Job description

Applications are invited for a 4-year Research Fellowship as a PhD Candidate (SKO 1017) to be based jointly at TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture and at the Research Department of Statistics Norway (SSB). The doctoral candidate will be part of the Oslo Institute for Research on the Impact of Science (OSIRIS) – an eight-year interdisciplinary research centre within the fields of science policy studies, innovation research and economics. OSIRIS is funded by the Research Council of Norway’s ForInnPol programme.

The Research Department of Statistics Norway also has a strong publication record and a long-standing tradition for using microdata for policy analyses.

OSIRIS

The overall goal of OSIRIS is to better understand how and under what conditions research makes an impact in society. OSIRIS researchers carry out conceptual work and qualitative and quantitative empirical studies of impact processes. There are four research questions in OSIRIS:

• How can we identify research impacts, their magnitude and the processes that lead to them?
• How can we characterise the absorptive capacity and processes of cogeneration, transfer, engagement, uptake and utilisation of knowledge through which investment in research lead to social and economic impacts over time?
• How do impacts differ by field and sector of science and by area of application?
• What is the role of policies and framework conditions for research impact and how can policy and framework conditions be designed to stimulate impact?

OSIRIS’ unique take on research impact is to study processes of knowledge exchange and utilisation mainly from the user side, since the process of impact generation may be idiosyncratic to industrial sectors, networks and communities tied to specific fields of science and sectors of application. We will look at impact of research in three contexts of application: within health and care systems, within national level policy-making and within industrial innovation/economic growth. More about OSIRIS can be found on its web site.

More about the position

This doctoral position is tied to Theme 2 of OSIRIS and the context of industrial innovation and economic growth. The main research orientation will therefore be at the intersection of microeconomics and innovation research. Broadly speaking, the doctoral thesis will cover topics related to the economic impacts of research and innovation, and in relation to this, also look at the effects of public policies for promoting R&D in the business sector. The applicant must present a project proposal linked to the project. More about Theme 2 can be found on this web site.

OSIRIS is hosted by TIK with national and international partners: Statistics Norway, the University of Manchester and the Polytechnic University of Valencia. In addition, OSIRIS collaborates with The Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT). For this position, ¾ of the funding is provided by OSIRIS and ¼ by SSB. The candidate is expected to split the work time between TIK and SSB and take part in activities in both organisations, but he/she will also have opportunities to interact with and have extensive stays at other research units. Three of the four years is dedicated to work on the PhD and the last year, funded by SSB, is dedicated to other duties.

Available data at SSB include registry data with an almost universal coverage of firms and individuals in Norway, and data from the Research Council of Norway and other public institutions that support R&D. OSIRIS is also actively involved in the design of the R&D and innovation survey (CIS). The available data sources will provide the PhD candidate with many possibilities to make a contribution to the research frontier through his/her thesis.

The candidate will be part of TIK’s PhD programme and the wider programme at the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Oslo, but can take relevant approved PhD courses anywhere. The candidate is expected to complete the PhD project within the set fellowship period. Research training and the successful completion of a PhD degree are the main goals of a fellowship. For general information on the PhD program, please see the Faculty of Social Sciences’ web site.

Requirements

Applicants must hold a two years Master’s degree or equivalent and meet the formal requirements to be enrolled in the PhD programme. Knowledge of the economics of innovation is an advantage.

In addition, the Ph.D. candidate must have:

• A background in economics, or equivalent skills from disciplines such as management or innovation studies.
• Demonstrated research capabilities and experience from micro-econometric methods, or equivalent quantitative methods applicable to innovation and RD data.
• Knowledge of, and experience with statistical packages, such as STATA or R or other relevant software
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• International work experience is an advantage
• Knowledge of a Scandinavian language is an advantage but not a requirement

We offer

• Salary between NOK 449 400 – 505 800 per annum
• Academically stimulating work environment both at TIK and SSB
• 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

• Cover letter (statement of motivation and research interests)
• CV (summarising education, positions and academic work)
• Project proposal including progress plan (maximum 5 pages) for the work to be undertaken during the fellowship period
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• List of publications and academic work (if applicable)
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system JobbNorge, please follow the link “Send application”. International applicants 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.

Evaluation of the application

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant’s description of his/her proposed Ph.D. project, a good match between the candidate’s proposal and the wider research approach in OSIRIS and especially in its Theme 2, as well as the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project.

Applicants may be called in for an interview.

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

Professor Magnus Gulbrandsen, Director of OSIRIS

Fulvio Castellacci, Director of TIK

Senior Researcher Arvid Raknerud, Leader of OSIRIS at Statistics Norway (SSB)

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