Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas

Job description

A Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available at the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellowship is funded by the Research Council of Norway and is associated with the project ‘Narrative Hierarchies: Minor Characters in Byzantine and Medieval History Writing’ (grant nr. 324754). The candidate is expected to carry out research as part of the main project.

The position is available for a period of 2 years (full time).

The position may be extended for a third year, involving a research stay outside of Norway, subject to the successful acquisition of additional funding from the Research Council of Norway (Funding for Research Stays Abroad for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Fellows).

This project aims to explore medieval power and gender relations in historiographical narrative. In medieval histories, kings, emperors, and other elite men typically occupy more prominent roles than labourers, women, eunuchs, slaves, soldiers, and foreigners. The unevenness with which attention, space, and importance are distributed between different types of characters produces hierarchies within these narratives. This research project sets out to analyse these narrative hierarchies, with a particular focus on non-elite and non-male minor characters.

The PI’s work will focus on a corpus of late Byzantine (c. 1200 – c. 1460) histories. Parallel to this work, the successful postdoctoral fellow, the PI, and external collaborators will explore several other contemporary historiographical traditions. These transhistorical studies will aim both to create a framework by which the study of Byzantine history writing can be meaningfully placed in conversation with wider medieval traditions of history writing and narrative and to reflect on the Byzantine tradition’s idiosyncrasies.

A detailed project description is available for applicants on request (please contact Matthew Kinloch).

More about the position

The postdoctoral fellow will principally be expected to extend the transhistorical dimension of the project, by pursuing research related to the narrative hierarchies of a non-Byzantine medieval historical tradition. Researchers are expected to share their chronological focus with the project (c. 1200 – c. 1460), but their field of specialisation within medieval history/literature is entirely open.

The postdoctoral fellow’s primary responsibility will be to research and write at least two journal articles. Prospective candidates are asked to clearly articulate the topics on which they intend to work in their project description. Candidates will not be expected to apply a rigid ‘project methodology’, but are encouraged to elaborate how their proposed research speaks to the research questions and transhistorical agenda of the project. Proposals should explicitly relate to questions of narrative/narrative theory, gender, hierarchies, subalternity, or non-elite counterpower.

Applications from candidates working on related traditions (e.g., Armenian, Seljuk, early Ottoman, Slavonic, crusader, Ethiopic) are particularly welcome, but candidates will be judged primarily on their thematic relevance and the quality of their research proposal.

In addition to producing two journal articles, successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to further project activities, including collaborative research, the organisation of a workshop, and the formulation and writing of grant applications.

The successful candidate is expected to become part of the research environment/network of the department and contribute to its development. The main purpose of postdoctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines

Qualification requirements

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization in medieval history and/or literature
• The candidate's research project must be closely connected to ‘Narrative Hierarchies: Minor Characters in Byzantine and Medieval History Writing’
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Command of the research language(s) that are essential to the candidate’s proposed project
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved.

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The research project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to carry out the project within the allotted time frame and contribute to the research of the project team
• Good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join in academic collaboration within and across disciplines

We offer

• Salary NOK 534 400 – 615 800 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include:

• Expression of interest and short project proposal (approx. 2 - 3 pages) describing the applicant’s motivation for the position and the project they propose to carry out within the scope of the project
• Curriculum Vitae with grades listed (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities)
• List of publications
• Copies of educational certificates (PhD, MA, BA or equivalent)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.

Long-listed candidates will be asked to submit:

• A detailed project description (approx. 3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions). The project description must present a feasible progress plan. It is expected that the applicant will be able to complete the project during the period of appointment
• Two academic article-length writing samples that the applicant wishes to be considered (these can include dissertation chapters and must not necessarily have been published)

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also Regulations concerning Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Project Leader Dr. Matthew Kinloch, e-mail matthew.kinloch@ifikk.uio.no
• HR Officer Anders Rykke, e-mail anders.rykke@hf.uio.no

Apply for position