PhD Fellow in Law

The position

The Faculty of Law has a vacant position for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is affiliated with the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS).

The position is for a period of four years. The nominal length of the PhD programme is three years. The fourth year is distributed as 25 % each year and will consist of teaching and other duties for the Faculty of Law. The objective of the position is to complete research training to the level of a doctoral degree. Admission to the PhD programme is a prerequisite for employment, and the programme period starts on commencement of the position. The PhD fellow shall participate in the faculty’s organized research training, and the PhD project shall be completed during the period of employment.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The Faculty of Law

The Faculty of Law has about 1000 law students, 25 PhD fellows, 40 members of the academic staff and 18 members of the administrative staff. The faculty hosts the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea (NCLOS) and research groups in Administrative Law, Criminal Law and Criminal Procedural Law, Crime Control and Security Law, Property Law, Children's Rights, Sámi and Indigenous Peoples' Law, and Human Rights and International Law.

The Faculty may award the degrees of Master and PhD in Law as well as the degrees of Master of Laws (LL.M.) in the Law of the Sea and Joint Nordic Master`s Programme in Environmental Law.

The position’s field of research

NCLOS field of research broadly includes law of the sea in all of its facets, including proximate and intersecting fields (e.g. international environmental law, law of armed conflict, international economic law, human rights), though particularly with respect to the maritime domain. NCLOS research also encompasses theoretical, methodological, and regional (especially Arctic) themes. With respect to this call, the candidate is expected to carry out research in relation to one of the following broad themes: Ocean Commons; Arctic Marine Governance; Regime Interaction. Projects addressing one or more of the following topics may be preferred:

• Legal issues related to climate interventions, especially in the Arctic
• Legal regulation of common spaces and common interests
• Critical maritime infrastructures, both in terms of doctrinal analyses and of theoretical exploration (e.g. securitization, law of the sea and security studies, law of the sea and geopolitics, regional comparisons)
• Studies that compare or explore the intersection of law of the sea and outer space law
• Arctic Fisheries
• The Ocean-Climate Nexus

Projects taking doctrinal, contextual or critical approaches are equally welcome. For more information on the research done at NCLOS, and to assess whether other topics may be aligned with that, please see the homepage of NCLOS.

Supervisors will be allocated based on the student’s preferences and the supervisors’ suitability for the project and their availability.

Qualifications

The successful applicants must fulfil the requirements for admission to the Faculty's PhD programme. Information about requirements is
available here.

The applicants must have a five years Master’s degree in Law or Cand. jur. with good grades. The Faculty may accept equivalent education in law from foreign universities.

The ability to teach on the obligatory parts of the 5-year Master of Law programme, including good knowledge of the Norwegian legal system and of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, is preferrable, but not a requirement.

The applicants must present a description outlining the academic basis of the PhD project. The project description shall be 5-8 pages, and must include an overview of the topic, main and sub-research questions for the project, a justification of these choices, and literature references. It shall also indicate the methodologies to be used. No coverage of expenses related to fieldwork, beyond the allotted annuum, can be expected. The description should also include considerations regarding affiliation with the faculty's research groups/NCLOS. The applicant may be asked to supplement the description.

Emphasis will be put on the candidates potential for research, motivation and personal suitability for the position.

As many people as possible should have the opportunity to undertake organized research training. If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Inclusion and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is working actively to promote equality, gender balance and diversity among employees and students, and to create an inclusive and safe working environment. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength, and we want employees with different competencies, professional experience, life experience and perspectives.

If you have a disability, a gap in your CV or immigrant background, we encourage you to tick the box for this in your application. If there are qualified applicants, we invite at least one in each group for an interview. If you get the job, we will adapt the working conditions if you need it. Apart from selecting the right candidates, we will only use the information for anonymous statistics.

We offer

• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Good career opportunities, and high employability after successful graduation
• A stunning Arctic landscape and diversity of outdoor activities
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 

Norwegian health policy aims to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their personal finances and where they live, has access to good health and care services of equal standard. As an employee you will become member of the National Insurance Scheme which also include health care services.

More practical information about working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility

Application 

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you include all necessary documents demonstrating your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include: 

• Cover letter explaining your motivation and research interests
• CV
• Diploma for bachelor's and master's degree
• Official transcripts of grades/academic record for bachelor's and master's degree
• Explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Documentation of proficiency in Norwegian or a Scandinavian language (level A2) or commit him-/herself to participate
  in the Norwegian Language Courses held by the UiT at the outset of the employment
• 2-3 references with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works
• Project description (5-8 pages)
• Application for admission

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. Diplomas and transcripts must also be submitted in the original language, if not in English or Scandinavian. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. 

Assessment 

The applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to undertake an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the written material presented by the applicants, and the detailed description draw up for the position. A copy of the assessment report will be sent to all applicants. 

The applicants who are assessed as best qualified will be called to an interview. The interview should among other things, aim to clarify the applicant’s motivation and personal suitability for the position. 

General information 

The appointment is made in accordance with State regulations and guidelines at UiT. At our website, you will find more information for applicants. 

Remuneration for the position of PhD Fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1017. A compulsory contribution of 2 % to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund will be deducted. You will become a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which gives you many benefits in addition to a lifelong pension: You may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you become insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you can get good terms on a mortgage. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

A shorter period of appointment may be decided when the PhD Fellow has already completed parts of their research training programme or when the appointment is based on a previous qualifying position PhD Fellow, research assistant, or the like in such a way that the total time used for research training amounts to three years.

We process personal data given in an application or CV in accordance with the Personal Data Act (Offentleglova). According to the Personal Data Act information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure. You will receive advance notification in the event of such publication, if you have requested non-disclosure.