PhD Research fellows in Anthropology of health and enviroment in Africa and Europe

About the job

3 fully-funded dual PhD fellowships in social anthropology between the University of Oslo and Makerere University (2 positions) and the University of Cape Town (1 position) are available at the Department of Social Anthropology, University of Oslo. For the positions in Oslo, moving to Norway is required and residence in or close by Oslo city is expected. 

The appointed candidates will work within the collaborative EU funded doctoral training network HEALENAE: Health and Environment in Africa and Europe. The network will consist of 15 PhDs, that together will work and learn as an international cohort and collaborate across projects to bring together insights anchored in different sectors and countries. 

The candidates will conduct fieldwork in Africa and/or Europe, participate in annual training schools and writing retreats, and complete a 6 month stay with the secondary university (in the case of the positions below, at Makerere University, Uganda and University of Cape Town, South Africa). More information about the network can be found here. 

The PhD fellows will automatically be admitted to the Faculty of Social Sciences' PhD programme at the University of Oslo (UiO). They will also be admitted to the doctoral programme of either Makerere University (MU) or the University of Cape Town (UCT), depending on the position. Separate registration processes for these universities will apply. 

More about the positions

The appointed candidates will work within the framework of the project on one of the following areas: 

• Metabolic impact: agricultural intensification and health transformations (UiO and UCT)
• Infrastructures of toxic evidence and civic protection (UiO and MU)
• Epidemics and natural disasters as ‘business’ (UiO and MU)

Read more about the areas here: https://healenae.eu/phd-calls 

The candidate must develop a project description, which should be submitted as a part of the application. The description should show how the candidate’s project will contribute to the specific area within the HEALENAE network. See more about the requirements for the project description below.  

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years, and all three candidates are expected to take part in the dual degree PhD programme and to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The successful candidates must be available to start by 1 September 2026.

Note that applicants can be of any nationality. However, the candidate cannot have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies etc.) in Norway for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date and must not hold a PhD.

Selection criterias 

The successful candidate must have:

• Education equivalent to five years at university level in Norway, with two years (120 ECTS) at master’s level in social anthropology. Master’s degrees in closely related disciplines may be considered. 
• An average grade of A or B (ECTS scale) or equivalent in the master’s degree or 70 % and above in percent-based grading systems. The master’s thesis must have been awarded an A or B, or equivalent result.
• Minimum 3 months of ethnographic fieldwork experience.
• Demonstrable capacity to complete writing projects within deadlines
• Willingness to conduct long-term ethnographic fieldwork
• Willingness to work interdisciplinarily, across borders and institutions, and as part of a larger team
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

• Excellent command of English (oral and written). Please note that the successful candidates must satisfy the English language requirements for admissions to both institutions in the respective dual degree collaboration(s) that they are applying for, and supply documentation of this 
• UiO language requirements
• UCT language requirements
• Makere University

The position will be part of a project that includes various forms of public engagement. Experience from engagements with non-academic audiences is therefore an advantage. 

African language skills are an advantage.

It is expected that the candidate will adhere to a high standard of collegiality and contribute to the Department’s academic and social environment.

We are looking for

We seek highly motivated candidates. When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the applicant's proven academic record, the project proposal and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Additionally, factors such as personal suitability and motivation are given weight. Relevant applicants will be invited to an interview.

We need different perspectives in our work 

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no.

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

 

If you have an disability, we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports.

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

We hope you will apply for the position with us. 

Why you should choose us?

• We offer exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• Salary in position as Phd. Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK 550 800 -  595 800, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.
• Funding for research, travel, conference participation and dissemination, books and equipment
• A professionally stimulating working environment.
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Good welfare schemes.
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours. 
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.

Read more about the benefits of working in the public sector at Employer Portal.

Application

How to apply

The application must be in English, and must include:

• Motivation/cover letter (statement of motivation and research interests, max one A4 page of 2,400 characters including spaces). Applicants must submit a project proposal for one of our three projects. If you want to apply for more than one of the positions available, please specify which projects you would like to be considered for. 
• CV (including a complete list of education, positions, publications and other qualifying activities)
• Project description outlining: 
• Brief description of the topic (approx. ½ page).
• 3-5 research questions or objectives with explanatory text (max 1 page)
• Discussion of background literature and theory (1-2 pages)
• Description and justification of sites and methods (1-2 pages)
• Ethical considerations relevant for the project and site (approx.. ½ page)
• Project literature/reference list
• Copies of educational certificates (Bachelor and Master’s degrees). The diplomas or diploma supplement/transcript of records must state: name of university, education (Bachelor or Master), duration (number of years, full-time), courses, marks and (if given) ECTS credits.
• Documentation of English skills (see required qualifications)

The project proposal should be based on the one of the three position/topics outlined above that the applicant is most interested in. If applying for more than one of the three positions, the candidate will be considered for these as well.

The overall project description (excl. list of project literature/bibliography/reference list and timetable) must not exceed 12,000 characters including spaces, tables, diagrams, footnotes, endnotes and illustrations (5 A4 pages of 2,400 characters each).

Important documents in other languages than English or Scandinavian must be translated into one of these languages. Applications without sufficient documentation will not be considered.

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position".

Application deadline: 1 March 2026

Important information to our applicants regarding the recruitment process

The most highly qualified candidates will be invited for interviews.

A list of applicants may be published in accordance with Section 25 of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list; however, you must provide a justification for your request. We will then consider whether the exemption can be granted. If the request cannot be accommodated, we will notify you.

For more information, please refer to:

• Regulations for the Act on Universities and Colleges, Chapter 3 (Norwegian)
• Guidelines concerning appointment to postdoctoral and research positions at UiO
• Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees to secure the rights to all research results and related intellectual property.

Due to the high volume of applicants and the complexity of the recruitment processes, the Department of Social Anthropology does not have the resources to offer individual assessments or feedback to applicants. This means that we are not able to evaluate the eligibility of each candidate, nor determine whether an applicant’s education fulfills the requirements set out in the vacancy announcement. 

The listed requirements constitute the basis on which we determine whether applicants meet the minimum qualifications, and it is therefore important that applicants read these requirements carefully before applying. The recommendation prepared by the interview committee is exempt from public disclosure. 

Please note that we are unable to add documentation after the application deadline. As the deadline applies equally to all applicants, this policy ensures equal treatment throughout the recruitment process. If you experience difficulties uploading documents in Jobbnorge, please contact their customer service:

Phone: +47 75 54 22 20
Email: support@grade.com 

The primary method of communication throughout the process will be e-mails and messages through the recruitment system Jobbnorge. When you receive a notification of a message in Jobbnorge, please log in to read it, as it may be important.