PhD Research Fellow in Educational Sciences

Job description

Applicants are invited for a three to four-year full-time position as a PhD Research Fellow at the Centre for Research on Equality in Education (CREATE), University of Oslo, Norway.

CREATE is an interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway with the objective of generating novel knowledge about how to reduce social inequality. The interdisciplinary center integrates researchers with substantive expertise from sociology, psychology, education, economics, and genetics, and methodological expertise from educational measurement, psychometrics, econometrics, statistics, and biostatistics. 

More about the position

CREATE is an interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence funded by the Research Council of Norway with the overall objective of generating novel knowledge about how to reduce social inequality. CREATE has three strands, and the PhD position belongs to Strand 1.

Strand 1 aims to identify barriers to equality. Strand 1 further aims to test the generalizability of malleable factors hindering equality across countries and time. A malleable factor refers to variables that are within the control of schools and educational policy and would include for instance school factors (like school climate, teacher characteristics, teaching quality, student motivation and attitudes, student cognitive outcomes). International large-scale assessment (ILSA) like Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) may be used to make generalizable inferences across countries and time. 

While the main focus of the PhD position lies in examining factors that may enhance equality across countries and over time, it is desirable to also examine these factors in-depth in the Norwegian context via qualitative approaches including for instance interviews, classrooms observations or similar. 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to define and pursue their own research interests that would cover both of these two aims within mathematics: 1) identifying factors that reduce the achievement gap in mathematics between advantaged and disadvantaged students,  and study their generalizability across countries and time, and 2) examine this/these factor(s) in depth in Norway with a qualitative approach (e.g. interviews or classroom observations).

The PhD Fellow will be expected to be able to use advanced quantitative methods to analyze ILSA data. The successful candidate should have prior knowledge of quantitative methods and experience with the complex designs and data of ILSAs.

The PhD Fellow will be embedded in the interdisciplinary Strand 1 group alongside researchers in sociology, psychology, education, economics, and related fields. We expect active participation in our strand and interdisciplinary center. 

The position is a full-time position for a period of three years. If there is a good match between the candidate’s competence and the teaching needs at the Department of Teacher Education and School Research (ILS), then the position can be extended to four years with the 25% teaching duties, usually in the form of teaching, supervision, and assessment. 

The PhD Fellow must take part in the faculty’s approved PhD program, and is expected to complete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the PhD fellowship is to qualify the candidate for a research career within or beyond academia. 

To support a strategic and well-structured PhD trajectory, the PhD Fellow will be required to develop a career and competence development plan in dialogue with the supervisory team early in the appointment period. The successful candidate will receive close supervision and is encouraged to develop a strong international research profile through collaboration, conference participation, and research stays abroad.

For more information, please see our web site. 

Qualification requirements

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the faculty´s PhD programme. This normally includes:

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Education, Psychology, Economics, Sociology or other relevant fields 
• A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with a minimum grade B
• A Bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade C (ECTS grading scale)
• For 5-year studies, the average grade must be C or better for the first three years, and B or better for the last two years (ECTS grading scale). The Master thesis must have been graded with a minimum grade B
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian 

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

Familiarity with quantitative methodology and ILSAs

Personal skills 

We are looking for a motivated and engaged PhD fellow with strong potential for high-quality research. Personal suitability will be emphasized and assessed based on the following qualities:

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in interdisciplinary research team
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific feedback
• Structured, reliable, and results-oriented working style
• Good communication and collaboration skills

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 immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for 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.

We offer

• Exciting and meaningful tasks in an organization with an important societal mission
• Opportunity to work with world-class research data
• Dedicated colleagues in a friendly and international research environment, recognized as a Centre of Excellence
• 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
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Salary NOK 550 800 - 594 000 per annum depending on qualifications in a position as PhD Research Fellow, (position code 1017). From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund

How to apply and what to include in your application

The application must include:

• Cover letter (1 page), including statement of motivation
• A project description, including progress plan (5-7 pages) and a short summary of research gaps, research questions the candidate regards relevant to pursue, theoretical and methodological approaches, and a progress plan for the PhD. As the candidate will carry out research in Strand 1, the project description is regarded more as a proof of the candidate’s ability to develop research ideas and scientific writing skills than a concrete plan for the research that will be carried out during the PhD period. Please see our guidelines. 
• CV (summarizing education, positions, pedagogical experience, publications, and other relevant qualifying activity)
• Copies of educational certificates (academic transcripts only). Foreign applicants must attach an explanation of their grading system
• Documentation of English proficiency (for information on required documentation, see information on this webpage)
• A copy of the Master thesis
• A complete list of publications and academic works
• List of reference persons: 2-3 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail, and phone number)

Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system Jobbnorge. 

When applying for the position, we ask you to retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your transcripts or grades. Please note that all documents should be in English (or a Scandinavian language). 

When evaluating the application, emphasis will be given to the project description and the applicant’s academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. Applicants may be called in for an interview. 

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships, Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

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

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.

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.