LEDIG STILLING VED UNIVERSITETET I BERGEN

PhD position - Department of Geography

Deadline: 13.01.2023

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 at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.

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PhD position

There is a vacancy for a PhD position in System Dynamics at the Department of Geography. Starting date is March 2023.

About the project/work tasks:

As part of the PhD position, six months over a period of 3.5 years will be spent on mandatory work at the System Dynamics Group, Department of Geography. The System Dynamics group carries out research in several areas. The most important areas are: sustainable development, natural resources management, public health issues and teaching methods. The group makes use of a variety of tools and techniques: simulation, laboratory experiments, optimization, estimation, and knowledge elicitation.

The position is within the EU Horizon Europe project “WorldTrans – Transparent Assessments for Real People”. WorldTrans is designed to address four specific objectives: (1) To build new communities of integrated assessment modeling experts and users (citizens and stakeholders alike), based on a transparent approach to integrated assessments; (2) To unpack and quantify the potential importance of including heterogeneous human behaviour in integrated assessment models; (3) To identify main feedback loops and policy leverage points for climate-neutrality oriented policies; and (4) To produce quantitatively consistent results for various assessment processes including all three working groups of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and for the Intergovernmental Science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES).

The Research Fellow will use participatory system dynamics modelling to support WorldTrans and its partners in all work packages (abbreviated as WP). For example, WP1 (Natural Systems: inclusion and improvement of processes and feedbacks) and WP3 (A transparent Integrated Assessment Model for real people) will require verification and validation of models as well as scenario/policy formulation and analysis. In WPs 3 and 4 (The knowledge-action interface: Making integrated assessment more transparent, democratic and imaginative), these simulations will be used to foster learning and frame discussions about alternative policies and courses of action. Participatory modelling is particularly important in WP2 (Human systems - Incorporating societal transformation into integrated assessment modelling), to integrate shifts in value systems and how they influence behavior changes towards climate mitigation. WP4 will identify ways of democratizing integrated assessment models by using the project’s models in stakeholder engagements and codeveloping processes for mutual envisioning and understanding of models and their uses.

The work of the Research Fellow mainly consists in the conceptual design of the WorldTrans simulation rooms. The simulation rooms are participatory modelling sessions to solicit expert opinion and support multistakeholder engagement, covering review of model structures and formulations, exploration of uncertainties, and selection of policy/scenario runs. The work also consists in the development of an adaptable system dynamics core model for the quantitative modelling of shifts in value systems and behavior changes towards climate mitigation.

Applicants should in their research proposal suggest research questions and perspectives that are relevant to WorldTrans. Applicants are therefore advised to familiarize themselves with WorldTrans’s project description, available upon request.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

  • The applicant must hold a master’s degree in System Dynamics or another discipline with a strong systems focus. The master’s degree must have been completed by the application deadline;
  • The requirements are generally a grade B or better on the Master thesis and for the Master degree in total;
  • Applicants must have strong quantitative and computational foundations.
  • Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in model-based stakeholder engagement; experience in participatory model-building is desirable;
  • Teaching assistance experience in the field of System Dynamics will be considered an advantage;
  • Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner;
  • Applicants should have experience in working as a member of a multidisciplinary and multicultural research team, and demonstrate good collaborative skills;
  • Experience in interdisciplinary working, linking social/economic and environmental sciences, is desirable;
  • Personal and relational qualities will be emphasized. Ambitions and potential will also count when evaluating the candidates.

The teaching language at UiB is usually Norwegian, but teaching in the master program in System Dynamics is in English, as are all project collaborations.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview.

About the PhD position :

The duration of the PhD position is 3.5 years, of which 6 months comprise obligatory duties associated with research, teaching and dissemination of results. The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.

About the PhD training: As a PhD research fellow, you will take part in the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.

Project proposal: A research proposal of maximum 2500 words must accompany the application. The project description should present the topic, the research problem(s) and choice of theory and methods. It should also include a progress plan for the different parts of the project. The research proposal must also include a short description of how the applicant envisions a fit with the WorldTrans project.

The proposal will be considered in the evaluation of applications. The candidate selected for the position can be asked to revise the project proposal within 3 months in cooperation with the project team and the PhD supervisor. Admittance to the PhD programme will be based on the final research proposal.

We can offer:

  • Salary will be paid by NOK 501 200,- per year (Code 1017). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
  • A good and professionally challenging working environment
  • Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
  • Good welfare benefits

Your application must include:

  • A cover letter including a brief account of your 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
  • Project proposal
  • CV
  • Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees.
  • Relevant certificates/references
  • A list of academic publications
  • Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (including your master’s thesis or equivalent)
  • If you have a master's degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline- based master's degree (or the equivalent) in a subject area other than the one associated with the application, you may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree you have completed

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge following the link on this page marked “Apply for this job”.

Closing date: January 13, 2023.

The application has to be marked: 22/18004

Applications submitted without a project proposal or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.

General information:

Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting:

  • Professor Birgit Kopainsky, birgit.kopainsky@uib.no

Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to Adviser – HR, Bodil Hægland, bodil.hagland@uib.no.

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.

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