PhD Research Fellow in Special Needs Education

Monica Melby-Lervåg; Oslo; On-site; NOK 551,000 - 594,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Welfare benefits

Generous pension

Job summary

The University of Oslo invites applications for a three to four-year full-time PhD Research Fellow position in Special Needs Education and Inclusive Practice at the Centre for Research on Special Needs Education and Inclusive Practice (SpedAims). The successful candidate will work at the Department of Special Needs Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, at the University of Oslo.

The fellowship aims to develop and validate assessment tools for math difficulties, collect and analyze data,

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Special needs education, Education, Psychology, Assessment and measurement or other relevant fields
• A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS) or equivalent, including a thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with a minimum grade B
• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade C (ECTS)
• For 5-year studies, the average grade must be C or better for the first three years, and B or better for the last two years (ECTS). The Master thesis must have been graded with a minimum grade B
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) is a requirement

Responsibilities

• Develop and validate assessment tools for math difficulties within a response to intervention framework
• Collect and analyze data and contribute to the design of new studies
• Contribute to the development of instruments and to the analysis for research and practice

Job description

Applicants are invited for a three to four-year full-time position as PhD Research Fellow in SpecialNeeds Education and Inclusive Practice at the Centre for Research on Special Needs Education and Inclusive Practice (SpedAims). The successful candidate will have their workplace at Department ofSpecial Needs Education , Faculty of Educational Sciences, at the University of Oslo.

SpedAims is a collaboration between five Norwegian institutions and is led by the Department ofSpecial Needs Education, University of Oslo. The PhD position is connected to work package ABC123, a work package focusing on math and reading difficulties. The main focus of the current position ison math skills and difficulties, but also the relationship between math, language and reading. Animportant next step in the ABC123 work package is to further develop and validate instruments forassessing math difficulties within a response to intervention framework. These tools are intended tosupport both research and practice by providing valid, reliable, and practically useful ways to identifychildren's needs and evaluate the effects of special education efforts. The candidate will play animportant role in this. Also, pending on the candidate’s background and interest, it can also berelevant to focus on interventions and skill development both through collecting new data sets andusing existing data.

The successful candidate will contribute to this work by developing and validating the assessmenttools, collecting and analyzing data, contributing to the design of new studies.

Residence in Norway is expected during the fellowship period. PhD fellows are also encouraged tospend time abroad, for instance for research stays or conferences.

More information about the research center can be found on the center's website .

More about the position

The fellowship period is 3 years. A fourth year as a PhD Research Fellow may become relevant, and itwill involve 25 percent of other career-promoting work. Other career-promoting work may consist ofteaching, supervision, and/or research assistance. This will depend on the candidate's qualificationsand the needs of the institute.

The research fellow must take part in the faculty’s approved PhD program and is expected tocomplete the project within the set fellowship period. The main purpose of the fellowship isresearch training leading to the successful completion of a PhD degree.

For more information, please see our web site .

Qualification requirements

Applicants must satisfy the requirements for admission to the faculty´s PhD programme. This normally includes:

• Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or equivalent in Special needs education, Education, Psychology, Assessment and measurement or other relevant fields
• A Master’s degree (120 ECTS) with a minimum grade B (ECTS grading scale) or equivalent. The master’s degree must include a thesis of at least 30 ECTS, with a minimum grade B
• A bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade C (ECTS grading scale)
• For 5-year studies, the average grade must be C or better for the first three years, and B or better for the last two years (ECTS grading scale). The Master thesis must have been graded with a minimum grade B
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English and Norwegian (or another Scandinavian language) is a requirement

In the assessment of applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• Familiarity with quantitative methodology and mathematical cognition/development

Personal skills

We are looking for a motivated and engaged PhD fellow with strong potential for high-quality research. Personal suitability will be emphasized and assessed based on the following qualities:

• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research team
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to give and receive constructive scientific feedback
• Structured, reliable, and results-oriented working style
• Good communication and collaboration skills

We need different perspectives in our work

UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no .

We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one?

We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures.

If you have an immigrant background, a disability, or CV gaps (Norwegian), we encourage you to indicate this in the job application portal. We always invite at least one qualified candidate from each group for an interview. In this context, disability is defined as an applicant who identifies as having a disability that requires workplace or employment-related accommodations. For more details about the requirements, please refer to the Employer portal (Norwegian).

The selections made in the job application portal are used for anonymized statistics that all state employers include in their annual reports. More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here .

We hope you will apply for the position with us.

We offer

• Exciting and meaningful research tasks as part of an ambitious project on mathematicallearning difficulties
• The opportunity to research children's mathematical development, contributing to knowledgewith real-world impact for schools and educational practice
• A friendly, interdisciplinary, and international research environment with dedicated colleaguesat the Department of Special Needs Education
• Enrolment in the faculty's structured PhD programme, with close supervision and supportthroughout the fellowship period
• A workplace with good development and career opportunities
• Salary NOK 550 800 – NOK 594 000 per annum depending on qualifications in a positionas PhD Research fellow (position code 1017). From the salary, 2 percent is deducted instatutory contributions to the State Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement , in addition to Oslo’sfamily-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

Formal regulations

Please see the guidelinesand regulations for appointments to Research Fellowships , Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo .

No one can be appointed for more than one PhD Research Fellowship period at the University of Oslo.

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.

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.

The University of Oslo has an agreement for all employees, aiming to secure rights to research results etc.