There is a vacancy for a PhD position in political science at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory (from August 2022: Department of Government)”, linked to a HorizonEurope project on “The interchange between democratic institutions and the globalization of the economy” (the DEMOTRANS project). The position is for a fixed-term period of 4 years, of which 75% will be dedicated to research for a PhD project within the theme of the DEMOTRANS project and 25% (1 year) will be dedicated to teaching, and administrative tasks in the field of political science at the Department. Successful candidates work at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at the University of Bergen, but will also be a part of DEMOTRANS’ multidisciplinary consortium of six leading research groups from four European universities and a UK-based NGO with a strong track record.
About the project and work tasks:
The DEMOTRANS project explores the links between democratic institutions and the globalization of the economy. The project team at University of Bergen concentrates on two aspects of this project. The first aspect relates to role and importance of bureaucratic expertise in modern policy-making. Our ambition here is to understand when and how bureaucrats influence the development of public policies, and how this affects (the legitimacy of) local as well as global governance. The second aspect relates to the tensions arising from differences in temporal structures, norms and rhythms that characterize governance network members within and across various levels of governance. Our ambition here is to understand how the temporal aspects of network member interactions – such as time-horizons, scheduling, or (a)synchronous organizational life-cycles – affect the functioning, efficiency and effectiveness of policy-making in governance networks.
The project leader is professor Zuzana Murdoch.
Qualifications and personal qualities:
- Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a master’s degree in political science. Master students can apply provided they have submitted their master’s thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the master’s degree has been awarded before taking up the position. The degree must be awarded by 1 October 2022 at the latest.
- The requirements are a grade B or better both on the master’s thesis and for the overall master’s degree.
- As an applicant, you should be able to work independently, have considerable work capacity as well as an enthusiasm for research.
- Knowledge of Norwegian or other Scandinavian language(s) is not a prerequisite for the position, but will be considered an advantage.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to the department for an interview.
The teaching language is usually Norwegian, but some of teaching is given in English
About the position:
About the PhD position:
The duration of the PhD position is 4 years, of which 25 per cent of the time comprises obligatory duties associated with teaching, dissemination of results, supervision and administrative tasks. The employment period for the successful candidate may be reduced if he or she previously has been employed in a PhD position.
About the PhD training:
As a PhD research fellow, you will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences, UiB. The programme corresponds to a period of three years and leads to the PhD degree. To be eligible for admission you must normally have an educational background corresponding to a master’s degree with a scope of 120 ECTS credits, which builds on a bachelor’s degree with a scope of 180 ECTS credits (normally 2 + 3 years), or an integrated master’s degree with a scope of 300 ECTS credits (5 years). Master’s degrees must normally include an independent work of a minimum of 30 ECTS credits. It is expected that the topic of the master’s degree is connected to the academic field to which you are seeking admission.
We can offer:
- Salary at pay grade 54 upon appointment (Code 1017) on the government salary scale (equivalent to NOK 491 200 per year). Further promotions are made according to length of service in the position
- A good and professionally challenging working environment
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Good welfare benefits
Project proposal:
A project proposal of maximum 2500 words (excluding bibliography) must accompany the application. The proposal should be linked to the main focus of the DEMOTRANS project as presented above, and should present the topic, the research problem(s) and choice of theory and methods. The proposal should also include a progress plan for the different parts of the project.
The proposal will be considered in the evaluation of applications, but candidates selected for the positions are expected to revise their project proposal within 6 months. Admittance to the PhD programme will be based on the revised research proposal.
Your application must include:
- A cover letter including a brief account of your research interests and motivation for applying for the position
- The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of them must be the main advisor for the master’s thesis or equivalent thesis
- Project proposal of maximum 2500 words (approx. 6 pages), excluding bibliography
- CV
- Transcripts and diplomas showing completion of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
- Relevant certificates/references
- A list of academic publications (if any)
- Academic publications that you want to submit for assessment (including your master’s thesis or equivalent)
- If you have a master’s degree from an institution outside of the Nordic countries, or a 2-year discipline- based master’s degree (or the equivalent) in a subject area other than the one associated with the application, you may later in the application process be asked to submit an overview of the syllabus for the degree you have completed
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be uploaded at Jobbnorge following the link on this page marked “Apply for this job”.
Closing date: 15 August 2022. The application has to be marked: 22/7845.
Applications submitted without a project description or applications sent as e-mails will not be considered. Only submitted documents will be subjected to an expert assessment.
General information:
Additional information about the DEMOTRANS project is obtainable by contacting the project leader Zuzana Murdoch, Zuzana.Murdoch@uib.no
Practical questions regarding the application procedures should be directed to Senior Executive Officer HR – Hanne Cappelen, hanne.cappelen@uib.no
Appointed research fellows will be admitted to the PhD programme at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Questions about the programme may be directed to PhD-advisor: Hanne Gravermoen, hanne.gravermoen@uib.no
The state labour force shall reflect the diversity of Norwegian society to the greatest extent possible. . Age and gender balance among employees is therefore a goal. It is also a goal to recruit people with immigrant backgrounds. People with immigrant backgrounds and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply for the position.
The University of Bergen applies the principle of public access to information when recruiting staff for academic positions.
Information about applicants may be made public even if the applicant has asked not to be named on the list of persons who have applied. The applicant must be notified if the request to be omitted is not met.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at all times.
Life as a PhD candidate at UiB
Marion Claireaux tells about life and work as a PhD candidate at
About UiB
The University of Bergen is a renowned educational and research institution, organised into seven faculties and approximately 54 institutes and academic centres. Campus is located in the centre of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.
There are seven departments at Faculty of Social Sciences. Read more about the faculty and departments.