Postdoctoral Research Fellowship associated with the ERC-funded project "ECOART"

About the position 

A Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available in the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, at the University of Oslo.

The position is associated with the European Research Council-funded Consolidator project ECOART – An Ecological History of Eurasian Art: Natural Resources, Aesthetic Practices, and Early Modern Globalization, which will consist of a team of one Principal Investigator, three doctoral research fellows and two post-doctoral research fellows. The project investigates the artistic use and visual representation of geographical, geological, botanical, zoological, and climatic resources in Eurasia, a space dominated by European and Chinese economic spheres of influence, in an era of early modern globalization from 1500 to 1800. Funding for fieldwork, archival research, conference attendance and publications will be available to all members of the project. More information about the project, the team and its activities can be found here . 

The application must contain a project description.

More about the position 

While climatic resources such as the interplay between hot temperatures and humidity allow for the cultivation of and creative engagement with certain artistic materials, they discourage others. Furthermore, artistic concepts of climatic resources have been articulated through symbolic depictions of the forces of wind, water, and sunlight during a period that has also been called the Little Ice Age (ca. 1550–1850) due to cooling in some (though not all) regions of the world. Asia’s monsoon climate has a profound impact on the region and its life-threatening powers have been depicted in representations of flooding and shipwrecks and in allegorical and symbolic ways. Artists and artisans across Eurasia have also articulated the agency of certain sites over humans, for example in the case of sacred sites, while contributing to period conceptualizations and visualizations of land- and seascapes as objects of knowledge. The person filling in this position will investigate the impact climatic and/or geographic resources had on art during the early modern period with a special focus on the Philippines. His/her methodology will be informed by geoaesthetics, a critical frame to analyze artistic and artisanal practices as shaped by human interaction with climatic and/or geographic formations and, for example, engage with how the forces of wind and water during the wet season were conceptualized in art and artisanship. Potential case studies include representations of particular bodies of water and/or symbolic representations of the forces of water; anthropomorphic representations of wind in imagery of aerial deities; artistic depictions of the impact of the monsoon season on seafaring; the impact of specific sites on (landscape) painting.

10 % of the position is devoted to research-based and research-led contributions to teaching or other career-promoting work.

The successful candidate is expected to become part of the research environment/network of the department and contribute to its development. The main purpose of postdoctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

Qualification requirements 

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization in the History of Asian Art or related fields.
• The candidate's research project must be closely connected to the main project
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and training in at least one Asian language
• research or working experience in non-Western contexts as well as familiarity or experience with digital humanities.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on the public defence of the doctoral thesis being approved. 

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The research project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to carry out the project within the allotted time frame an contribute to the main project
• Good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join in academic collaboration within and across disciplines

We can offer you

• Salary NOK 595 000 – 676 900 per annum depending on qualifications 
• A professionally stimulating working environment 
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

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

How to apply 

The application must include

• Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
• Curriculum Vitae with grades listed (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities)
• List of publications
• Up to four academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered
• Copies of educational certificates
• Project description (appox. 3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions). The project description must present a feasible progress plan. It is expected that the applicant will be able to complete the project during the period of appointment. The project may (or may not) include one large outcome (e.g. a monograph) or a number of smaller outcomes (e.g. book chapters and article publications).

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

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.

The short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. 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. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we cannot, you will hear from us.

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian).

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc.