Postdoctoral Fellow at SUM

Job description

The Centre for Development and the Environment is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow (SKO 1352) with a specialization in African politics. The successful applicant will be part of the research group Poverty Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The appointment is for a fixed period of four years, with a minimum 25% teaching requirement.

The Poverty Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development research group undertakes critical, independent and high quality interdisciplinary and policy-related research on poverty reduction and climate disruption. The group studies the explicit role of institutions, politics and power in shaping and determining action by governments, as well as the impact of governance and institutional reforms on policy implementation in low-and medium-income countries.

We are looking for a social scientist with the following research interests:

• Politics and development in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Operation and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing country contexts

More about the position

The main purpose of the fellowship is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines. The Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to actively contribute to the research and dissemination activities within the Centre for Development and the Environment in general and the Poverty Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development research group in particular. The appointed Postdoctoral Fellow is expected to acquire basic pedagogical competency in the course of the fellowship period and participate in teaching and student supervision.

Qualification requirements

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in social sciences or humanities, before taking up the post.
• For applicants who are yet to receive their PhD degree, the doctoral thesis must have been submitted for evaluation before the application deadline. Such applicants should note the date of submission of their PhD in the cover letter. Appointment is dependent on successful completion and defence of the doctoral thesis.

Preferred qualification criteria

• Applicants must have excellent command of English (written and oral).
• Previous research on, and familiarity with, one or more of the topics covered by the Poverty Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development research group.
• Previous research dealing with sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• While research experience on Ethiopia is an advantage, research experience from other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is also very relevant.
• Previous experience with writing research applications and teaching.

Personal skills

• Be able to work in an interdisciplinary environment
• Be able to work independently as well as part of a team
• Be able to effectively interact with students and faculty
• Be able to enrich the intellectual community of the Centre for Development and the Environment and the research group through research and teaching activities

We offer

• Salary according to “SKO 1352 postdoktor”, pay grade 59-67, NOK 526 000-608 200 per year (approx. 52 000 - 61 000 Euro)
• Budget for travel, fieldwork and research assistance
• 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 (including the University’s kindergarten)
• Postdocs are included in career development activities of the Research School at the Centre for Development and the Environment
• Postdocs are expected to acquire pedagogical competency
• Female postdocs can take part in the University of Oslo’s mentor programme for female postdocs

How to apply

The online application must include the following items:

• A cover letter (max. 2 pages, including statement of motivation, summarizing research interests and major contribution to their field of research, collaboration skills, and how the applicant will contribute to the research group and the SustGOV project).
• A research proposal (max. 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 publication plan.
• A CV summarizing education, positions, research and pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities.
• A complete list of research outputs, including both peer reviewed and popular scientific dissemination, policy briefs, etc.
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only).
• Upload a copy of (what you consider to be) your best academic work to date (only one paper or publication!), preferably a single-authored piece. If a co-authored work is uploaded instead, the applicant’s individual contribution must be clarified and confirmed by co-authors. Specify the theoretical, methodological or empirical contribution of your publication to your field of research.
• Names and contact details for 2-3 reference persons (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number). Reference letters are not needed.
• Applicants who are yet to defend their PhD thesis must include a letter confirming that the thesis has been submitted for defence.
• 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. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
• The screening and evaluation of the candidates will begin immediately after the deadline. We expect the whole evaluation process, from the application date to an offer is made, to take approx. 8 weeks, depending on the number of applications. Shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow 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. 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

• Professor Dan Banik (dan.banik@sum.uio.no)
• Oda Fagerland, Coordinator(oda.fagerland@sum.uio.no)
• Gitte Egenberg, Head of Office (gitte.egenberg@sum.uio.no)

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