Postdoctoral Fellow

Tobias Bach; Oslo; On-site; NOK 610,000 - 690,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary NOK 610 000–690 000 per year

Personal research funds NOK 45,000 per year

Friendly workplace with work-life balance

Job summary

The University of Oslo is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow specializing in political data science or comparative politics. This full-time role, part of the AutoKnow project, offers a three-year term aimed at developing a research profile for an academic career.

Candidates will engage in significant research, focusing on how authoritarian regimes affect scientific knowledge and collaborate in a vibrant research environment offering career development support.

Qualifications

• Must hold a PhD degree equivalent qualification.
• Very good command of English required.
• Ability to conduct quantitative analyses.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and publish findings.
• Contribute to AutoKnow project workshops.
• Develop and follow a career development plan.

Skills

Empirical research knowledge within political science

Quantitative analysis skills

Experience with computational text analysis

Strong writing abilities

Knowledge in comparative studies of autocracy or democracy

Education

PhD in Political Science or related discipline

Tools

R or comparable programs

Job description

About the position

The Department of Political Science is recruiting up to two Postdoctoral Fellows (SKO 1352) with specialization in political data science or comparative politics. We are looking for an excellent candidate with the potential of pursuing a long-term career in academia. The successful applicant will be part of the research project, “Authoritarian Threats to Scientific Knowledge” (AutoKnow), which is funded by the European Research Council. The appointment is a full-time position for a period of three years. Depending on the candidate’s competence and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended up to four years for other types of qualification work including various teaching tasks and obligations.

The primary aim of AutoKnow is to investigate how the production of scientific knowledge is affected by authoritarian regimes and politics. The project will look at how authoritarian rule affects the contents and research trajectories of scientific fields, and which fields are targeted for repression and co-optation by authoritarian rulers and movements. It will use computational text analysis to measure content-dimensions of published science and collect different data on attacks on academic freedom. It will study how authoritarian rule affects scientific progress, topic choice, political bias, idea novelty and other dimensions.

AutoKnow will answer questions such as:

• Which academic fields and institutions are repressed, and which are supported by authoritarian leaders?
• How does authoritarian rule shape the contents and political profile of academic work in different fields?
• What is the impact of authoritarian rule on scientific progress?

A postdoctoral position is intended to help the successful candidate develop a research profile and competencies that qualify them to apply for a permanent position in academia. To this end, the main focus of this position is to conduct research, including publication and dissemination. In addition, the fellow is expected to actively contribute to the broader research agenda and environment of the AUTOKNOW project, including project workshops. If the postdoctoral researcher does not already possess the teaching/pedagogical qualifications that meet the requirements for an associate professorship (incl. formal training), the department shall facilitate the acquisition of such qualifications during the employment period. Additionally, the position may provide other competencies relevant to the postdoctoral fellow’s future career.

To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are expected to submit a career development plan, specifying career goals and the competencies that the postdoctoral fellow should acquire, no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period. The department is responsible for ensuring that the plan is followed up and that the postdoctoral researcher has access to career guidance throughout the duration of the postdoctoral fellowship.

Qualification requirements

Formal qualifications

• Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in Political Science, or a closely related discipline before taking up the post.
• For applicants who have yet to receive their PhD degree, the Doctoral dissertation must have been submitted for evaluation, or completed and scheduled for submission and evaluation, before the application deadline.

Other qualifications

• Applicants must have a very good to excellent command of English (written and oral).
• Applicants are required to possess robust empirical research knowledge within political science and be proficient in conducting quantitative analyses.
• Experience with computational text analysis and large language models is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Knowledge in comparative studies of autocracy or democracy, authoritarian politics and repression is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Experience with using R or comparable programs for working with large language models and machine learning is an advantage but is not required.
• Experience with the design and implementation of survey‑experiments is an advantage but not a requirement.
• Alongside developing their own research ideas, applicants should be capable of turning those ideas into well‑structured and coherent scholarly papers. This involves possessing strong writing abilities and the capacity to see a writing project through from the planning stages to completion.

We offer

• Salary according to “SKO 1352 postdoktor”, NOK 610 000–690 000 per year.
• Personal research funds that can be used for e.g. travel and research assistance (currently NOK 45,000 per year).
• A stimulating and international research environment with multiple research groups and seminar series.
• Involvement in a large research project that provides opportunities to build a network with scholars researching political elites around the world, including an annual workshop on the topic.
• A friendly and inclusive workplace allowing for a good work‑life balance.
• Attractive UiO welfare benefits.
• Access to Norway’s excellent public services and welfare schemes, including generous parental leave.
• Provisions and affordable and accessible childcare (including the university’s kindergartens).
• Norway’s capital with its easy access to beautiful nature and rich cultural life.
• Financial and practical support for international staff moving to Norway (international staff may also benefit from tax cuts in their first years).
• Individual mentoring and annual career development conversation based on the submitted career plan.
• Various courses and workshops for supporting career development (e.g. on dissemination and presentation skills, op‑ed writing, research project management, stress‑management etc.).
• The university’s mentoring programme for female postdocs.

Formal regulations

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 see the regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of postdoctoral research fellow, research fellow, research assistant and resident – University of Oslo (uio.no) https://www.uio.no/english/about/regulations/personnel/academic/regulations-employment-conditions-postdoc.html

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.