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Postdoctoral Research Fellow position
At the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, there is a vacant position as a Postdoctoral Fellow in Climate and/or Environmental Law. The position is part of the project ImpactWind Sørvest, coordinated by NORCE and funded by the Research Council of Norway (RCN). Applicants are encouraged to submit a project application on aspects related to conflicts and opportunities associated with the expansion of offshore wind development. Norway and Norwegian law is a key focus area for the project.
The position is a fixed term contract. The term of employment for a Postdoctoral Fellow position is 3 years, or 4 years if the applicant is qualified to teach in compulsory courses at the Masters level at the Faculty of Law. The starting date is 1 January 2023 or later upon agreement. Residence in the Bergen area for the duration of the position is compulsory and non-negotiable.
About the project/work tasks:
The project ImpactWind Sørvest seeks to understand the implications of offshore wind licensing and offshore wind projects from a legal, social, and environmental perspective. One key feature of the project is the importance of both accelerating licensing process while securing adequate protection of stakeholder interests. This will optimize the time spent authorizing new renewable energy generation and minimize conflict with sea users, flora, fauna, and society in general. In this interdisciplinary and industry-cooperative project, incorporating new legal knowledge is of pivotal importance, both in terms of research but also in terms of research-based education. Because of this, the Faculty of Law at the University of Bergen plays a key role in the project. For further details about ImpactWind Sørvest, please visit: Home – ImpactWind (desti.no)
About the project group that the Postdoctoral Fellow will work with
The Postdoctoral Fellow will be included in an industry-backed project with a multi-disciplinary approach to offshore wind combining high-quality research in law with high-quality research in marine environment, technical solutions, wind resources and economics. The Fellow will be invited to regular meetings with industry and relevant public actors. She/he will work closely with the leader of task 3-7, associate professor at The Faculty of Law Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui, with legal aspects of the expansion of offshore wind development. The candidate will also participate in teaching and dissemination activities related to the faculty’s energy law portfolio and the educational component in ImpactWind Sørvest. Teaching will include participation in seminars, a summer school and workshops with industry professionals and offshore energy students.
The position is attached to the Faculty of Law where the Postdoctoral Fellow will have his/her main institutional affiliation and office space. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be included as a member of the Research group Natural Resource Law, Environmental Law and Development Law https://www.uib.no/en/rg/resource at the faculty.
About the postdoctoral position
Candidates applying for this Postdoctoral position are encouraged to submit a project application on aspects related to conflicts and opportunities associated with the expansion of offshore wind development. Norway and Norwegian law is a key focus area for the project. However, comparative analysis and experiences drawn from other jurisdictions are encouraged.
In particular, the applicant’s project is expected to take into consideration and include in his/her research project at least three of the following regulatory aspects. However, additional angles and issues related to offshore wind upscaling and legal problems associated with it in the North Sea/Norwegian waters are welcome.
- Issues of co-location and co-existence of offshore wind farms. This includes coordination/conflict between several adjacent wind farms (in a same country and cross-border), as well as multiuse of designated spaces for offshore wind energy production (fisheries, transport, mining, etc). Here, problems related to marine/maritime spatial planning, compensation mechanisms and collocation are of interest.
- How to optimize and shorten licensing procedures in Norwegian offshore wind law. This would involve the identification of loopholes, dead-ends, areas of legal optimization, comparative practices, etc.
- Repowering offshore wind farms as a regulatory problem and industrial possibility.
- Circularity and sustainability of offshore wind farms and their decommissioning.
ImpactWind Sørvest is a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative project that requires knowledge development across disciplines and beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be expected to work in close collaboration with the other research members of the project.
Required qualifications and essential personal qualities:
- Applicants must hold a Norwegian PhD or an equivalent degree abroad within law in legal sub-disciplines connected to the project. These could be energy law, law of the sea, administrative law (focused on licensing and/or areal management), environmental law etc. Experience in Norwegian law and/or in energy licensing is an asset but not formally required.
- Applicants must have submitted their doctoral thesis for assessment prior to the application deadline. It is a condition of employment that the PhD has been awarded.
- Applicants must be proficient in both written and oral English. Proficiency in Scandinavian languages is an asset.
- Applicants must be able to work independently and in a structured manner and to collaborate with others.
- Applicants will particularly be expected to show resourcefulness and enthusiasm and demonstrate the ability to collaborate with colleagues and work as part of a supportive team.
The applicant is expected to do the following during the period of employment:
- A minimum of 4 academic publication in well-reputed journals and/or as book chapters or eventually a monograph. Joint publications with other researchers in the project will be counted towards this goal and encouraged.
- Attend all research activities in the project and present the research project on international conferences.
- Collaborate closely with the other members of the project as part of a supportive team.
- Communicate results from the project actively on relevant arenas.
- Be an active member of the Research group Natural Resource Law, Environmental Law and Development Law and the Bergen Offshore Wind Centre.
We can offer:
- An excellent opportunity for exciting careier development in a professionally challenging interdisciplinary working environment.
- To be a part of an outstanding research environment in Energy and Environmental Law with an ocean focus at the Faculty of Law in Bergen. Participation in interdisciplinary research in the scientific frontline.
- Enrolment in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- A position in an inclusive workplace (IA enterprise) at a recognized law faculty in one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
- Generous welfare benefits
- Opportunities to get a mobility grant for research stays abroad during the period of employment.
- Salary at pay grade 72 (code 1352) according to the state salary scale upon appointment. This constitutes a gross annual salary of NOK 689 100 per year. For particularly highly qualified applicants, a higher salary may be considered.
Read more about what UiB can offer its employees at What can the University of Bergen Offer its Employees? | Division of Human Resources | UiB
Your application must include:
- A brief account of the applicant’s research interests and motivation for applying for the position and how this agenda fit with the aims of the overall ImpactWind Sørvest project. It is expected that the applicants read the project description for ImpactWind Sørvest that will be provided after request to Ingrid Birce Müftüoglu ingrid.muftuoglu@uib.no (the project description is in Norwegian).
- Project proposal for the planned research (3 – 7 pages). This proposal must include a plan for the dissemination of the research. The project proposal will be included as part of the contract.
- Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts of grades and official confirmation that the doctoral thesis has been submitted. Applicants whose education is from another country than Norway, need to also attach a certified translation of the diploma and transcript of grades to English or a Scandinavian language, if the original is not in any of these languages. They are also advised to attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.
- CV, including a complete list of scientific publications.
- Academic works that the applicant wishes to be considered by the valuation committee. If the submitted publications are co-authored, the division of work between the authors must be confirmed in the form of a co-author statement. The submitted publications must be in English or in a Scandinavian language unless otherwise specifically agreed upon. The doctoral thesis and its report by the evaluation committee must be included among these documents.
- The names and contact information for two reference persons. One of these must be the main supervisor of the PhD thesis.
- The application can be written in English or Norwegian.
The application and appendices with certified translations into English or a Scandinavian language must be sent electronically via the link «Apply for position» on this page.
General information:
Detailed information about the position can be obtained by contacting: Vice-Dean for research Ragna Aarli, email: Ragna.Aarli@uib.no tel. +47 55589552, or Senior Adviser Ingrid Birce Müftüoglu, email: Ingrid.Muftuoglu@uib.no tel. + 47 55589234.
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. We encourage women to apply. 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.
Further information about our employment process can be found here.
The successful applicant must comply with the guidelines that apply to the position at any time. Successful applicants may be called in for an interview.
About The University of Bergen (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.
Faculty of law – Read more about the faculty.