We have a vacancy for a postdoctoral fellow in political science for a period of two years, three years if teaching obligations is included for the position. The position is connected to the Department’s research on peace and conflict, and is designed to strengthen the research group in the area of understanding the onset, dynamics, and outcomes of violent and/or nonviolent forms of conflict.


The postdoctoral fellowship position is a temporary position where the main goal is to qualify for work in senior academic positions.

The postdoctoral fellow will join the Instability and Armed Conflict research group and is expected to contribute to the research profile and intellectual environment of the group by producing research work in the area of peace and conflict studies and participating in workshops and group seminars associated with the group. Candidates with a background in empirical peace and conflict research will be looked upon favorably. In addition, applicants with research profiles that connect broadly with the themes of ongoing projects within the research group, such as the ERC-funded “LEGACIES” project or the ARC project (arc-project.net) will be looked upon favorably.


Your immediate leader is Head of Department.

Duties of the position

  • Produce and publish high-quality research in the area of peace and conflict research.
  • Participate in activities associated with the research group (e.g research seminars and workshops).
  • Contribute to administration and teaching activities where required.

Required selection criteria

  • A Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree recognized as equivalent to a Norwegian PhD in a relevant field (political science, international relations, sociology, peace or conflict studies).
  • Demonstrated knowledge of and background in empirical, inferential, research methods.
  • A research background and plan fitting within the core interests of the research group.
  • Fluent communications skills in English, both written and oral.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate.

Preferred selection criteria

  • A strong publication record within peace and conflict research.
  • Documented experience working with comparative empirical methods for causal inference (I.e statistical methods, QCA, comparative case studies, process tracing methods).

Personal characteristics

  • Independence and initiative.
  • Cooperative skills.
  • Willingness to contribute to a good work environment.

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 553 500 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The period of employment is two years, with the option for 3 years with teaching obligations. 

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.  

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application 

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.  

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result. 

The application must include: 

  • CV, certificates, and diplomas.
  • A comprehensive overview of all academic work.
  • Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor’s-, master’s- and PhD degrees.
  • Academic works – published or unpublished – that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 5 items).
  • A short research plan of max. 3 pages, including a progress plan for the period of the postdoc.
  • Name and email address of three referees.

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well. 
 
Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment – DORA. 

General information 

Working at NTNU 

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.  

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted. 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Charles Butcher, email: charles.butcher@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Senior Executive Officer HR Renate Lillian Johansen, email: renate.johansen@ntnu.no.

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation. 

Please refer to the application number SU-767 when applying.

Application deadline: 31.08.2022

NTNU

NTNU – knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Sociology and Political Science

We conduct research, teaching and dissemination in sociology, political science, media, communication and information technology, and sport sciences. The Department offers five-year master’s programmes in teacher education (lektorutdanning) in social sciences as well as in physical education and sports. As a social science department we have a special obligation to contribute to the public debate on important social issues. The Department of Sociology and Political Science is one of seven departments in the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences.

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