Job description
Two PhD fellowship positions (SKO 1017) within the fields of Nordic literature, Ibsen studies, or rhetoric are available at the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies (ILN), University of Oslo. Research within these areas prioritizes the analysis of fiction, film, theater, and non-fiction. Researchers in these fields use various theoretical frameworks and methods to explore themes, rhetorical strategies, narrative structures, historical contexts, cultural significance, and the artistic value of literary texts as well as non-fiction.
At the Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies, there are relevant academic environments in Nordic literature, rhetoric and linguistic communication, and the Centre for Ibsen Studies – a center with broad expertise in literature, theater, and reception studies. The research spans a wide range of topics from book history, sociology of literature, literature dissemination, and reception studies to literature didactics, intermediality research, performance studies, cultural studies, ecocriticism, and postcolonial studies, as well as various forms of rhetorical criticism, including ethnographic studies and studies of political rhetoric.
Examples of relevant research areas include:
- Text analysis and criticism of both fiction and non-fiction
- Ibsen studies, particularly within theater studies
- Adaptation studies
- Digital humanities
- Rhetoric
- Historical and cultural contexts of fiction and non-fiction
- Genre studies
- Comparative studies
- Interdisciplinary approaches that combine literary studies, theater studies, and text studies with other fields (e.g., reception studies, cultural studies, and media studies)
Project description and the department
The application should describe a research project that is thematically relevant to research at the department within one or more of the research areas. The application should clearly demonstrate how the project can be linked to existing research expertise at the department.
For information about the research at the department and about the academic staff, please refer to the department’s website, the Centre for Ibsen Studies website, and the staff profiles.
The Department of Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies has access to infrastructure for experimental projects utilizing eye tracking, EEG, and conversation analysis. Projects planning to use such equipment or other personal data in research should account for this in the methodology section of the project description and provide a brief discussion of any ethical and data protection considerations.
The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.
The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.
Qualification requirements
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in in a field relevant to the project, or equivalent education. The Master’s degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline. The master’s degree must include a thesis worth at least 30 ECTS credits.
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, see Language requirements, and in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language if it is relevant for the completion of the project. Candidates who do not master Norwegian at the time of employment must complete Norwegian language training equivalent to 15 ECTS credits if a decision on employment in the position is made after 1st August 2025.
- Personal suitability and motivation for the position.
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.
Why should you choose us?
We offer:
- Salary NOK 532 200 – 575 400 per annum depending on qualifications
- A professionally stimulating working environment
- Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Attractive welfare benefits
Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO
Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives.
If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview.
We hope that you will apply for the position.
More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here.
Application
The application must include:
- Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
- Curriculum Vitae (with a list of education, positions, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, including a complete list of publications)
- Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
- Documentation of Language requirements (if applicable)
- Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)
Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.
Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.
The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.
Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.
General information
See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.
Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic information about the applicant may be used in the public list of applicants even if the applicant opts out from the entry in the public application list.
The University of Oslo has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.
The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recruit people with ethnic minority backgrounds.
