Job description

The Department of Political Science wants to recruit one excellent social scientist with a background from Political Science or a closely related field. The successful applicant will work fulltime as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the ERC project ‘ResilienceBuilding: Social Resilience, Gendered Dynamics, and Local Peace in Protracted Conflicts’, funded by the European Research Council. The appointment is for a period of four years with a 25% teaching requirement. This means that 75% of the working time over four years is devoted to research.

The ResilienceBuilding project investigates the causes and consequences of social resilience in protracted armed conflicts, with a focus on Nigeria, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Kenya. It asks how civilians and communities develop social resilience and adapt to conflict dynamics in ways that prevent or mitigate violence, how they maintain resilience and prevent renewed vulnerability to conflict re-escalation, and how social resilience impacts peacebuilding and development. The project further focuses on interlinking national and local dynamics of communal conflict and civil war to study the potential and limitations of international and local peacebuilding efforts and barriers to sustainable peace. The research into social resilience and multi-level conflict dynamics integrates a gender perspective. This means that research examines gendered coping mechanisms and women’s movements and peacebuilding agency on the national and local level.

The project is headed by Associate Professor Jana Krause and funded by an ERC Starting Grant, running from 2020-2025. We encourage applicants to read about the project in the project proposal: ResilienceBuilding proposal.

The main purpose of the fellowship is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines. Successful candidates will make important contributions to the research environment of the project and the implementation of its objectives. This includes (co)- organization of research activities and collaborations, such as seminars, workshops, or co-editing project publications.

Qualification requirements

A comprehensive assessment of the applicant’s scientific qualifications forms the basis of appointment.

Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (Ph.D) in Political Science or a closely related discipline before taking up the post. For applicants who have yet to receive their PhD degree, the Doctoral dissertation must have been submitted for evaluation before the application deadline (January 5, 2021). Such applicants should note the date of submission of their PhD in the cover letter. Appointment is dependent on successful completion of the public defense of the doctoral thesis.

The candidate should, in the cover letter (maximum 2 pages), briefly explain how their research profile and agenda will contribute to the overall goals of the ResilienceBuilding project. The applicant should further detail additional suggested contributions in the form of one or two research ideas in an accompanying research proposal (maximum 2 pages). The research proposal should outline a promising research project that can be fulfilled in the course of four years.

Candidates with a high-quality publication, especially in a leading peer-reviewed international journal, will have an advantage. Other desired qualifications include research experience on the topics covered in ResilienceBuilding and/or the countries (Nigeria, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Kenya), fieldwork and survey research experience, general experience with previous systematic data collection efforts, strong administrative and organizational skills, relevant academic and non-academic networks, very good command of English, and programming and statistical software skills. Finally, the applicant’s teaching experiences and qualifications and personal suitability for the position will be taken into consideration.

Postdoctoral fellows who are appointed for a period of four years are expected to acquire “basic pedagogical competency” in the course of their fellowship period within the teaching duty component of 25%.

We offer

• Salary according to “SKO 1352 postdoktor”, pay grade 59-67, NOK 526 000 –608 200 per year (approx. 52 000 – 61 000 Euro)
• Budget for travel and research assistance (currently NOK 45 000 per year). Staff can apply for additional research support from the department and faculty.
• An academically stimulating and international working environment
• A friendly and inclusive workplace
• A good pension scheme through the Norwegian Public Service Fund
• A good work-life balance and access to Norway’s excellent public services and welfare schemes, including generous parental leave provisions and affordable and accessible childcare
• Postdocs can acquire pedagogical competency
• Female postdocs can take part in the UiO Mentorprogram for female postdocs

How to apply

The online application must include the following items:

• A cover letter (max 2 pages, including statement of motivation, summarizing research interests, and how the applicant will contribute to ResilienceBuilding)
• A project description (max 2 pages; if cover letter and project description are merged, the maximum is 4 pages)
• A CV summarizing education, positions, research and pedagogical experience, administrative experience, and other qualifying activities
• A complete list of publications (if not included in the CV)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• Up to 3 academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered due to their quality or relevance of the projects. The 3 works should include at least one single-authored piece
• Names and contact details for two to three reference persons (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number)

The application with attachments must be submitted in our electronic recruiting system. Please follow the link “Apply for this job”. Please note that all documents should be in English, except for publications that may also be in French. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University’s grading system.

The application deadline is 5 January 2021. The screening and evaluation of the candidates will begin immediately. Interviews will be held in February. The position will be awarded from 1 August (or a mutually-agreed upon date).

We aim to increase the diversity of backgrounds in our staff. We especially encourage female researchers to apply.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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 University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

Please direct all questions about the research project and research plan to the:

• Principal Investigator, Associate Professor Jana Krause, via email.
• Head of Department Professor Bjørn Erik Rasch

Questions regarding the electronic application should be directed to HR Officer Helle Fritzsønn; helle.fritzsonn@sv.uio.no

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