PhD Fellow in Sámi Food Systems

The position

The Arctic University Museum of Norway has a PhD position vacant for applicants who wish to obtain the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD). The position is tied to the University Museum and the NRC project “Biebmolassi” which isaffiliated with the research group SAMFORSK at the Norwegian Arctic University Museum, UiT the Arctic University of Norway.

The appointment is for a period of three years.

The PhD position is for a fixed term, with 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 workplace is at the Arctic University Museum in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The position's affiliation

The successful candidate will defend his/her thesis at the Department for Humanities and Social Sciences, UiT – the Arctic University of Norway.

The SAMFORSK research group is based at the Norwegian Arctic University Museum, a conglomerate consisting of Tromsø Museum, The Polar Museum, MS Polstjerna and the Tromsø Arctic-Alpine Botanical Garden.

Tromsø Museum was founded in 1872 and is North Norway’s oldest research institution. The museum was incorporated in Tromsø University in 1976. Our main tasks are research, research communication, development and maintenance of research collections, outreach, management and teaching.

The collections and archives can be considered as relevant sources for the PhD project.

The position’s field of research

The project “Biebmolassi” draws upon and operationalizes an Indigenous understanding of food systems, where food is a central part of culture and an arena for reconciliation that can serve to bridge the past with the present acknowledging traditional Sámi foods as a valued part of Sámi culture. It is a direct follow-up of the Truth and Reconciliation committee’s report.

The PhD candidate is invited to develop a project related to investigation of Sámi food systems in the two areas in focus in Bieblomassi or of a Sámi food system of their choice. The PhD work should fill a knowledge gap in the research on Sámi food systems in general and contribute to new knowledge of how the vitalization of food systems can contribute to reconciliation. An important goal is to investigate the possible avenues through which this can be communicated through museum exhibits and with a basis in museum collections and archives.

Knowledge of Sámi culture and language, the geographical context, as well as the ability to gain relevant knowledge of Indigenous and scientific research on food systems are important for the position.

The PhD candidate is invited to develop a project related to investigation of Sámi food systems of their choice. As the “Biebmolassi” project focuses on vitalization and reconciliation, the project should contribute to the documentation of conceptual and material aspects of Sámi food systems in relevant geographical contexts. This should be appropriate to the context and the field of Indigenous and transdisciplinary research in general.

The PhD candidate will be appointed at least one supervisor and will have the opportunity to collaborate with researchers in the project group that work on related issues and projects, where the overall goal is to develop a novel approach to the study of the interconnections between academic knowledge and Indigenous representations of knowledge.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• Master’s degree in humanities or social sciences, such as cultural or linguistics studies, museology, anthropology, history of science, Indigenous studies or related fields. The Master’s degree should be recognized as equivalent to a 2-year Norwegian Master’s degree.
• Documented fluency in English. Nordic applicants can document their English capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.

Desired qualifications:

• Work experience or other activities of significance for the implementation of the PhD studies, and to any qualifications in mediation of Sámi language and culture. This includes museum-related work, as in curatorial work or work with archives and collections, teaching education, teaching experience, experience from popularization and experience/education from other types of dissemination.
• Knowledge of the local and regional context of the project focus.
• Documented knowledge of Norwegian or a Scandinavian language.

In the assessment, the emphasis is on the applicant's potential to complete a research education based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific work. The project description and project plan will also be considered. In addition, professional experience and other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral programme will be taken into consideration.

The applicants must present a description outlining the academic basis of the PhD project. The project description shall not exceed 6 pages, literature references included. It must include a description of the topic, research question(s) and a reasoning of the choices. It should also indicate the methodologies to be used. The final project description will be developed in cooperation with the supervisor. Template for project description can be found here.

We will also emphasize motivation and personal suitability for the position. We are looking for candidates who:

• Have good collaboration skills.
• Have good communication and interaction with colleagues and students.
• Wants to contribute to a good working environment.

If you already hold a PhD or have equivalent competence, we will not appoint you to this position.

Admission to the PhD programme 

For employment in the PhD position, you must be qualified for admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education Operations and participate in organized doctoral studies within the employment period.

Admission normally requires:  

• A bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 30 ECTS for a master's degree of 120 ECTS. 
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to at least 20 ECTS for an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS. 

All applicants should have a grade point average of B (or equivalent) on their master’s degree in order to be admitted to the PhD programme. The grade point average also applies to 300 ECTS points integrated five-year master’s degrees, in which all courses are to be included in the grade point average. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here. 

Applicants with a foreign education will be subjected to an evaluation of whether the educational background is equal to Norwegian higher education, following national guidelines from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Depending on which country the education is from, one or two additional years of university education may be required to fulfil admission requirements, e.g. a 4-year bachelor's degree and a 2-year master's degree. UiT normally accepts higher education from countries that are part of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

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

• Involvement in an interesting research project 
• Good career opportunities 
• A good academic environment with dedicated colleagues  
• Flexible working hours and a state collective pay agreement  
• Pension scheme through the state pension fund 
• PhD Fellows are normally given a salary of 550 800 NOK/year with a 3% yearly increase

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
• Project description and project plan (max 6 pages)
• CV (containing a complete overview of education, supervised professional training and professional work)
• 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)
• List of 2-4 references with contact information
• Master’s thesis, and any other academic works

Qualification with a master’s degree is required before commencement in the position. If you are near completion of your master’s degree, you may still apply and submit a draft version of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or institution indicating when the degree will be obtained. You must still submit your transcript of grades for the master’s degree with your application.

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.