PhD Research Fellow in Sociology - Punishment as a Vehicle for Change?

There is a vacant position at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography for a PhD research fellow (SKO 1017).

The position is for a period of three years without compulsory work or four years with 25% compulsory work (primarily teaching).

The department is ranked as the premier academic research institute in sociology and human geography in Norway, conducting top international research while offering high quality education for students. The department is renowned both for the breadth of topics and methodologies employed and for its highly qualified researchers.

Applicants will be assessed on the quality of the project proposal, the quality of the master’s thesis and the applicant’s personal prerequisites to carry out the project. The hiring process will include an interview.

• Applicants must have a master's degree/second-level degree in sociology or equivalent. Applicants are expected to demonstrate through their application letter and project proposal how they will contribute to the research project. Applicants from other disciplinary backgrounds than sociology who wish to apply must demonstrate in their application letter that their educational background, master’s thesis and project proposal qualify them for research within the fields of advanced quantitative methods and/or the sociology of deviance.
• Applicants must have prior education that corresponds to 5 years at the university level in Norway, with two years (120 ECTS) at the master’s level. If the scope of education at the master’s level is less than two years, an individual assessment may be made.
• Applicants must have average grades of A or B in their master’s degree. 
• Applicants must have excellent written and oral proficiency in English. Applicants who have completed their education outside of the EU/EEA-area and who do not have English as a native language, must document language skills as documented by: TOEFL - with a minimum result of 550 on the Paper-based Test (PBT), or 80 on the Internet-Based Test (iBT) OR IELTS - International English Language Testing Service, with the result 6.0.
• The applicant must provide a tentative description (5-10 pages) of a PhD research project that she or he plans to carry out during the fellowship period. Applicants are expected to be able to complete the project during the appointment period. As causal identification is integral to the project’s research agenda, the proposal must include relevant discussions of challenges to, and opportunities for, disentangling selection and causal effects for the proposed research questions. The proposal must include a paragraph declaring if and how AI was used in the development of the proposal.
• Applicants should have experience within regression analysis and/or the sociology of deviance. Experience with quasi-experimental techniques and/or large datasets is an advantage, but a demonstrated understanding of, and motivation to learn more about, such techniques may compensate for a lack of experience. 

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

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.

Please see the guidelines and regulations for appointments to 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.

The appointment may be shortened/given a more limited scope within the framework of the applicable guidelines on account of any previous employment in academic positions.

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.

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 a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. We also want to have employees with diverse expertise, combinations of subjects, life experience and perspectives. We will make adjustments for employees who require this.

If there are qualified applicants with special needs, gaps in their CVs or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant in each of these groups to an interview.

Please refer to our Q&A web page before making personal enquiries. Requests to review proposals or supporting documents prior to the closing deadline will not be accommodated. 

• Principal Investigator, Synøve N. Andersen. All questions regarding the content of the project and the project proposal should be directed to her.
• Administrative Head of Department, Inger-Lise Schwab