Job description

One Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in Global Culture Studies is available at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo.

The PhD fellow will take part in the NFR funded project SCIENCE FICTIONALITY, led by Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay. The project studies contemporary science fiction and speculative fiction (SF) from a global perspective. The project collaborates with and shares the principles of the Oslo School of Environmental Humanities.

The PhD fellow will be connected to a specific work package within the project and will be supervised by the project leader. The PhD will contribute to the main project through their particular case study. The PhD fellow can choose one of these options for their research topic: a) a Nordic SF tradition; b) a non-Anglophone SF tradition; or c) a comparative study of multiple European SF traditions.

Applicants working on Nordic SF materials may be given preference. Transmedial and interdisciplinary research may also be given preference.

Proposals for the position should demonstrate an awareness of contemporary theoretical developments in SF research. Ideally, applicants should have been engaged in SF arts, SF community or SF fandom work. Knowledge of Digital Humanities methods and/or other innovative methods of analysis may be considered a plus. Applicants can work on any media, including literature, film, video games, and other arts.

Applicants should frame their project proposals within the overall framework of the SCIENCE FICTIONALITY project and be familiar with the overall project’s contents and objectives. For more information about the project and the different work packages, see the project website. If you have any questions, please contact the project leader, Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay (bodhisac@uio.no)

The fellow is expected to join the existing research milieu and contribute to its development. In addition to their individual work, the fellow will take part in group activities including seminars, workshops, and research excursions. The fellow will have access to the UiO’s SF library, the largest public collection in the Nordic countries, and to the Holodeck, the project’s state of the art Games and Interactive Media Research Lab. The fellow is likely to work closely with the SF library, the Nordic SF collection, and the collection librarians during their PhD period.

The PhD fellow appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty's organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral dissertation that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. Read more about the doctoral degree.

The PhD fellow will start on 1 November 2020 or as soon as possible thereafter. The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD fellows who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in ANY discipline but applicants should be conversant with relevant theories in SF studies. Preference may be given to candidates with empirical knowledge or personal engagement with SF arts or SF fandom communities. The Master's degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, and fluency in the languages of the materials they will research on.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on:

• The project's scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The applicant's estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
• The applicant's ability to complete research training
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

We offer

• Salary NOK 479 600 – 523 200 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

The application must include:

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
• Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master's degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university's grading system
• Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, see Template for project descriptions)

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, please follow the link “Apply for this job”.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

According to the Norwegian Freedom of 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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

Contact information

• Project Leader: Bodhisattva Chattopadhyay
  
• HR-officer: Steffen Remvik

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