Job description

A full-time position as a research fellow is available in the research group “Large-scale Educational Assessments” at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Oslo (UiO).

The position is linked to international and national large-scale projects (e.g., PISA, TIMSS, TALIS, TESO) and focuses on equity and diversity in education. It is aimed at synthesizing and examining evidence of equity and diversity, investigate the underlying mechanisms, and explain possible variation of effects over time, across domains, cohorts, and levels.

Specific themes include:

• Validity of equity measures in large-scale assessments (e.g., socioeconomic status [SES] as a trait, comparability across educationally relevant groups, relations to educational outcomes)
• Systematic review of the conceptualization and measurement of equity and diversity in large-scale assessments
• Relations between SES and educational outcomes across countries, cohorts, levels (e.g., country vs. school vs. classroom vs. student level), assessments, domains, and over time
• Possibilities to reduce existing educational gaps by examining the moderating and/or mediating roles of contextual variables (e.g., school climate, instructional quality, teacher competences)

More about the position

Positions as research fellows are fixed-term educational posts where the aim is that the research fellow completes a doctoral degree (PhD) during the period of employment. A prerequisite for the employment is admission to the Faculty’s doctoral degree programme, and applicants’ formal and other qualifications for admission will therefore also be assessed. Research fellowship positions are defined as recruitment posts and represent an important instrument in the sector’s work of educating qualified applicants for other academic posts at universities and university colleges in the long-term perspective. The doctoral candidate is expected to participate actively in the organized research training and in the Faculty’s research community.

The fellowship period is up to 4 years, with 3 years devoted to research education. The position entails a compulsory work load of 25 % that consists of teaching supervision duties, and research assistance at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research. The applicant will be affiliated with the research group “Large-scale Educational Assessment LEA”.

The appointment can have a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

Qualification requirements

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the Faculty’s PhD programme. These requirements include:

• Successful completion of a Master’s degree programme or similar higher education programme in Education, Special Needs Education, Education Management, Master’s degree from a Teacher Education programme, or other relevant education at a similar level in a relevant field
• The master’s degree (120 ECTS) must have a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The Master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS
• Scandinavian language skills (Norwegian, Swedish, and/or Danish) are required
• Good English language skills are required
• Familiarity with the Norwegian school system will be considered an advantage

Further information on admission requirements and an application form can be found on this website.

Assessment of application

In the assessment of applications, emphasis will be put on:

• The applicant’s personal suitability and motivation for the post, including his/her ability to collaborate and to form part of a cross-disciplinary academic community
• The quality of the project description; the description of the research topic, the specific problems to be studied, the choice of scientific theory and method, and a proposed schedule for the study
• A project description must be submitted with the application (8-10 pages), see guidelines for the project description
• The applicant’s academic attitude with regard to completing the research training program
• Other qualifications that meet the objectives which form the basis of this type of post

We offer

• Salary NOK 449 400 - 497 000 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research fellow (position code 1017). Research fellows are normally allocated pay grad 51 (449 400) on appointment.
• An exciting research environment with opportunities for academic development
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include

• Letter of application (1-2 pages outlining the applicants’ motivation and qualification for the position)
• Project description (8-10 pages outlining a possible research project within the main topic; cf. Guidance).
• CV (education, positions, and any academic/scientific works).
• Completed application form for admission to the doctoral degree program
• Master’s thesis and any other academic works that may be of relevance to the application.
• Certified copies of diplomas, grade transcripts, and any other testimonials
• In the event of diplomas from other countries, printouts of the documents that describe the content and framework of the courses of study must be handed in upon request.

The application must be written in English or Norwegian. Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

Interviews will be conducted as part of the appointment process, and the applicant will be asked to present original diplomas and grade transcripts from previous courses of study.

The application with attachments must be delivered via our electronic recruiting system; please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Applicants who completed their education outside of Norway 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).

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the “project description” and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and 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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Contact information

• Researcher Trude Nilsen, mobil number + 47 46418755
• Professor Ronny Scherer, phone number + 47 22844402

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