Postdoctoral Position in Oslo with PEriTiA

Job description

There is a vacant position at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography for a Postdoctoral Fellow (SKO 1352) in Sociology or related fields. The position is for a period of 2 years.

The position is in the research project ‘Policy, Expertise and Trust in Action (PEriTiA)’  funded by the EU Research and Innovation programme Horizon 2020. PEriTiA will carry out research to understand the factors and conditions that contribute to the enhancement or breakdown of trust in experts in the context of knowledge-based governance in democratic societies and from a multidisciplinary perspective. The core aim is to contribute to the improvements of measures of trust as a basis for sustainable and legitimate governance. Central to this aim is to reach a better understanding of both the empirical and normative conditions of trust in, and trustworthiness of, the type of expert opinion that has a crucial role in policy decisions.
Specifically, the Postdoctoral Fellow will work under and contribute to Work Package (WP) 3 ‘Trust and the Conditions for Successful Advice Mechanisms’. The overall objective of this work package is to provide knowledge to understand better the conditions for creating successful and hence trustworthy expert advice mechanisms. Special attention will be given to the Nordic systems of policy advice commissions. The WP will identify central features of and changes in these systems, based on previous research and new and more targeted investigations, and clarify how these characteristics and developments contribute to or are at odds with trust-making.

The Fellow will work closely with WP3 leader Professor Cathrine Holst and other members of the project staff in Oslo and at other partner institutions.

Residence in Norway is preferred.

Qualification requirements and personal skills

Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree in Sociology or related fields with relevance for the job, such as Philosophy, Public Administration/Public Policy, or Science and Technology Studies. The doctoral dissertation must be submitted for evaluation by the closing application date. Appointment is dependent on the public defense of the doctoral thesis being approved.
Applicants must have the capacity for independent academic research at a high level, preferably documented through publications in international peer-reviewed journals or in books by international academic publishers.

Applicants must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English.

We offer

  • Salary NOK 523.200-605.500 per annum depending on qualifications
  • A professionally stimulating working environment
  • 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