Doctoral research fellowship in the psychology of music, AI and creativity

About the position

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in Music Psychology is available at the Department of Musicology, University of Oslo.

The position is part of MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity, which is a Norwegian AI centre funded by the Research Council of Norway (2025-2030). It comprises more than 200 faculty members from many higher education institutions in Norway, in collaboration with numerous public and private sector partners. The primary objective of MishMash is to create, explore, and reflect on AI for, through, and in creative practices. MishMash researchers will investigate AI’s impact on creative processes, develop innovative CoCreative AI systems and educational strategies, and address AI’s ethical, cultural, legal, and societal implications in creative domains. See MishMash Centre for AI and Creativity | A Norwegian AI centre funded by the Research Council of Norway (2025-2030) for more information.

This position will be part of WP3 (Creative use of AI for health and well-being) of MishMash, with the possibility of contributing to additional work packages. We welcome research proposals investigating how humans perceive, experience and relate to AI-generated music, or music that is believed to be AI-generated. Possible methods include surveys, behavioural experiments, and neuroimaging (fMRI, fNIRS or EEG). It is expected that the appointed candidate will collaborate across the MishMash network, and participate in all relevant MishMash activities.

Research Proposal

Applicants are required to attach a research proposal (hf.uio.no) stating research questions and theoretical and methodological approaches. 

More about the position

The person appointed will be affiliated with the faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the Doctoral degree: PhD in the Humanities (hf.uio.no). 

The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant (hf.uio.no).

Selection criteria 

Qualification requirements

• A Master's degree or equivalent in music psychology, musicology, psychology, cognitive neuroscience, or other relevant field. The applicant is required to document that the degree corresponds to the profile of the post. The Master's degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline. 
• The proposed project must be relevant to the research objectives of MishMash (particularly those of WP3)
• Excellent skills in written and oral English.
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position. 

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

Desired qualifications and competencies

• Experience with one or more of the following methodologies: experimental design, questionnaires, EEG, fMRI, or fNIRS
• Academic expertise in music psychology/cognition and statistics 
• Applicants are encouraged to collaborate with relevant MishMash partners, if this strengthens the proposed project
   

Personal skills

• Strong ability to work purposefully, systematically, and independently
• Time management and ability to complete the project within the time frame
• The applicant's ability to complete the research training
• Very good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Employment in the position is based on a comprehensive assessment of all qualification requirements applicable to the position, including personal qualifications and assessment of the Research Proposal.

Assessment criteria for the research proposal

• The proposed project must be relevant to the research objectives of MishMash (particularly those of WP3)
• The scientific merit and quality of the research proposal
• The research project's feasibility within the time frame of the position

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, contributing to knowledge development, education, and enlightenment that promote sustainable, fair, and knowledge-based societal development.
• An exciting working environment, including all the benefits of being part of a large Norwegian AI Centre and its many events, workshops, and career development opportunities.
• Good welfare schemes (uio.no).
• Opportunity of up to 1.5 hours a week of exercise during working hours (uio.no).
• Membership in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Salary in position as Doctoral Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK from 550 800 to 595 800, depending on competence and experience. From the salary, 2 percent is deducted in statutory contributions to the State Pension Fund.

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

Application

Your application should include:

• Application letter describing your qualifications and motivation for the position
• CV with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities
• A complete list of publications
• Diploma and transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master's degrees. 
  • For applicants with education from a Norwegian higher educational institution: Please retrieve your education results from Vitnemålsportalen.no. If your education results are not available through Vitnemålsportalen, we ask you to upload copies of your Diploma and transcripts or grades. 
  • Applicants with education from a foreign university: Please upload copies of your diploma in addition to copies of your transcripts or grades. You must also attach an official explanation of your university's grading system.
• Research proposal, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 - 5 pages, maximum 14.000 characters. See Template for project proposal (hf.uio.no)
• Documentation of English Language requirements (hf.uio.no), if applicable to you.The appointed applicant will be asked to document these skills prior to admission to the PhD programme.

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

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

Do not submit other certificates, articles, master theses and the like unless specifically requested. If further documentation is wanted for assessment, you will be asked to submit it later. 

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),  Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo. Note that no one can be employed for more than one fixed-term period in the same position category at the same institution.

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