Job description

Position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow available in the Regenerative Technologies research group at the Department of Informatics.

The fellowship is a full-time position with a fixed-term period of four (4) years, of which up to 25% will be devoted to compulsory work duties as part of the project and e.g contributions to teaching at the research group or department at large.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of Oslo. Starting date as soon as possible.

More about the position

The position is devoted to carrying out research in"EMPOWER: Sustainable Batteries in Mobility - (Em)powering a Net-zero Energy Transition".This initiative is funded by UiO:Energy Convergence Environments and will run in the period 2022-2027. EMPOWER takes an interdisciplinary research and education perspective to investigate the role of electric vehicle batteries in enabling a sustainable net-zero energy transition in Norway. We are currently recruiting three doctoral and three postdoctoral research fellows.

The responsibility of this Postdoc fellow in Batteries and Sustainable Futures will be to develop a sustainability framework for EMPOWER, with a focus on the EV battery life cycle and future battery use. It will take a regulatory ecology perspective, a systems approach to investigate the interactions between four modes of regulation: the design and architecture of batteries, the laws and directives regulating batteries, the market of mobility batteries (new and second-life ones), and social norms of battery use, now and in the future. This integrative approach will support the creation of a common language in the project, strengthening our collaboration and enable interdisciplinary outcomes. This interdisciplinary work will be further enhanced by integrative mapping exercises, in which EMPOWER participants engage in a participatory mapping of project results and analysis. Secondly, informed by the EV battery life cycle, this research will involve youth in designing and exploring future sustainable transport solutions. The following research questions will be addressed by the Postdoc Fellow: 1) What are the social and environmental impacts in the EV battery life cycle? and 2) How do youth envision their future sustainable transportation?

For this Postdoctoral Research Fellow position, we are looking for a researcher candidate who will:

• focus on a qualitative analysis of the social and ecological impacts of electric vehicle batteries, developing and using mixed methods such as LCAs, hotspot analysis, exhibitions, and workshops.
• strengthen the project team’s interdisciplinary approach and outcomes
• collaborate with youth on how they envision sustainable transport in the future.

Development plan:

The main purpose of a postdoctoral fellowship is to provide the candidates with enhanced skills to pursue a scientific top position within or beyond academia. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are required to submit a professional development plan no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period.

More about EMPOWER:

Both the EU’s Green Deal and the EU Circular Economy Action Plan mention the centrality of batteries to sustainable futures. In Norway, transport is the highest greenhouse gas-emitting sector. To reach the vision of a Norwegian net-zero energy system by 2050, the decarbonisation of all transport segments is crucial. While batteries represent a central technology for zero-carbon transportation, they also pose complex socio-ecological problems.

A holistic analysis of the battery role for sustainable transport in a net-zero energy system is still missing. EMPOWER will address this knowledge gap, proposing an interdisciplinary approach to study the diversity of challenges (social, environmental, material, market, legal) found in the design, production, use, re-use, and recycling of batteries. Using Norway as a case study, EMPOWER will focus on an investigation of electric vehicle/micromobility batteries to: i) develop a common definition of sustainable batteries for mobility across industry and involved disciplines; ii) explore representations of this sustainability concept in EV production and utilization, including the energy system perspective; iii) determine how the inclusion of this interdisciplinary set of criteria, for the sustainability of EV/micromobility batteries, impacts the design of net-zero energy systems; and iv) co-design educational offer for young people and early career researchers to facilitate their interdisciplinary understanding of battery-centred research.

EMPOWER offers early career scientists an inspiring interdisciplinary research and education environment. You will be a part of a fantastic team at the University of Oslo, composed of eight senior researchers/professors and six early career researchers across four faculties and six departments, as well as a wide range of industry and international partners. The main supervisor(s) are named under each job advert, and you will be co-supervised by at least one core member from another discipline. We are looking for people who are motivated to work towards a sustainable transition and are excited to work with researchers from other disciplines.

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.

• You have a relevant doctoral degree (equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree) in the Natural or Social Sciences or the Humanities.The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Only applicants with an approved doctoral thesis and public defense are eligible for appointment.
• You have demonstrable experience in relevant interdisciplinary qualitative research
• You have fluent oral and written communication skills in English

Preferable qualifications:

• You have experience in presenting data and ideas using visual techniques.
• You can process and analyse substantial amounts of literature from different fields (related to the social and ecological impact of batteries).
• You have experience in working in interdisciplinary teams.
• You have experience in organizing workshops and seminars.
• You speak Norwegian or a related Scandinavian language.

Personal skills

• You are open to learn new methods and to bridge the gap between disciplines in developing creative and thought-provoking ideas on how to study opportunities and barriers in sustainability
• You have or are open to learning and developing communication skills across various research disciplines
• You have the capacity to conduct high-quality empirical research and resilient to cope with setbacks in the process.
• You are a team player, who is interested in co-developing research ideas and in playing an active role in the team – yet you also know (and like to) work independently
• You are passionate about working towards more sustainable futures

We offer

• Salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (position code 1352)
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement
• Professionally stimulating working environment
• Vibrant international academic environment
• Postdoctoral 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 (2-4 pages) including 1) a statement of motivation (why is this position perfect for you and why you want to work with us); 2) a summary of scientific work (what is your research experience); and 3) research interests (what research ideas do you have for this position)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates, academic transcript of records
• A complete list of publications and up to 5 academic works 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).

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description (whenever this is required in the call for applicants), and the quality of the project as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability.

Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see theguidelines and regulationsfor 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.

If an applicant has applied for and been granted funding for a fulltime research stay abroad while being employed as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, the employment will be prolonged with the equivalent time as the research stay, but for no longer than of twelve months ( thus extending the employment to a maximum of four years)

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. 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

• Marianne Zeyringer, Associate Professor, Project coordinator EMPOWER, email: Marianne.zeyringer@its.uio.no
• Maja Van Der Velden, Professor, Leader of the Regenerative Technologies research group and WP1 under EMPOWER, e-mail: majava@ifi.uio.no

For questions regarding the recruitment system, please contact HR Adviser Therese Ringvold, phone: +47 22856106, e-mail: therese.ringvold@mn.uio.no

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