Postdoctoral researcher in societal security and disaster research

The position

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow position is available at the Department of Technology and Safety, Faculty of Science and Technology in societal security and disaster research with a focus on ways of representing and narrating slow-onset crises and disasters for applicants who have a keen interest in contributing to research in disaster studies.

ITS is organised under the Faculty of Science and Technology and is located at four campuses: Tromsø, Bardufoss, Kirkenes, and Harstad. The department has approximately 90 employees and approximately 700 students. It offers undergraduate, master’s, and PhD degree programmes as well as research in the areas of nautical science, aviation, societal safety, environment, and international preparedness.

The position is a fixed term position for a duration of 3 years. It is a prerequisite that the applicant can carry out the project over the full course of the employment period. No person may hold more than one fixed term position as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the same institution.

As a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to advance your scientific career and further qualify for academic positions. If you do not already have the educational competence that meets the requirements for an Associate Professor position in Norway, UiT will arrange such competence during the employment period.

The workplace is at UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start in the position within a reasonable time after receiving the offer.

The project

This position is funded by the UiT High Score programme to carry out preliminary work on the in-progress project “Bracing for slowly unfolding catastrophe.” The project will explore how scientific instruments mediate people’s experience of living with and through slow-onset hazards.

As a postdoctoral researcher on this research project, you would have the opportunity to shape the project design and theoretical approach through preliminary research at various field sites exposed to creeping hazard onsets. In particular, the postdoctoral researcher will assist in formalising the analytical directions of the project, grounded in an instrumental realist perspective, modes of representation, and ways of working with multimodal methods in the context of a diverse set of disasters that project partner communities face. A postdoctoral position is intended to enable the development of a research profile and competence that qualifies for applying to associate professor positions.

You must submit a research plan of max. 3 pages including a description of alignment with the project objectives.

Contact

For further information about the position, please contact associate professor Reidar Staupe: 

Qualifications

This position requires a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) or an equivalent foreign doctoral degree in political science, sociology, anthropology, development studies, societal security or related fields.

Fluency in English is required. Nordic applicants can document their capabilities by attaching their high school diploma.

Familiarity with humanities, journalism, photography, or artistic work would be advantageous for the candidate. Familiarity with diverse modes of representing and visualising, including art, as well as disseminating, communicating, and/or exhibiting scientific knowledge is also an asset.

In the assessment the main emphasis will be attached to the submitted works and the research plan for the qualifying work. Emphasis shall also be attached to experience from dissemination and academic policy and administrative activity.

During the assessment emphasis will be put on the candidate’s motivation, potential for research, compatibility with the position, work experience, 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

At UiT we put emphasis on the quality, relevance and significance of the research work and not on where the work is published, in accordance with the principles of The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

Inclusion and diversity  

UiT The Arctic University i 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 is 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 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 
• The opportunity to build an international research network for current and future career development
• If you have to relocate to Tromsø then the Faculty of Science and Technology may reimburse your moving costs. Further details regarding this matter will be made available if you receive an offer from us.
• Norwegian language training at a basic level(A2)

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 for working and living in Norway can be found here: https://uit.no/staffmobility 

Application

Your application must include:

• Application letter
• CV
• Diplomas and transcripts (all degrees)
• A research plan of max. 3 pages including a description of alignment with the project objectives
• Documentation of English proficiency
• Contact information to 2-3 references
• List of scientific publications
• Academic works, up to ten. The doctoral thesis is regarded as one work.

All documentation to be considered must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If English proficiency is not documented in the application, it must be documented before starting in the position. Diplomas and transcripts must be translated if they are not in English and a Scandinavian language, and must also be submitted in the original language. We only accept applications and documentation sent via Jobbnorge within the application deadline.

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. A trial lecture may also be held.

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. 

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The remuneration for Postdoctoral research fellow is in accordance with the State salary scale code 1352. 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.

The successful candidate must be willing to get involved in the ongoing development of their department and the university as a whole.

According to the Norwegian Freedom and Information Act (Offentleglova) information about the applicant may be included in the public applicant list, also in cases where the applicant has requested non-disclosure.