UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

Through robust and close interaction with the world around us – globally, nationally and locally – we shall be instrumental in building a society based on knowledge, skills and attitudes.

Do you want to take part in shaping the future?

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.

There are seven departments and three centres at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.

PhD position

The Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET), University of Bergen (UiB), is recruiting a PhD fellow for a period of four years, to work on the feasibility of national energy transitions.

CET is an interdisciplinary research centre that aims at producing actionable knowledge about how to achieve deep, rapid and sustainable transformation of society to meet the climate challenge. The PhD candidate will work within a research group working internationally, led by Jessica Jewell, which focuses on identifying under what conditions energy transitions to meet global climate and sustainability goals are feasible.

Energy transitions are long-term structural changes in energy systems. The feasibility of such transitions depends on multiple technical, economic and socio-political factors and is not sufficiently understood. The research group at CET seeks to rigorously conceptualise the feasibility of energy transitions, utilize empirical data, and explore whether and under what conditions changes can occur. In particular, the group is interested in the feasibility of phasing out carbon-intensive sectors and expanding low-carbon sectors such as renewable electricity, with a focus on cross-national differences and the temporal dimension of energy transitions.

Research in this area is strongly interdisciplinary, bridging energy systems analysis, energy economics, sociology and history of technology, political science and international relations. We use diverse methods ranging from quantitative analysis and advanced statistics to qualitative analysis of documents and discourses.

The PhD fellow is expected to develop a research project proposal within this area (see below), outlining research questions and proposed methods. The position is not limited to specific disciplines. However, the applicants’ competence, as well as the proposed research, must be relevant to the call for proposals.

The PhD fellow will have her/his work place at CET, and is expected to contribute to making CET a dynamic and productive academic environment.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

• A master's degree or the equivalent within the fields of climate, energy, environment, sustainability, economics, or related field. The requirements are generally grade B or better on Master thesis and for the Master degree in total
• An interest in interdisciplinary research, and a demonstrated ability to work with others
• Proficiency in both written and oral English

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview.

About the PhD position:

The duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25 per cent of the time comprises obligatory duties associated with research, teaching and dissemination of results. These duties will be tied to the activities of CET. The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.

The PhD research fellow will take part in the doctoral educational programme at UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the submission of the PhD dissertation. To be eligible for admission, the candidate must have completed a Master’s degree. The educational background must be equivalent to a five-year Master’s education, including a two-year Master’s degree and a Master thesis. It is expected that the topic of the Master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which the candidate is seeking admission.

We can offer:

• Salary at pay grade 54 [KM1] upon appointment (Code 1017) on the government salary scale (equivalent to NOK 479 600,- per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
• A supportive and professionally challenging working environment
• Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise)
• Competitive welfare benefits

Your application must include:

• A cover letter including a brief account of the candidate’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position
• The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of them must be the main advisor for the master's thesis or equivalent thesis
• A research project proposal (2-4 pages) explaining the intended theoretical and/or empirical contributions of the project, as well as methodological foundations and plans for data collection must accompany the application. The proposal should also include a progress plan and a budget for expenses for conducting the project (excluding own salary).
• CV, including publications (if any)
• Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Relevant certificates/references
• Academic publications that the candidate wants to submit for assessment (including master’s thesis or equivalent). A maximum of 3 publications can be submitted.
• If possible, applicants should have identified the prospective supervisor and discussed their project with her/him. Please indicate in the application whether this has been done.

We kindly ask the applicants to follow the guidelines for applicants to research fellowship positions at the Faculty of Social Sciences closely, please see: http://link.uib.no/?1js5s.

Candidates with a master's degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline- based master's degree (or the equivalent) in a subject area other than the one associated with the application, may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree that has been completed.

Submission

The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge following the link on this page marked “Apply for this job”.

The application has to be marked: 20/2415

Closing date: March 31, 2020

Applications submitted without a project proposal or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.

General information:

Additional information about the position is obtainable by contacting:

• Jessica Jewell, jewell@chalmers.se, +46 317 726 106, or
• CET Director Håvard Haarstad, e-mail havard.haarstad@uib.no, phone +47 55 58 45 81

Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to adviser Bodil Hægland, phone +47 55 58 90 53, e-mail: bodil.hagland@uib.no.

Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the doctoral education program at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Further information about the program is available on the webpage http://www.uib.no/en/svf/37940/doctoral-education. Questions about the program may be directed to senior officer Hanne Gravermoen, e-mail: hanne.gravermoen@uib.no, phone: +47 55 58 90 68.

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.

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.

Apply for position