Two PhD fellow positions in ERC-project “Private Law Firms as Transnational Advocates (PROBONO)" 

Job description

Two positions as PhD Research Fellow (SKO 1017) are available in the research project PROBONO. The project is funded by the European Research Council. The two research fellows will work together with the Principal Investigator (PI) of PROBONO, Professor Nina Reiners, and the PROBONO team at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (NCHR), a multidisciplinary department at the Faculty of Law.

The period of appointment runs for three years without teaching duties, or upon agreement, four years with teaching duties constituting 25% of the overall workload. A four-year fellowship requires that the candidate can contribute to the current teaching needs of the Faculty of Law, including the multidisciplinary master program in human rights. 

The purpose of the fellowship is research training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree within the set fellowship period. The selected candidate will automatically be admitted to the PhD programme of the Faculty of Law. Please read about the requirements for admission to the PhD program here.

More about the position

PROBONO studies the role of theTop100 global private law firms as transnational advocates in world politics. For this aim, the project collects and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data on the firms’ pro bono efforts related to human rights, environment and climate change, and migration. PROBONO seeks to understand these dynamics and their implications through three key questions:

1. How does Big Law do pro bono?

2. How do global power shifts affect pro bono?

3. What are normative implications of pro bono as transnational advocacy?

Both candidates are expected to - within the scope of PROBONO - develop an independent PhD project. To address PROBONO’s overall questions most fruitfully, each candidate is expected to engage with relevant scholarship in International Relations, focusing on private power in global politics, sociology of (legal) professions, and transnational advocacy for global justice. Comparative, historical, and critical perspectives are welcome.

One research fellow will play a lead role in the in-depth study of pro bono activities in Latin America and the other research fellow will play a lead role in the in-depth study of pro bono activities in Africa. Both research fellows will undertake desk-based and field-based research, in particular interviews in these regions and, if necessary, with law firms and in UN institutions. The research fellows may be asked to contribute analyses based on the project’s database on global pro bono activities (2015-2024) and undertake archival research as appropriate. Both research fellows are expected to collaborate with team members on other components of the project and publish in peer-reviewed venues. 

The candidates will contribute to the development of the existing research environment at NCHR. In addition to their PhD project, they will take part in group activities with the core project team, consisting of the PI, a postdoctoral researcher, and the other PhD research fellow. In addition, PROBONO is supported by a research assistant. Each candidate will also get the chance to build an international network and to engage with key scholars in this field, including the project’s Advisory Board. 

Qualifications

Required 

• The applicant must hold a five years Master’s degree or equivalent in International Relations, Political Science, Law or another relevant discipline.
• The candidate must be qualified to work theoretically and empirically in the project. The candidate must have empirical research skills and at least basic knowledge of the relevant scholarship in International Relations (see above). 
• Knowledge of qualitative research methods is required. 
• The project language is English and the applicants should have an excellent command of the English language, written and spoken.
• Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner.
• Applicants must have good collaboration skills and the ability, willingness, and commitment to work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Admission to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Law requires grades in the upper level of the grading scale. This also applies to the master’s thesis.

Desired

• Knowledge of quantitative research methods is desirable.
• Knowledge of international human rights law is desirable. 
• Knowledge of one other language relevant to PROBONO’s regional focus is desirable.
• Previous work experience in one of the regions relevant to the positions is a plus. 

Assessment of the applicant

In the evaluation of candidates, emphasis will be placed on the candidate’s academic suitability and achievements, quality and fit of the suggested PhD project proposal, previous relevant publications, and the applicant’s professional and personal qualifications, particularly in relation to their ability to perform the proposed project within the allotted time. 

The candidates are evaluated by a Selection Board, which ranks the candidates based on the criteria indicated above and conducts interviews with short-listed candidates. The final decision is taken by the Faculty’s appointment board. 

How to apply and what to include in your application

Applicants must submit the following attachments with the electronic application form: 

• A cover letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position.
• A proposal of a PhD project (7-10 pages, excluding reference list). The proposal should include the research question(s), the theoretical background, a discussion of the relevant literature, ideas on methods and data collection, and reflections about potential challenges. The proposal must clearly demonstrate how the research will contribute towards the aims of the PROBONO project. Applicants are encouraged to consult the project’s website in advance. To ensure exchange throughout the project, an article-based thesis is encouraged.
• Curriculum Vitae. 
• Copies of diplomas with all grades included in the degree and certificates (if the original language of diplomas/certificates is not English, an English language translation must be provided in addition to a copy of the original). Foreign diplomas must include an official documentation about the grading system together with the official grading scale.
• If available: A complete publication list. 
• A list of up to three references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail address and phone number).

 Applications with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge (in English) until 15 September 2025. 

 We expect the successful candidates to start as early as possible in 2026. 

We offer

• Salary in position as PhD Research Fellow, position code 1017 in salary range NOK 550 800 – 595 000 per annum, depending on competence and experience. 
• A generous budget for presentations at conferences and workshops, participation in method trainings, and field work.
• A friendly and academically vibrant international and multidisciplinary working environment.
• A good work-life balance and access to Norway’s public services and welfare schemes.
• A good pension scheme in the Statens Pensjonskasse, which is one of Norway's best pension schemes with beneficial mortgages and good insurance schemes.
• Special focus is also given to newly employed personnel relocating from abroad, with a dedicated central office at UiO for international relocation. 
• Information about employee benefits at the UiO can be found here.

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to Doctoral research fellowships at the University of Oslo.

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

Pursuant to section 25 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act (offentleglova), information concerning the applicant may be made public, even if the applicant has requested not to appear on the list of applicants.

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

Inclusion and diversity are goals in the Faculty's strategy. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition.

Furthermore, we want, and adjust for, 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.

Contact information

For questions about the position: Professor Nina Reiners, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights (nina.reiners@nchr.uio.no). 

 For questions about the recruitment system and process: Administrative Manager HR Siri Martenson (siri.martenson@jus.uio.no)