Job description

There is a vacant position as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Education. The appointment is a fulltime position and made for a period of two years.

The position is funded by the Norwegian Research Council, the FINNUT program, as part of the research project “Policy Knowledge and Lesson Drawing in Nordic School Reform in an Era of International Comparison” (POLNET). The project employs network and content analysis to compare the reception and translation of international, regional, and national policy knowledge across three distinct school reform periods in Norway (school reforms of 1994/97, 2006, 2020) as well as in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden). For more information, see the project webpage.

The applicant will work closely with the leadership team, other members of the project staff, members within the research group Curriculum, Leadership and Educational Governance (CLEG), and the project’s international collaborators from Teacher College Columbia University and four Nordic universities. It is expected that the candidate has a residence in Norway during the appointment period.

More about the position

The main purpose of the Postdoctoral fellowship is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to define and pursue her or his own research interests within the scope of the third subproject in the main project. This subproject is dedicated to textual analysis where the researchers trace how transnational policy shifts towards “accountability,” “choice,” “competency-based curriculum,” “equity,” etc. have been interpreted and translated differently in Norway compared with other Nordic countries.

The postdoctoral fellow is expected to conduct a cross-national analysis, work within an interdisciplinary and international research group and contribute to both first- and co-authorships.

The candidate is also encouraged to consider a research stay abroad. NRC offers additional funding to support international research stays and an extension of the fellowship period corresponding to the length of the stay abroad (3-12 months). The extension depends on approval by NRC.

Please contact the principal investigator Dr. Kirsten Sivesind for further information about the subproject.

Qualification requirements

• Applicant must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in education, humanities or social science. Doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the application closing date, and be accepted and defended before the appointment date
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and a Scandinavian language is required

We seek a candidate who:

• Is familiar with research on education reform and/or education policy
• Is characterized by a broad orientation to the research field and research methods
• Can show evidence of and experience with the application of data analysis software (for example in the context of a master’s or PhD thesis)
• Would like to conduct comparative network analysis combining data and methods using Python and/or NVivo

Personal skills

In the assessment of applicants, emphasis will be put on:

• A cooperative, friendly, and team-oriented style of work
• A genuine interest for, and preferably knowledge of, the substantive themes of the project
• A publication record in high quality journals

We offer

• Salary NOK 523 200 - 605 500 per annum depending on qualifications in position as Postdoctoral Research Fellow (position code 1352)
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application must include:

• Cover letter (statement of motivation, summarizing scientific work and research interest)
• A short project description including progress plan (max. 5 pages)
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only)
• A complete list of publications
• 3 numbers of academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number)

Only those applications that satisfy the formal requirements will be evaluated.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system. Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their University's grading system. Please note that all documents should be in English or a Scandinavian language.

In assessing the applications, special emphasis will be placed on the documented, academic qualifications, the project description, and the quality of the project as well as the candidates motivation and personal suitability. Interviews with the best qualified candidates will be arranged.

It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to complete the project in the course of the period of employment.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oslo.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow 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 University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.

The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.

Contact information

• Associate Professor Kirsten Sivesind
• Professor Berit Karseth
• Head of Department Ola Erstad

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