PhD Fellow in Indigenous Research from an International or Comparative Perspective

About the position

At the Center for Sami Studies (SESAM), Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education (HSL), there is a vacant position for a PhD Fellow.

A PhD Fellow is an educational position with the goal of completing research training up to a doctorate. Admission to the doctoral program is a prerequisite for employment, and the study period begins upon commencement of the position. The fellow participates in the faculty's research training, and the doctoral project is carried out during the employment period. Information about the application process for admission to the PhD program, application form, and PhD regulations can be found here.

The position is for a period of 3 years and PhD studies are full-time, with the possibility of an extension through a completion grant. If the doctoral thesis is submitted within the standard study period of 3 years or within 3.5 years, the fellow qualifies for a completion grant of 12 or 6 months, respectively. The completion grant shall be used for qualification-promoting measures, including university pedagogy courses, teaching, and other tasks at the faculty. More about the completion grant scheme can be found here.

The place of work is UiT in Tromsø. You must be able to start the position within a reasonable time after receiving an offer.

About the project / The position's research area

Since the doctoral project will be jointly supervised by researchers at the Center for Sami Studies, the project outline will be developed in collaboration with the academic environment. We will prioritize a project in line with the strategic research interests of the center:

• An international comparison of guidelines and institutions established to handle material from truth- (and reconciliation-) commissions. This may include guidelines related to ownership and control of collected testimonies and/or commission work; to access to this material for researchers, interviewees, or their family members; to time limits for public release of material; or to further dissemination of the collected information after the first report is published.
• Indigenous international diplomacy.
• Indigenous education or research from a historical perspective (especially comparative and/or international).
• An international comparison related to the implementation of measures for reconciliation with indigenous peoples. This may include implementation in the public or private sector.

The project can open up to several methodological approaches, depending on the candidate's competence and field of interest. Thus, the empirical basis for the project could be developed through text studies, various forms of fieldwork, archival research, media studies, websites and/or social media, and/or narrative approaches of various kinds.

The daily place of work will be at SESAM, UiT campus Tromsø. SESAM works to strengthen Sami and indigenous-related research and dissemination, as well as to offer and strengthen studies concerning Sami language, society, and culture, and indigenous situations and rights. The center's activities shall contribute to strengthening Sami languages in academic contexts, as well as developing cooperation with Sami educational and research institutions. SESAM shall further assist the management of the university and the faculty regarding Sami and indigenous-related issues.

Contact

More information about the position can be obtained from Associate Professor Jonathan Crossen:

• e-mail: jonathan.crossen@uit.no

or Head of Department Torjer A. Olsen:

• e-mail: torjer.olsen@uit.no

or Professor Else Grete Broderstad:

• e-mail: else.g.broderstad@uit.no

Qualifications

Necessary qualifications:

• Background in humanities and/or social sciences and motivated to work with the project.
• Higher education qualifying for admission to a PhD program.
• Documented good knowledge of English, and able to work in an international environment. Nordic applicants can document this with transcripts from upper secondary school.

Advantageous qualifications:

• Competence in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language, and other languages (including indigenous languages) relevant to the project's theme.

In the assessment, emphasis will be placed on the applicant's potential to complete research training based on the master's thesis or equivalent, and any other scientific works. The project outline will also be taken into account. In addition, other experience of significance for the completion of the doctoral studies may be considered.

In the evaluation, we will also emphasize personal suitability and motivation for the position. We are looking for candidates who, among other things, have:

• Good collaborative skills
• Abilities for good communication and interaction with colleagues and students
• Abilities and desire to contribute to a good working environment

As many as possible should be given the opportunity to undergo research training. If you have already obtained a doctorate or have equivalent competence, you are not eligible for employment in this position.

Admission to the PhD program

For employment as a PhD Fellow, it is a prerequisite that you are admitted to the PhD program at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education and that you participate in organized doctoral studies during the employment period.

Admission normally requires that the applicant has:

• A Bachelor's degree of 180 ECTS and a Master's degree of 120 ECTS, or an integrated Master's degree of 300 ECTS.
• A Master's thesis with a scope equivalent to 30 ECTS or more if the applicant has a Master's degree of 120 ECTS.
• A Master's thesis with a scope equivalent to 20 ECTS or more if the applicant has an integrated Master's degree of 300 ECTS.

To be admitted, a grade point average equivalent to a B or better in the Master's degree is required. The grade point average also applies to integrated 5-year Master's degree programs where all subjects are included in the calculation. A more detailed description of admission requirements can be found here.

If you meet the admission requirements and are employed in the position, you will simultaneously receive provisional admission to the PhD program. The application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after commencing the position.

For applicants with an international educational background, it will be assessed whether the education is equated with Norwegian higher education at the Master's level. The assessment follows national approval practice; see Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Applicants with education from certain countries must have more higher education to meet the admission requirements, for example, a 4-year Bachelor's and a 2-year Master's. UiT normally approves foreign higher education from countries that have ratified the Lisbon Convention.

