University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (ILN) is one of seven departments at The Faculty of Humanities (HF). The department conducts research, teaching and dissemination in general linguistics, multilingualism, medieval studies (including Norse philology and Celtic), Nordic literature (including dissemination of literature and Ibsen-studies), Nordic language (including Norwegian as a second language), and rhetoric and verbal communication.

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in General Linguistics is available at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, University of Oslo.

The position is affiliated to the project Where does grammar come from? The cognitive basis of transitivity and grammatical relations, funded by the Norwegian Research Council (see project web page)

The successful candidate will produce a grammatical description of a language of the South Halmahera-West New Guinea group in eastern Indonesia, from a usage-based and discourse-oriented perspective, and based on original fieldwork. The position will be part of a research group consisting of the project leader and a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oslo, as well as a partner researcher and a PhD candidate at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. There will be opportunities for a research visit to the ANU as well as participation in other project activities such as workshops and project team meetings on specific themes relevant to the overall project goals. The project funding includes funds for conducting fieldwork as well as other relevant travel.

The person appointed will also be affiliated with the Faculty's organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The appointment is for the duration of 3 years. All PhD candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in Linguistics. The Master's degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
• Previous fieldwork experience is an advantage.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Knowledge of Indonesian or Malay is desirable.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

• The applicant's estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
• The applicant's ability to complete research training
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

• Salary NOK 442 400-497 000 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

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
• Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master's degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university's grading system
• A proposal of maximum 5 pages outlining how the candidate envisions carrying out a descriptive project of this nature, with a focus on field methods and data management, and including a workflow management plan covering all three years.

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

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic 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.

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

• Professor Åshild Næss, tlf: +47 22844093

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