Postdoctoral Researcher in Anthropology

Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO); Norway; On-site; NOK 770,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institute in Norway is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher for a 2-year position in anthropology, focusing on the ERC Starting Grant project ‘Rituals in combatant-to-civilian transformation’. The role involves conducting field research in Colombia, collaborating on cross-method integration, and contributing to theory building. Candidates should have a PhD in anthropology, expertise in ethnographic methods, and excellent skills in qualitative analysis. The position offers competitive salary and is based in Oslo.

Benefits

Subsidized canteen

Weekly running group

Social events

Qualifications

• PhD dissertation must be submitted before the application deadline.
• Proven expertise with ethnographic methods and field research.
• Excellent skills in qualitative analysis.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct life-history interviews with ex-combatants in Colombia.
• Collaborate with other researchers to ensure cross-method integration.
• Write journal articles and present at international conferences.

Skills

Ethnographic methods

Qualitative analysis

Spanish language skills

English language skills

Fieldwork experience

Cross-cultural comparative analysis

Education

PhD in anthropology (cultural, social, or evolutionary)

Tools

NVivo

Atlas.ti

Job description

Organisation/Company Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) Research Field Anthropology » Cultural anthropology Anthropology » Social anthropology Anthropology » Other Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions Postdoc Positions Country Norway Application Deadline 26 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Oslo) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 37.5 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - ERC Reference Number 02-2025 Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) invites applications for a 2-year, full-time Postdoctoral Researcher in evolutionary, cultural or social anthropology, or a closely related field, for the ERC Starting Grant project “Rituals in combatant-to-civilian transformation” (Com2Civ), led by principal investigator (PI) Júlia Palik.

The position provides an opportunity to work at a leading international research institute, located in Norway’s capital city, Oslo, as part of a novel interdisciplinary project on the role of rituals in ex-combatants’ reintegration. The position will involve fieldwork in Colombia.

Com2Civ investigates how rituals shape the social reintegration of ex-combatants, positively and negatively, after war. Com2Civ is a multidisciplinary project, drawing on insights from political science, social psychology, anthropology, and gender studies. The project develops new theory on ritual-driven socialization into combatant and civilian identities and generates novel evidence through life-history interviews, surveys, and social cartography with ex-combatants from FARC-EP (Colombia) and MILF (Philippines). Com2Civ will strive to reveal the social-psychological mechanisms involved in combatant-to-civilian transformation processes, contributing to scientific efforts aimed at understanding the individual level mechanisms of reintegration. Com2Civ results will appear in major multidisciplinary journals, advancing the field in at least four disciplines.

The core team includes the PI (Júlia Palik; whose expertise is in ex-combatant reintegration and gender studies), a Postdoctoral researcher (in social psychology who will be responsible for survey work in Colombia and the Philippines), and the Postdoctoral position currently announced, in anthropology, whose work will focus on Colombia, and research assistants.

The work of the Postdoctoral researcher in anthropology will focus on Work Packages 2 and 4 (WP2 and 4) including life-history interviews, ethnographic observation, and social cartography with ex-combatants in Colombia, while contributing to cross-project integration and theory development.

