Job description

Applications are invited for a three to four-year position in a Research Fellowship as PhD Candidate in disability studies – The Politics of Disability Identity at the Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo.

The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council and is part of the research project The Politics of Disability Identity, which investigates the societal and cultural conditions under which people with disabilities are recognized and included. Among the research questions are whether or not inclusion has increased in recent decades, which sub-groups are considered more or less “includable", and how these recognition processes take place in a social, cultural and historical sense.

The PhD project should address issues of inclusion and the includable. The PhD fellow will be part of the work packages Disability and employability and Cultural citizens with disabilities. The objective of the WP Disability and employability is to examine employers' notions of "includable", "good" or "desirable" disabled employees and expectations of what qualities such employees should possess. The objective of the WP Cultural citizens with disabilities is to examine how disability identity is framed, constructed, and recognized as "includable" in the public sphere.

The project Politics of Disability Identity involves two University of Oslo departments and two research departments at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). The successful candidate will cooperate with researchers at these departments, particularly the Work Research Institute at OsloMet.

More about the position

The fellowship period is from 3-4 years. In agreement with the Department of Special Needs Education, the fellowship period can be up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. With a 4-year employment, the position entails a compulsory work load of 25% that consists of teaching and supervision duties and research assistance.

The research fellow must take part in the Faculty’s approved PhD program and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

Residence in Norway is expected, but PhD fellows are also encouraged to spend time abroad during the fellowship period.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the Faculty’s PhD program. Further information on admission requirements and an application form can be found at this website
• Applicants must have completed a Master’s degree (120 ECTS) in a relevant discipline with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS. The master's thesis must have been submitted before the application deadline. Candidates from disciplinary backgrounds other than education must demonstrate in their application letter that their educational background prepares them for doctoral study in education
• Applicants should have research interests pertaining to disability studies and/or the study of disability. The successful candidate should have skills in qualitative research, including one of more of the following methods: Fieldwork, document or text analysis, interviews, visual analysis, cultural analysis, arts-based research. It is expected that the successful candidate is able to demonstrate a sense of, and sensitivity to, text, language and visuality
• Applicants must be proficient in a Scandinavian language, due to fieldwork and document-analysis in a Norwegian setting. Applicants must also have excellent written and oral proficiency in English

Personal skills

Candidates should be able to work independently while also collaborating with project members in their own department as well as and in other institutions. Cooperative skills and curiosity about other disciplinary approaches than the candidate's own are advantages.

We offer

• Salary from NOK 491 200 – 534 400 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as a PhD Research fellow (position code 1017). Research fellows are normally allocated to pay grade 54, NOK 491 200, on appointment. The position is remunerated according to the Norwegian State salary scale.
• attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Cover Letter, including statement of motivation, and an explanation of how your background, research and experience is relevant to the research project.
• A project description, including progress plan, of 3-5 pages, including references. This outline should describe the research the applicant wishes to pursue within the framework of the project, and make clear how this research fits within the overall framework of The Politics of Disability Identity (See guidance)
• Completed application form for admission to the Faculty’s doctoral degree Programme (please see our website)
• CV with full summary of education, practice and academic work
• Documentation of English proficiency. (Requirements: in the form of an academic degree from an English language university or an approved English proficiency test with a minimum required score. For guidance, see this website).
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• Master's thesis.
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone 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).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the “project description” and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. In addition to an overall evaluation of the applicant’s grades, particular emphasis will be placed on the quality of the master's thesis and the candidate’s own project outline. Applicants may be called in for an interview.

The final hiring decision is the responsibility of the department’s board and will be based on an evaluation of the overall qualifications of the shortlisted candidates as well as the project’s and department’s needs.

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

• Associate Professor Luca Tateo
• Professor Jan Grue
• Head of Department Professor Ona Bø Wie

Apply for this job