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PhD scholarship within Alternative Finance as Responsible Innovation in the Culture Sector

Deadline: 15.08.2020

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

With about 16,000 students, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest higher education institutions in Norway. A broad range of academic programmes are offered at Bachelor, Master and PhD levels, spread out on five campuses Førde, Sogndal, Bergen, Stord og Haugesund.


Our ambition is to build stronger and more solid academic and research environments that will interact nationally and internationally. The aim is to become a recognized actor on the international higher education arena. Increased international cooperation and engagement in externally funded projects will work towards this goal.


The Mohn center is a research and competence center in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship. The center develops and disseminates research-based knowledge about and for innovation for use in education and regional business development. Through research and close collaborative relationships with regional industries and policy actors , the Mohns Center contributes to a responsible development of the innovation system in Western Norway. The center also coordinates a master's degree program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship and has a central role in the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences work on entrepreneurship among students and staff. The Mohns Center is a dynamic and informal work environment that is developing positively. The center currently has 25 employees.

Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Science has a vacancy for a PhD scholarship available within «Alternative Finance as Responsible Innovation in the Culture Sector»

About the position:

The Western Norway University of Applied Sciences has a PhD scholarship available within «Alternative Finance as Responsible Innovation in the Culture Sector» with affiliation to the Mohn Center for Innovation and Regional Development, at the Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Campus Bergen.

The scholarship will be integrated in the research project «Crowdfunding in the Culture Sector: Adoption, Effects and Implications» funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project addresses the role of crowdfunding as a new innovative channel for financing cultural productions. Its objectives include: analysing the determinants of crowdfunding adoption by artists; analysing crowdfunding’s short- and long-term effects on artists’ economy, reputation and aesthetic practices; and analysing the implications of crowdfunding at a sector level focusing on both traditional funding mechanisms and artists’ aesthetic practices in general. The PhD scholarships will be a part of the PhD program «Responsible Innovation and Regional Development» in the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, a cross-disciplinary PhD program focusing on intersections between ‘understanding’ (i.e. academic) and ‘doing’ (i.e. practicing) responsible innovation.

We are looking for applicants with interest of joining an international research team exploring the role and impact of crowdfunding as a responsible innovation practice in the cultural sector through:

  • Developing a comprehensive understanding of crowdfunding as a responsible alternative finance innovation within the cultural sector.
  • Analysing what influences the artists’ adoption of crowdfunding as a channel for fundraising for their cultural production.
  • Exploring how successful crowdfunding experiences influence artists’ long-term economy, reputation and aesthetic practices.
  • Studying the implications of crowdfunding usage by artists for traditional funding mechanisms and artists’ aesthetic practices in general.

About the PhD project/ work tasks:

The PhD fellow will be part of an approved program for a PhD degree within a period of 3 years.

Qualifications:

Applicants should have a master’s degree of 120 credits in Business, in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, in International or National Cultural Policy, in Arts Management, in Cultural Studies, in Finance, or other field with relevance to the subject area of «Alternative Finance as Responsible Innovation in the Culture Sector». The master’s thesis must be submitted for assessment by the application deadline, and the master's degree must be approved no later than 4 weeks after the application deadline. The master’s dissertation should be of at least 30 credits.

The application must contain a project description of up to five pages, explaining the topic, the problem, the choice of theory and method, as well as the plan for implementation of a potential project. The project description will be used in the assessment of the applicants’ qualifications. A final project description for the PhD projects will be developed in consultation with the supervisors.

The following qualifications will be particularly emphasized:

  • Academic qualifications within the advertised area.
  • Quality of the master's thesis.
  • The project description.

The PhD scholarship is a recruitment position that will contribute to an active research environment at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.

Wanted qualifications:

  • Additional scientific publications.
  • Knowledge about alternative finance and entrepreneurship.
  • Knowledge of the Norwegian funding system for arts and culture, or equivalent government programmes and mechanisms in respective countries of residence/origin.
  • An existing network within the Norwegian arts and cultural sector.
  • Academic of professional knowledge about the cultural sector.
  • English language skills.
  • Norwegian language skills.

Personal characteristics:The PhD fellow appointed must be able to work independently and as a co-researcher in the research group of the umbrella project.

Application procedure:

Applications will be evaluated by an expert panel of three members.

Applicants are asked to submit their application and CV online. Please use the link “Apply for position” (“Søk stillingen”).

The following documentation should be uploaded as an attachment to the online application:

  • Master Thesis
  • Copies of selected academic publications (no more than 15)
  • A CV with a complete list of academic publications
  • Diplomas and certificates

Applicants should indicate which publications or parts of publications should be given special consideration in the evaluation. If the documents submitted are not in a Scandinavian language or in English, the applicants must submit certified translations of these. The transcripts must specify the topics, the course works, and the grades at the bachelor`s and master`s degree levels.

Applicant whose education is from another country than Norway, need to also attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, if the original is not in any of these languages. It is required that the applicant enclose a review from NOKUT whether the education (bachelor and master’s degree) is of a scope and level that corresponds to the level of a Norwegian master’s degree. Please see www.nokut.no/en for more information about NOKUT’s general recognition. This may take some time and we recommend you to apply as soon as you know you will apply for this position. If no answer within the application deadline, please enclose documentation from NOKUT that they have received your application.

Applicants should note that the evaluation will be based on the documentation submitted electronically via Jobbnorge within the submission deadline. The applicants are responsible for ensuring that all the documentation is submitted before the closing date. It is of utmost importance that all publications to be considered in the evaluation are uploaded as an attachment with the application, since these are sent electronically to the expert panel. Applications cannot be sent by e-mail or to individuals at the college.

Salary:

  • Good occupational pension, insurance and loan schemes from The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
  • Exciting academic environment with the possibility of competence enhancement and development
  • Opportunities for training within the working hours

Initial salaries will be offered at grade 54 (code 1017) in the Civil Service pay grade table scale.

There is a compulsory 2 % deduction to the pension fund (see http://www.spk.no for more information). The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time.

General information:

The appointment will be made in accordance with the regulations for State employees Law in Norway ("Lov om statens ansatte)". Organizational changes and changes in the duties and responsibilities associated with the position must be expected.

State employment shall reflect the multiplicity of the population at large to the highest possible degree. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences Bergen has therefore adopted a personnel policy objective to ensure that we achieve a balanced age and gender composition and the recruitment of persons of various ethnic backgrounds.

Information about the applicant may be made public even though the applicant has requested not to be named in the list of applicants. The applicant will be notified if his/her request is not respected.

Short-listed applicants will be called in for an interview and a presentation of previous work, e.g. based on their master’s thesis.

Contacts:

1) Associate Professor Natalia Mæhle, phone +47 55 58 72 14

2) Head of department Jens Kristian Fosse, phone +47 55 58 71 29

Apply for position

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