LEDIG STILLING VED UIT NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITET
Postdoctoral Fellow in Peace and Security in the High North
Deadline: 15.09.2026
Publisert
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UiT The Arctic University of Norway is an internationally leading broad-based university. Our vision is to be a driving force in the North. The Northern Sami term eallju, which means diligence, sets the tone for UiT's drive. Together with students, staff, and society at large, we will utilize our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our academic breadth, and interdisciplinary advantages to shape the future.
UiT has approximately 18,000 students, more than 4,000 employees, and is established across four main campuses and seven additional study locations in Northern Norway and on Svalbard. Our largest campuses are Tromsø, Alta, Narvik, and Harstad. UiT has seven faculties, 40 departments and centers, and leading research environments in various fields. The university offers 269 study programs and focuses on educational quality.
Academic freedom, scientific principles, and research ethics form the foundation of all UiT's activities. Participation, co-determination, transparency, and sound processes will provide the basis for making wise and forward-looking decisions. Our students and staff will have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Rooted in scientific integrity, we aim to be bold, engaged, and generous - closely connected to academia, people, and contemporary developments.
The Centre for Geopolitics, Peace and Security (GPS) brings together and highlights UiT’s expertise and research within geopolitics, peace, and security. We produce new knowledge that supports policymaking, society, and industry.
Our activities focus on three priority areas:
Space and satellite technologies (space-based situational awareness, space law, and technology)
Ocean and maritime affairs (ocean research, maritime law, and maritime technology)
Resilient societies (societal preparedness, democracy, trust, and health)
The position is connected to the pillar Resilient Societies.
The position
A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Centre for Geopolitics, Peace, and Security (GPS), Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Teacher Education (HSL) linked to research on peace, security, and societal resilience in Finnmark.
The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years and will additionally be assigned to teaching and related work for UiT in an amount equivalent to a maximum 25 % of a full-time employment. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.
As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period.
The position emphasizes everyday practices that promote peaceful coexistence amid geopolitical tensions, polarization, and climate-related crises.
The project examines mechanisms of relational peace in northern Norwegian communities, with a workplace in Tromsø and fieldwork in Finnmark. The position is affiliated with the Centre for Geopolitics, Peace, and Security (GPS). It builds on experiences from a pilot project on preparedness in Finnmark, which demonstrated the local anchoring of security issues.The Center for Geopolitics, Peace, and Security (GPS) is a center located in both Tromsø and Kirkenes. The center has 10 permanent academic positions and currently 4 PhD candidates.
The position will be based in both Kirkenes and Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.
Project Description and Duties
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has transformed the Arctic from a stable region into an arena of strategic rivalry. In Finnmark, this is evident through increased military presence, halted cross-border cooperation, and heightened geopolitical attention. Local communities navigate tensions between national security priorities and daily life in sparsely populated border areas, where trust and social cohesion are tested. These communities remain central to Norway’s preparedness and Arctic resilience.The project will illuminate how local communities sustain social cohesion, trust, and peaceful coexistence under geopolitical pressure. Key research questions:
How does Finnmark’s population redefine peace and security in the current context?
How is trust built amid militarization?
Which local resources enhance resilience against complex threats and information manipulation?
The approach is qualitative, combining fieldwork, interviews, discourse analysis, and case studies in Finnmark. It draws on interdisciplinary perspectives from peace and conflict studies and security studies, linking national security discourses to communities’ lived experiences. Collaboration with local actors, including Sami knowledge, is prioritized.
Main contributions:
Empirical mapping of local experiences and narratives.
Theoretical development of peace resilience as an analytical tool.
Practical policy recommendations.
Other duties (25%):
Publish peer-reviewed articles in collaboration with other project researchers.
Teach on the MPCT master’s program or other GPS courses.
Contribute to outreach and networking.
Contribute to applications for external research funding
Applications must include a project description (max. 7 pages) outlining the proposed research focus, potential field sites, and a timeline.
Contact
For further information about the position, please contact Associate Professor Marcela Douglas A:
This position requires a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in social anthropology, political science, sociology, peace and conflict studies, or related fields or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree.
Applicants must also meet the following:
Documented expertise in qualitative methods (e.g., fieldwork, interviews), preferably with northern region experience.
Excellent written and oral skills in Norwegian and English. Norwegian applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.
It is an advantage if the applicant has:
Experience in peace and security research.
Familiarity or collaboration with northern Norwegian local communities.
Security clearance may be required.
In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the project description for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from popularization/dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.
As teaching duties or equivalent work is attached to the position, emphasis will also be attached to teaching experience and qualifications.
During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:
Have good collaboration skills
Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
Wants to contribute to a good working environment
At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).
Inclusion and diversity
UiT The Arctic University i Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity is a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.
If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.
A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues
Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement
Pension scheme through the state pension fund
Postdoctoral Fellows are given a salary of 665 100,- NOK/year
Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.
Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.
Description of your academic production, stating which works you consider most important
Academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.
If you’re at the final stages of your PhD, you may still apply if you have submitted your PhD thesis for doctoral degree evaluation within the application deadline. You must submit the thesis with your application. Documentation of your completed PhD degree must be submitted before commencement.
All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English.
Assessment
The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants.
The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. A trial lecture may also be held.
General information
The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants.
The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow 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. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.
The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.
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.
In case of discrepancies between the Norwegian and the English version of this description, the Norwegian version takes precedence.
