PhD Fellow in Narrative Data Visualization

UiB - Knowledge that shapes society

UiB aims to be among Europe's leading universities, internationally recognized for high quality in research and education. As a social institution, we shall contribute to sustainable and democratic development and be an attractive and inclusive place of study and work.

Video: https://youtu.be/M5n6RnScNgAPhD Fellow in narrative data visualization linked to the Center for Digital Narratives at the Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies

Are you a person who is passionate about narratives and how stories shape the way we see and understand data and information in the world around us?

We are seeking a motivated and academically strong candidate for a PhD fellowship in narrative data visualization at the Center for Digital Narratives, which is part of the Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies. Planned start is January 1, 2027, or by agreement. The position is for a fixed-term period of three years.

The position is linked to the Center for Digital Narratives (CDN), a Norwegian center for excellent research, and is closely connected to the Visualization Group (VisGroup) at the Department of Informatics. The appointee will divide their working time between the two research environments and will be encouraged to participate actively in both. Although the candidate will have some freedom to choose which data to use in the PhD project, we expect that connections will be developed to ongoing projects at CDN, especially the ERC Advanced Grant project AI STORIES, while fully utilizing the methodological and technical competence found in VisGroup.

About the Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies:

Institutt for lingvistiske, litterære og estetiske studium has approximately 80 academic employees, 17 administrative employees, around 40 PhD fellows and 13 postdocs. The department covers the fields of general literary studies, digital culture, classical studies, art history, Nordic literature, language and subject didactics, Old Norse philology, Norwegian as a second language, linguistics and theatre studies. The department also hosts two centers – the Center for Digital Narratives and the Center for Norwegian Language Studies – in addition to three of the most important dictionaries in Norway.

About the Center for Digital Narratives (CDN)

Senter for digitale forteljingar is a Norwegian center for excellent research dedicated to humanistically anchored research on digital narratives, including electronic literature, game studies, digital culture and computational forms of storytelling. CDN focuses on algorithmic narrativity, new environments and materialities, and the shifting cultural contexts in which digital narratives are received and interpreted. We investigate how the interaction between human authors and non-human actors leads to new narrative forms, how the materiality of digital narratives has changed over time, and how cultural contexts reshape their materiality, use and function. CDN also offers a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment with extensive international collaboration, exhibitions, training offers and cross-sectoral partnerships.

About the project AI Stories:

AI STORIES: Narrative Archetypes for Artificial Intelligence is a five-year ERC-funded project (2024–2029) led by Professor Jill Walker Rettberg. The project explores and tests the hypothesis that deep narrative structures in the data and processes used to train generative AI models are reproduced and perhaps even amplified in the output from generative AI, and that this can lead to culturally specific narrative biases. This is humanistic research that utilizes qualitative methods from literary studies and the study of digital culture.

About the PhD fellowship and researcher training:

The main goal of the PhD fellowship is to lead to a PhD degree, which qualifies for independent research activity and for other work requiring special competence.

The position has a total period of three years, of which 2.5 years are set aside for work on the doctoral project. As a PhD fellow, you will be admitted to the ph.d.-programmet ved Det humanistiske fakultet. The program includes a training component of 30 ECTS credits, which constitutes six months of the employment period.

Qualifications and personal qualities:

The applicant must have:

• A Norwegian master's degree or equivalent foreign degree in digital culture, digital humanities, informatics or another subject that includes training in either digital design, critical theory or narrative theory and analysis. It is a prerequisite that the master's degree is obtained before the application deadline expires. Degrees other than a Norwegian master's degree will be assessed according to the requirements from the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills.
• Experience in designing and developing (i.e., programming) data visualizations, documented through coursework, portfolio or code repositories.
• Ability to work independently and structured, combined with good collaborative skills.
• Good oral and written skills in English.

