PhD Fellow in Innovation Studies (Organising Impact)

Job description

A PhD fellowship is available at TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture  at the University of Oslo as part of the Organising Impact (ORGIMP) project. The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway and the PhD position is a central part of ORGIMP. The ideal candidate is situated in the field of science and/or innovation studies with an emphasis on empirical studies of science and/or organizations, and qualified to do both qualitative and quantitative analyses.

The position is for three years, with a possibility of extension for teaching activities accordingly up until a maximum of 4 years.

About Organising Impact

Health research plays a crucial role in improving quality of life and medical treatments, but the way research projects are organised and managed can significantly influence their impact. Organising Impact (ORGIMP) is a project investigating how health research funding organisations can follow up their projects to influence later innovations and other societal benefits. ORGIMP collaborate with three partners who are central actors in Norwegian health research: The Norwegian Cancer Society, Dam Foundation and South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority are partners of ORGIMP.  

In collaboration with the partners, the project seeks to explore their portfolios to better understand the process that may later lead to societal benefits. We will analyse data from annual reports, project descriptions, and interviews to explore how different approaches to funding, collaboration, and project management affect research outcomes. The project also follows selected research initiatives over a three-year period to understand how research processes evolve over time.

The goal of Organising Impact is to provide practical recommendations for research funders and policymakers on how to better support research that not only produces academic results but leads to tangible improvements in healthcare and society. We also seek to gain new fundamental insights into the process of doing externally funded medical research – what we may call "impact in the making".

Organising Impact has four work packages, and the PhD work is an important part in three of them. The project is led by Professor Magnus Gulbrandsen who is also responsible for two of the work packages. Associate Professor Silje Maria Tellmann is co-leader and responsible for the other two work packages. For more information about the project, contact any of them.

ORGIMP follows up key perspectives and findings from the OSIRIS Centre, which has an extensive web site with publications, blogs and other information.

Qualification requirements and assessment criteria

• Applicants must hold a two-year Master’s degree (or equivalent qualifications) and meet the formal requirements for admittance to the Faculty of Social Sciences’ PhD programme within relevant disciplines in the social sciences or  the humanities. 
• The master’s degree must be of high quality (grade A or B) and within a specialisation of relevance to the project, whose interdisciplinary approach makes a variety of academic backgrounds potentially interesting. If the candidate can document experience with empirical studies of science, innovation or other related phenomena, this is an advantage.
• Applicants must have fluent oral and written communication skills in English, and knowledge of a Scandinavian language. The latter is because the project data will be largely Norwegian materials linked to the three national funding organisations that are partners in the project.
• The successful candidate is expected to take active part in project-activities and in seminars and workshops at TIK. Residency in or close to Oslo is therefore a requirement.

Applicants will be assessed on the quality and relevance of the project proposal, their academic grades and their academic experience and personal skills of relevance for carrying out the project. Academic and personal potential of the applicant for fulfilling the project within the given timeframe as well as the applicant’s skills tied to communication, curiosity and cooperation will also be taken into consideration. The hiring process will include an interview with the most qualified candidates.

We offer 

• Salary NOK 537000 - 580000 per year, depending on qualifications.
• An academically stimulating working environment.
• The possibility of undertaking an international mobility stay.
• Attractive welfare benefits including excellent benefits for families (kindergarten, paid paternal/maternal leave etc) and a generous pension agreement.
• In addition, Oslo offers a family-friendly environment with rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities in its immediate surroundings.

How to apply

The application must include:

• Letter of application describing motivation and experience of relevance to the research project (maximum two pages).
• Project proposal (in English, maximum 5 pages including references) describing how the applicant intends to develop a PhD project within the frame described in the call and the project description (available on request). All applicants should carefully read the Faculty guidelines.
• CV
• A copy of the master thesis and, if applicable, a list of other scientific publications.
• 2-3 personal references including contact information and relation to the applicant
• Copy of education diploma (including explanation of degree system for education outside Scandinavia)

Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position". Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their university's grading system. Please note that all documents must be in English (or a Scandinavian language in the case of transcripts; the application materials should be in English).

The final hiring decision is the responsibility of the TIK Centre board and will be based on an evaluation of the overall qualifications of the shortlisted candidates as well as the project’s needs.

Contact persons

• Professor Magnus Gulbrandsen
• Associate Professor Silje Tellmann
• Head of Administration Inger Johanne Ullern
• TIK Centre Director Kristin Asdal

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want 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.

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.

General information

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 (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo.

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

University of Oslo

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 26 500 students and 7 200 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

TIK Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture is a cross disciplinary unit at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Oslo. TIK is home to 40 staff members working in research, education and research communication in innovation and science and technology studies (STS). A major part of TIK’s activity is externally funded research. TIK also offers postgraduate education; a PhD-programme and two Master programmes. The Centre also hosts OSIRIS - Oslo Institute for Research on the Impact of Science.