Postdoctoral research fellow position Comparative Politics
Deadline: 19.08.2022
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.
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow position
The Department of Comparative Politics at the University of Bergen is advertising a 3-years postdoctoral research fellow position to work on the project INSTAPARTY: Party Instability in Parliaments funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The successful applicant will work with an exciting international team of three renowned experts of party politics: Raimondas Ibenskas (lead investigator, University of Bergen), Sona Golder (Penn State University, PSU) and Allan Sikk (University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies).
Research project description and duties:
INSTAPARTY examines party instability in parliaments in European democracies. It has three objectives: to map out diverse forms of instability, to explain why instability occurs, and to understand whether and how instability affects voter support of parties. The project aims to provide detailed information about each instance of party switching in eight European countries (Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Romania) and will establish the Observatory of Parliamentary Party Switches (OPPS) that records ongoing instability in a wider range of countries.
The postdoctoral research fellow is expected to collect qualitative data on party instability, especially in Italy, but also Poland and Romania, and potentially contribute to building the quantitative dataset on the patterns, explanations and consequences of party instability, including data collection for OPPS. He/she should also conduct the analyses using the data from the project and draft and publish research papers on the questions addressed by the project. She/he will also be involved in organizing the project events and dissemination of project findings.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
The successful candidate is expected to participate in the scholarly activities of the Department, and conform to the regulations that apply to the position.
The applicant must hold a PhD within political science or related social science discipline or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
Be proficient in both written and oral English. Knowledge of Italian and, less importantly, Romanian or Polish, is an advantage.
Experience of working with media and other documents to collect qualitative data is desirable.
Experience of using MaxQDA software is desirable.
Knowledge of and experience of working with quantitative methods is an advantage.
Previous research experience in the research fields such as party politics, legislative politics or political behaviour, is desirable.
The applicant should have the ability to work independently and in close collaboration with others.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for an interview to the Department of Comparative Politics, UiB. The teaching language is Norwegian and English.
About the position of postdoctoral research fellow:
The duration of the position is 3 years, of which 25 per cent of the time comprises obligatory duties associated with teaching and administrative duties in the department. The successful applicant will conduct obligatory duties in the second and third years of her/his employment. The successful applicant is expected to start employment at the University of Bergen on the 1st of January, 2023, preferably no later than January 31, 2023.
The position of postdoctoral research fellow is a fixed-term appointment with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. The fixed-term period for this position is 3 years. Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution, and the person who is employed for this position must work in Bergen.
We can offer:
An opportunity to be part of an international project team that involves three investigators and several research assistants at three leading academic institutions in Norway, the UK and the US.
A vibrant and international research environment at the University of Bergen.
Salary at pay grade 62 (code 1352) on the government salary scale upon appointment (equivalent to NOK 573 900 per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
The city of Bergen - a unique mix of vibrant cultural life and extraordinary nature.
Your application must include:
A cover letter including a brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position (1-2 pages).
A research proposal (1-2 pages) outlining the research that the applicant would like to conduct as part of the INSTAPARTY research project. This may include information about the research questions, theory, data and methods.
The names and contact information for two reference persons.
CV.
A list of a maximum of five publications to be considered in the assessment.
A reference list including all works of a scientific nature (e.g., PhD-thesis, blogs, etc.).
Transcripts and diplomas (or official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted).
Relevant certificates/ references.
Closing date: August 19th, 2022.
The application must be marked case no. 2022/9487
Applications submitted without a project description or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.
General information:
Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting:
Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to Adviser-HR, Gudrun Horvei - gudrun.horvei@uib.no
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. It is also a goal to recruit people with immigrant backgrounds. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
We encourage women to apply. If multiple applicants have approximately equivalent qualifications, the rules pertaining to moderate gender quotas shall apply.
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.
Further information about our employment process can be found here.
