Stilling:
Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Comparative Politics
Closing date: August 12, 2018
There is a vacancy for a postdoc position at the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, linked to research within the research fields of populism and political trust. The position is for a period of 4 years, 25% of which must be dedicated to teaching, supervision and administrative tasks at the Department.
The Department of Comparative Politics offers an exciting place for research and education on political institutions, organizations, processes and behaviour at local, national and international levels. The Department offers bachelor's and master’s programmes in comparative politics, as well as a bachelor's programme in European studies. The staff participates actively in national and international cross-disciplinary research. The Digital Social Science Core Facility (DIGSSCORE) is an infrastructure for advanced social science data collection and multi-disciplinary research at the University of Bergen and is a part of the Department of Comparative Politics.
About the project/work tasks
The successful applicant will conduct research – independent and in cooperation – as part of the research project “Democracy in an age of populism” (DEMoPOP), funded by a grant from the Norwegian Research Council. The primary objective of the project is to investigate how the growth of radical right populist parties (RRPPs) affect citizens’ political trust and attitudes towards the democratic process, as well as political polarization in Europe. It explores, first, whether RRPP-voters over time become more negative towards immigration and change their evaluations and expectations of democracy. Second, it investigates whether a similar radicalization process – in the opposite direction – takes place among voters who vote for parties that oppose RRPPs. Third, it explores whether the increase in political polarization that results from these radicalization processes decreases people's tolerance toward political opponents. Finally, it analyses whether the radicalization processes are moderated by whether mainstream parties respond to the success of RRPPs by isolating or cooperating with them.
We are looking for a postdoc who can contribute to these goals, as well as conduct independent research related to the overall project theme (to be lined out in a short proposal, see below). A full outline of the project can be obtained by contacting Professor Jonas Linde, jonas.linde@uib.no
The project team consists of researchers located in Bergen, Gothenburg and Amsterdam. The research within the project draws on a variety of data sources – e.g. cross-country surveys, panel data and survey experiments – and applicants are expected to have strong skills in quantitative methods and research design. The project is affiliated to the Digital Social Science Core Facility (DIGSSCORE) at the University of Bergen. DIGSSCORE administers the Norwegian Citizen Panel and hosts an experimental laboratory as well as the necessary digital infrastructure for analyses of text-data and natural language processing.
The successful candidate will be expected to relocate to the University of Bergen, participate in the scholarly activities of the Department, and conform to the regulations that apply to the position.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
The applicant must
- Hold a PhD within political science (or, if relevant, a related discipline) or must have submitted his/her doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
- Have experience of research within one or more themes that relate to the project, such as populist political parties, political trust and support, democratic legitimacy, and political polarization.
- Have advanced skills in quantitative methods (experience in experimental research design is meritorious
- Be able to do outreach from the project to decision makers outside academia.
- Contribute to international network building within the research fields.
- Be able to work independently and in a structured manner and have the ability to cooperate with others.
- Be proficient in both written and oral English.
Potential candidates will be invited for an interview and a trial lecture.
Applicants are advised to familiarize themselves with the teaching and research profile at the Department. The teaching language is Norwegian, one of the Scandinavian languages and English.
About the position of postdoctoral research fellow:
The position of postdoctoral research fellow is a fixed-term appointment with the primary objective of qualifying the appointee for work in top academic positions. The fixed-term period for this position is 4 years. Individuals may not be hired for more than one fixed-term period as a postdoctoral research fellow at the same institution.
About the application
The application must include a research proposal of 2-4 pages. The proposal should outline a research project that is relevant to the overall goals of the DEMoPOP project, but can have its own focus. The proposal should contain a progress plan for the different parts of the research work, as well as a plan regarding publication strategies. It is a requirement that the project is completed in the course of the period of employment.
We can offer:
- A good and professionally challenging working environment.
- Salary at pay grade 57 – 60 (code 1352) on the government salary scale upon appointment (equivalent to NOK 490.900 to 517.700 pr. year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position.
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
- Good welfare benefits.
Your application must include:
- A brief account of the applicant's research interests and motivation for applying for the position.
- CV
- The research proposal (2-4 pages).
- The full text of a maximum of five publications to be considered in the assessment (co-authored publications must be accompanied by declarations of co-authorship).
- A reference list including all works of a scientific nature.
- The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of these must be the main supervisor of the PhD thesis.
- Transcripts and diplomas and official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted.
- Relevant certificates/letters of recommendation.
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at www.jobbnorge.no
The application has to be marked with: 18/6041
The closing date is August 12, 2018
Applications sent by e-mail will not be evaluated.
General information:
Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting: Professor Jonas Linde, Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen: jonas.linde@uib.no
Practical questions about the application process should be directed to Senior Executive Officer Even Michal Endresen, email: even.endresen@uib.no
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.
Søknadsfrist: 12.08.2018
Web: www.uib.no
Kontakt: Professor Jonas Linde
E-post: jonas.linde@uib.no
Kontakt 2: Even Michal Endresen (Senior Executive Officer)
E-post: even.endresen@uib.no