Inclusive working life and diversity

UiT The Arctic University of Norway has a personnel policy goal to be an employer that reflects the diversity of society and utilizes the potential in the population's collective competence. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and want employees with different competencies, combinations of subjects, life experiences, and perspectives.

If you have a disability, gaps in your CV, or an immigrant background, we encourage you as an applicant to check these boxes in the job application portal. If there are qualified applicants, we call in at least one from each group for an interview, and if you get the job, we will make arrangements for you if you need them. Beyond selecting the right candidates, we do not use the checkboxes for anything other than anonymized statistics. Read more in the Employer Portal: arbeidsgiver.difi.no/positivsaerbehandling

We offer

• You will become part of an exciting research project
• Good career opportunities
• A good working environment with dedicated colleagues
• Good welfare schemes
• Good pension, insurance, and loan schemes in Statens pensjonskasse
• PhD Fellows normally receive 550,800 NOK in annual salary with a 3% increase per year
• Opportunity to apply for a grant for a longer research stay abroad

The application

Please note that the application will only be assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you attach all necessary documents showing your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter describing your research interests and motivation for the position
• CV
• Official transcripts for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the original language
• Official grade reports for Bachelor's and Master's degrees in the original language
• Official translation of transcripts and grade reports into English or a Scandinavian language, if applicable
• An explanation of the grading system for foreign education (Diploma Supplement if available)
• Documentation of English language proficiency
• 2-3 references with contact information
• The Master's thesis, and any other scientific works
• Project outline (max 2000 words)

Documented completion of a Master's degree is a condition for commencing the position. You can still apply if you are close to submitting or have recently submitted your Master's thesis. You must attach a draft of the thesis and a statement from your supervisor or the institution regarding when the thesis is expected to be completed. You must submit grade reports for the degree, even if it is not completed.

Applicants must submit a project outline with the academic basis for the doctoral project. The project outline must not exceed 2000 words, including literature references. It must contain a description of the topic, research questions, and a justification for the choices made. It should also describe which methods will be used. The final project description will be developed in collaboration with the supervisor. It is important that the applicant has an appropriate background and is motivated to work on the project. A template for the project outline can be found here (Bokmål) / here (Nynorsk).

All documentation to be assessed must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If documentation of English language proficiency is missing at the time of application, it must be documented before commencement.

Assessment

Applicants will be assessed by an expert committee. The committee's mandate is to conduct an assessment of the applicants' qualifications based on the application documents and the announcement text. All applicants will receive a copy of the committee's assessment.

Applicants deemed to be best qualified will be called for an interview. The interview will, among other things, clarify personal suitability and motivation for the position.

General information

Employment is carried out in accordance with the rules and terms that apply to state employees at any given time, and guidelines at UiT. On our websites, you will find more information for applicants to positions at UiT.

The position of PhD Fellow is remunerated according to the state regulations code 1017. A 2% contribution will be deducted from the salary for Statens pensjonskasse. You will become a member of Statens pensjonskasse, which provides many benefits in addition to lifelong old-age pension and AFP: you may be entitled to financial support if you become ill or disabled, your family may be entitled to financial support when you die, you are insured against occupational injury or occupational disease, and you receive good terms on home loans. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

A shorter employment period may be granted if the fellow has already completed parts of their research training program, or when the employment is based on previous employment in an educational position, so that the total time for research training becomes three years.

Personal data provided is processed in accordance with the Act on the Processing of Personal Data. Applicants may request not to be listed on the public applicant list, but the university may nonetheless decide that the applicant's name shall be made public. The applicant will then be notified prior to publication.

About the employer:

UiT The Arctic University of Norway is an internationally leading comprehensive university. Our vision is to be a driving force in the North. The North Sami concept *eallju*, which means industriousness, sets the tone for the driving force at UiT. Together with students, employees, and society at large, we shall utilize our location in Northern Norway and Sápmi, our academic breadth, and our interdisciplinary advantages to shape the future.

UiT has approximately 18,000 students, more than 4,000 employees, and is established on four main campuses and seven other study locations in Northern Norway and on Svalbard. Our largest campuses are Tromsø, Alta, Narvik, and Harstad. UiT has seven faculties, 40 institutes and centers, and leading research environments within various disciplines. The university has 269 study programs and focuses on educational quality.

Academic freedom, scientific, and research ethics principles form the basis for all of UiT's activities. Participation, co-determination, openness, and good processes shall provide the decision-making basis we need to make wise and forward-looking priorities. Our students and employees shall have the opportunity to develop their abilities and potential. Founded on scientific integrity, we shall be brave, engaged, and generous - close to the subject, the people, and contemporary developments.

Read more about UiT's strategy towards 2030