. Again, interested applicants are encouraged to contact the project leader to discuss tentative project ideas.

The successful candidate will be part of the Faculty’s PhD programme. The work is expected to lead to a PhD in political science.

Qualification requirements

• Education equivalent to five years at university level in Norway, with two years (120 credits) at Master’s level in a relevant field. The MA thesis must be equivalent to at least half a year’s workload, i.e. 30 ECTS.
• The Master’s degree must include relevant education in research methods.Other qualifications:
  • Norwegian or other Scandinavian language skills
  • English language skills

The evaluation of applicants is based on documented, academic qualifications and the research plan. Personal suitability, motivation, and compatibility with the rest of the project team are also considered. The most promising candidates are invited to an interview.

We offer

• Salary according to “SKO 1017 PhD fellow”, currently NOK 491 200 – 534 400 per year
• Personal research funds (currently NOK 30,000 per year)
• A stimulating and international research environment with the POLITEX research group in addition to multiple research groups and seminar series
• A friendly and inclusive workplace allowing for a good work-life balance
• Access to Norway’s excellent public services and welfare schemes, including generous parental leave provisions and affordable and accessible childcare (including the university’s kindergartens)
• Norway’s capital with its rich cultural life and easy access to beautiful nature
• Financial and practical support for international staff moving to Norway (international staff may also benefit from tax cuts in their first years)
• PhD Fellows may acquire pedagogical competency upon agreement

How to apply

The application with attachments must be submitted in our electronic recruiting system. Please follow the link “Apply for this job”.

The online application must include the following items, which are to be submitted before the deadline (all documents should be in a Scandinavian language or English ):

• A cover letter (maximum 2 pages), including a statement of motivation
• A research proposal (maximum 3,000 words including references). The proposal should clarify the research theme, main research questions, how the research contributes to existing literature and the project, theoretical approach, methodology, and a timeline. A final research plan must be developed in cooperation with the project leader within three months of the start date
• A CV summarising education, positions, research and pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities
• Copy of Master’s thesis
• 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 for the Master’s thesis
• Official explanation of the grading and credit system at your university (foreign applicants)
• Names and contact details for 2-3 reference persons (name, relationship to candidate, e-mail, and phone number). Reference letters are not needed.

The application deadline is 19.08.2022. The screening and evaluation of candidates will begin immediately. We expect the whole evaluation process, from the application date to an offer being made, to take about 5 weeks. Expected start: October 2022.

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. 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

• Professor Jostein Askim, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo. Project leader of POLITEX. E-mail: jostein.askim@stv.uio.no
• Head of Department, Professor Bjørn Erik Rasch

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