About the Position

The Centre for Sami Studies has a Postdoctoral Fellow position vacant. The position is within the auspices of the research project Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Planning and Environmental Decision Making: The Role of Community-Based Impact Assessments.

UiT The Arctic University of Norway

UiT is a multi-campus research univeristy in Norway and the northernmost university of the world. Our central location in the High North, our broad and diverse research and study portfolio, and our interdisciplinary qualities make us uniquely suited to meet the challenges of the future. At UiT you can explore global issues from a close-up perspective.

Credibility, academic freedom, closeness, creativity and commitment shall be hallmarks of the relationship between our employees, between our employees and our students and between UiT and our partners.

The position is for 3 years.

The position’s field of research

The postdoctoral project is part of the project Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Planning and Environmental Decision Making: The Role of Community-Based Impact Assessments (INDKNOW). The primary goal of INDKNOW is to examine the role of Indigenous knowledge systems in land and marine based planning processes, environmental decision making and other decision making processes that may impact Indigenous peoples. In particular, the project will develop methods that can further increase the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems into these processes and build capacity in Indigenous communities to carry out community based impact assessments (CBIAs).

The aim of the postdoctoral project is to provide desktop and fieldwork support for the overall project, which aims to develop an international comparison of methodologies for incorporating Indigenous knowledge systems in marine and land-use planning decisions. The postdoctoral project will work primarily, but not only, on Work Package 1 of the project, which explores if, and how, municipal and state planning structures and regimes address the incorporation of Indigenous peoples’ knowledges and rights. One case study from Sápmi will inform Work Package 1 analysis.

After undertaking a project based literature review focussing broadly upon the potential of CBIAs for enhanced community engagement in planning processes, and particularly on the Norwegian municipal and state planning structures and regimes, the candidate will be expected to undertake a case study of on-going Sámi reindeer herding community protests from both the Norwegian and Swedish side of the border. It is expected that the candidate will also contribute to publications on transnational and international case study comparisons on the potential for CBIAs to act as a vehicle for integration of Indigenous knowledges into planning practices, as part of Work Package 4.

It is required that the candidate has previous experience in undertaking collaborative research with indigenous communities, and can demonstrate knowledge of the current methodological debates regarding research with Indigenous peoples.

The position will include teaching or equivalent duties for UiT of (up to) a 20 % position.

The successful applicant must be willing to engage himself/herself in the ongoing development of his/her discipline and the university as a whole.

Qualifications

A Norwegian doctoral degree or a corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognised as equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree is a prerequisite for appointment in the position as postdoctoral research fellow. The degree should be within social sciences (including geography and environmental sciences).

For appointment as postdoctoral research fellow, the applicant must be able to document scholarly knowledge on indigenous issues as well as skills in practical research methods relevant for the research project. It is expected the applicant will have experience researching with Indigenous peoples and communities.

Applicants must have a good command of English. Candidates with knowledge of the Sámi and Scandinavian languages are especially encouraged to apply.

When applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship, the applicant shall submit a project proposal (maximum 10 pages) for the qualifying work. This proposal shall include a progress plan. It is required that the applicant will be able to complete the project during the period of appointment.Further, applicants must be able to document teaching qualifications in the form of documented practical competence as a teacher, university-level teaching seminars, other teaching education or through having developed a teaching portfolio, refer to the website about teacher training courses.

Personal suitability will be emphasized.

Application

The application must be submitted electronically via the application form available on Jobbnorge and must include:

• Letter of application
• CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
• Research proposal with a progress plan (3-5 pages)
• List of scientific publications, including information about author(s), the publication’s title, the journal’s / proceedings’ name, year of publication and the number of pages.
• Relevant publications: the applicant should submit up to ten publications that are central to his/her production.
• The applicant’s doctoral thesis is regarded in this context as one publication.
• Description of his/her production stating which publications he/she considers the most important and which shall therefore be the main emphasis of the assessment.
• A brief description of the other listed publications should also be included to demonstrate depth of production.
• Diplomas and transcripts from PhD degree or equivalent Names and email addresses of three references

All documentation should be translated into English or a Scandinavian language.

Contact

Further information about the position is available by contacting:

• Professor Else Grete Broderstad, +47 77 69 08, e-mail: else.g.broderstad@uit.no or
  
• Head of administration Hildegunn Bruland, tel. +47 77 64 55 35, e-mail hildegunn.bruland@uit.no

We offer

• Good welfare arrangements for employees
• Good arrangements for pension, insurance and loans in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

Assessment

An expert committee will assess the applicants. The committee’s mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications based on the material submitted by the applicants, and the detailed description drawn up for the position.

The applicants who are assessed as the best qualified will be invited for interview. The interview shall among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.

Working conditions

The remuneration for this position is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352.

A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted.

The working hours shall primarily be utilized for research, research-related activities and research administration. The successful applicant must be willing to engage himself/herself in the ongoing development of computer science as a discipline, the department, and of the university as a whole.

More information about moving to Tromsø: uit.no/mobility

Other information

We make appointments in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. UiT has HR policy objectives that emphasize diversity, and encourages all qualified applicants to apply regardless of their age, gender, functional ability and national or ethnic background.

The university will emphasize making the necessary adaptations to the working conditions for employees with reduced functional ability.

UiT wishes to increase the proportion of females in senior research positions. Female applicants get priority, in the event that two or more applicants are approximately equally qualified.

We process personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Act. You may request to not be registered on the public list of applicants, but the University may decide that your name will be made public. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication.

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