University of Bergen

The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.

There are seven departments and three centres at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

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PhD position at Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), University of Bergen

The Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), University of Bergen (UiB), is recruiting a PhD fellow for a period of three years. The PhD fellow will be part of a larger research project, “Freight logistics in Sustainable Cities” (CITYFREIGHT), which is led by NHH Norwegian School of Economics and where CET is a partner. The PhD fellow will work on mapping governance challenges of sustainable city logistics.

CET is an interdisciplinary research centre that aims at producing actionable knowledge about how to achieve deep, rapid and sustainable transformation of society to meet the climate challenge. CET is based at the UiB Faculty of Social Sciences, and works closely with scientists from a variety of disciplines.

The PhD candidate will be part of a larger interdisciplinary research project, “Freight Logistics in Sustainable Cities” (CITYFREIGHT), which is led by NHH Norwegian School of Economics and where CET is a partner. The goal of the project is to provide public authorities with a toolbox for realistically evaluating major decisions that would make freight transportation in a city more energy efficient and sustainable. Most Norwegian cities are small and topologically complicated. Freight deliveries in city centres will, unless regulated, increase because of urban population growth and increased internet trade. In particular, there will be a large increase in the number of deliveries. Consequences may be enhanced energy consumption, increased space usage, noise, pollution and climate gas emissions.

About the project/work tasks:

The PhD candidate will get to work within a larger interdisciplinary research project, involving a number of academic institutions, as well as public and private sector user partners. The PhD will specifically work on mapping governance challenges for sustainable city logistics, based upon workshops and interviews with three Norwegian cities (Bergen, Trondheim and Stavanger). The methods will largely be qualitative, including interviews and group discussions. The position is not limited to specific disciplines. However, the applicants’ competence, as well as the proposed research, must be relevant to objectives of the project.

The PhD fellow is expected to develop a research project fulfilling the requirements of a PhD in collaboration with supervisors in the early phase of the fellowship. At the application stage, candidates are expected to submit a letter of motivation, which describes how her/his competence contributes to the CITYFREIGHT project. A brief description of the project can be found here.

The PhD fellow will have her/his work place at CET, and is expected to contribute to making CET a dynamic and productive academic environment.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• A master's degree or the equivalent within social science. The requirements are generally grade B or better on Master thesis and for the Master degree in total
• An interest in climate and energy transformation, governance and transport.
• An interest in interdisciplinary research, and a demonstrated ability to work with others
• Proficiency in both written and oral English. Norwegian language proficiency is an advantage.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

About the PhD position:

The duration of the PhD position is 3 years, and does not include teaching duties.

The PhD research fellow will take part in the doctoral educational programme at UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the submission of the PhD dissertation. To be eligible for admission, the candidate must have completed a Master’s degree. The educational background must be equivalent to a five-year Master’s education, including a two-year Master’s degree and a Master thesis. It is expected that the topic of the Master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which the candidate is seeking admission.

We can offer:

• Salary at pay grade 54 upon appointment (Code 1017) on the government salary scale (equivalent to NOK 479 600,- per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
• A supportive and professionally challenging working environment
• A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise)
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A cover letter including a brief account of the candidate’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of them must be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis
• A letter of motivation (2-4 pages) describing the relevant competence of the candidate, and how this competence contributes to the CITYFREIGHT project. This should include both theoretical and methodological competence. Please consult the brief project description (see link above) when making this letter of motivation.
• CV, including publications (if any)
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Relevant certificates/references
• Academic publications that the candidate wants to submit for assessment (including master’s thesis or equivalent). A maximum of 3 publications can be submitted.

General information:

Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting:

• CET Director Håvard Haarstad, e-mail: havard.haarstad@uib.no, phone +47 55 58 45 81 or
• CET Research coordinator Kårstein Måseide, e-mail karstein.maseide@uib.no, phone + 47 46 68 00 69

Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to senior officer Bodil Hægland, phone +47 55 58 90 53, e-mail: bodil.hagland@uib.no.

Closing date is May 28, 2020.

Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Questions about the programme may be directed to Adviser-PhD: Hanne.Gravermoen@uib.no.

The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.

The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.

Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.

The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.

For further information about the recruitment process, click here.

Apply for position