Key responsibilities

• Design, conduct, and analyse life-history interviews with ex-combatants in Colombia, ensuring trauma-informed, ethical practices.
• Carry out social cartography workshops with former combatants and community members to map ritual practices and social networks.
• Collaborate closely with the PI and the Postdoctoral researcher in social psychology to ensure cross-method integration (e.g., linking qualitative insights to survey design and survey results to social cartography design).
• Engage in ethnographic fieldwork with ex-combatants, including observation of community rituals and reintegration events.
• Write journal articles in collaboration with the PI and the other members of the team.
• Contribute to theory building and cross-method integration.
• Shape a novel, interdisciplinary research agenda at the intersection of anthropology, political science, social psychology, and gender studies.
• Conduct ethnographic fieldwork in Colombia, with strong institutional and fieldwork support.
• Collaborate with local researchers, NGOs, and reintegration stakeholders in Colombia.
• Work within a leading international research institute (PRIO, Oslo) with strong survey/fieldwork support networks and ethics/data management expertise.
• Present at international conferences and engage policy audiences (e.g., UN DDR communities). Dedicated travel and dissemination resources are budgeted.
• The PI of Com2Civ is part of several leading psychology and anthropology labs and research groups in Norway, Europe, and the US. These contacts provide networking and collaboration opportunities for the successful candidate within the broader research environment focused on rituals and intra/inter-group relations.
• Com2Civ will support time to complete ongoing research and initiate new research agendas.
• PhD in anthropology (cultural, social, or evolutionary) or a closely related field. The PhD dissertation must have been submitted before the application deadline, and the degree must have been awarded before the starting date.
• Proven expertise with ethnographic methods (e.g., participant observation, interviews, visual methods).
• Fieldwork experience, preferably in Latin America, and ability to conduct field research in Colombia.
• Excellent skills in qualitative analysis and experience with software such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, or similar.
• Excellent written and spoken Spanish and English.
• Research background in ritual, identity, conflict, or reintegration processes.
• Experience with experimental and behavioural methods.
• Cross-cultural comparative analysis using both field data and existing datasets.
• Familiarity with trauma-informed, ethical research with vulnerable populations,
• Familiarity with DDR processes, veterans’ reintegration, or related fields.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Languages SPANISH Level Excellent

Research Field Anthropology » Cultural anthropologyAnthropology » Social anthropologyAnthropology » Other

Additional Information

Contract: 2 years, full-time. The position is research-only.

Location: The institute is located in a spacious and attractive premises in central Oslo, Norway (on-site presence required), with field travel to Colombia.

Postdoctoral researchers at PRIO are formally placed under the staff category of Senior Researcher. The starting salary for a Senior Researcher at PRIO is NOK 769,893 (before taxes). Employees are offered membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

Additional employee benefits include a subsidized canteen, a weekly running group, and various social events. Moreover, PRIO provides an excellent work environment. For more information about PRIO’s research, see https://www.prio.org/

Selection process

Application procedure

Before applying, candidates should read the Com2Civ project proposal, focusing particularly on Work Packages 2 and 4 (WP2 and 4). To access the project proposal, please email the PI, Julia Palik at: [e-mail] .

Submit the following documents in English and in PDF format, accessing PRIO’s website by 26 January 2026:

• Application letter (1–2 pages) addressing how you meet each required and desired qualification; describe relevant fieldwork experience and your motivation to apply for this position. If you do not meet any required criterion, please state so.
• Short statement (1–2 pages) outlining how your expertise will contribute to Com2Civ’s WP2 and WP4 and how you would address feasibility/ethics in Colombian fieldwork.
• One–two publications you consider your best work (single/first-authored preferred; working papers welcome). Please briefly (max. two paragraphs) explain why you consider each to be your best work. The documents must the combined into a single PDF file.
• CV in English, including a list of publications.
• Scans of transcripts/certificates (single PDF).

Com2Civ allows a degree of flexibility in integrating the applicant’s own ideas, provided they align with the project’s aims and ethical commitments. Therefore, the applicants are welcome, but are not required, to suggest (in Attachment 6) research ideas that could be integrated into WP2 and WP4.

Assessment procedure

The interviews with selected candidates will take place in the first half of February 2026.

In the online form, candidates will be requested to provide the full name and contact details of three references. References will only be contacted after the interview stage.

The expected starting date for the position is 1 March 2026, or unless otherwise mutually agreed.

Additional comments

Contact

Questions about the project, as well as requests for the Com2Civ project description, should be sent to the PI, Senior Researcher Júlia Palik, [e-mail]

For information about the recruitment process or the submission of your application, please contact Catarina Barbieri ( [e-mail] ), tel. [phone]

PRIO is an equal-opportunity employer and values staff diversity. For more information on our HR and recruitment approach, please consult our recruitment principles and careers page .