It is an advantage to have:

• Knowledge of critical theory and familiarity with qualitative analysis methods.
• Knowledge of narrative theory or narrative analysis.
• Very good programming skills, especially in the development of visual interfaces and/or applications.
• Knowledge of UI/UX principles and graphic design.

Applicants will be assessed according to the admission requirements from the Faculty of Humanities, see Ph.d.-programmets pkt. 2.1.

Applicants must submit a project description for a research project that will culminate in a doctoral dissertation, along with a progress plan for the project.

In the assessment of applications, emphasis will be placed on the scientific quality of the projects, how feasible the outlined projects are, and the academic basic qualifications of the applicants. Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on academic strategic considerations, motivation and personal suitability.

With us you get:

• A good and academically challenging work environment.
• Opportunities to build strong professional networks.
• A secure and flexible workday with good velferdsordninger.
• A workplace in the heart of Bergen – close to both city life and nature.
• Salary as a PhD fellow (position code 1017), which currently corresponds to a gross annual salary of NOK 593,700 in a full-time position. Further salary increases occur according to seniority in the position.
• Membership in Statens pensjonskasse, which includes a secure occupational pension scheme, possibility for disability and survivor's pension, and access to favorable housing loans.

How to apply for the position:

The application must be sent electronically via the link "SØK STILLINGA" on this page. Follow the steps in the application process and include the following:

• Under "Søknadstekst": Write a short statement about your research interests and your motivation for applying for the position. You should explain why you are interested in the position, and why your background and research interests make you well suited.
• Under "CV", provide:

• Personal details.
• Experience and qualifications (fill in the sections that are relevant to you). Publications/scientific productions can be attached as a separate document if desired (publication list).
• Language skills.
• At least two references. One of these must be the main supervisor for the master's thesis or equivalent, or the most recent supervisor if the applicant comes from the private sector.

• Under "Vedlegg" you must upload the following as separate documents:

• Project description of up to 2 pages. The project description should clearly present the central research ideas you wish to explore, and explain their relevance both to your own research interests and to the AI STORIES project.
• Progress plan for the project description taking the training component of the PhD program into account.
• Transcript of records and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees must be uploaded from Vitnemålsportalen. Upload them as regular files if they are not available via Vitnemålsportalen. If the scope of the master's thesis is not evident from the transcript or diploma, confirmation from the awarding institution stating the scope of the thesis in ECTS must be attached.
• Short summary of the master's thesis or equivalent (up to three pages).
• List of any academic publications (publication list).
• Up to three complete academic publications can be attached if relevant.
• Relevant certificates/testimonials that support your qualifications, skills, experience or qualities.

The application text, CV and attachments must be in Norwegian, another Scandinavian language or English. Documentation in other languages must be accompanied by a certified translation. Attachments can be in Word or PDF format and must be uploaded to Jobbnorge before the application deadline. Name the attachments clearly.

The assessment committee may, in special cases, request the submission of additional documentation.

Prospective applicants will be invited to an interview.

Nærare om tilsetjingsprosessen her.

Formal regulations:

• Candidates who have previously held a PhD fellowship at the University of Bergen cannot apply for the position.
• The employment period may be reduced for candidates who have previously been employed in a recruitment position at another institution.
• Employment in the position requires that one has their daily workplace at the University of Bergen and follows current guidelines.

General information:

Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting the center leader, Professor Jill Walker Rettberg, e-mail: jill.walker.rettberg@uib.no, telephone: +47 55588431 or the department head, Professor Anders Fagerjord, e-mail: anders.fagerjord@uib.no, telephone: +47 55583653.

Questions regarding the electronic application process can be directed to the Faculty of Humanities via e-mail: fakadm@hf.uib.no.

Internasjonalt senter at UiB has information about moving to Norway for international applicants.

The University of Bergen uses the principle of public access when hiring for scientific positions. Information about the applicant may be made public even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the applicant list. If the request is not honored, the applicant shall be notified of this.

We encourage men to apply. If several applicants have approximately equal qualifications, the rules for moderate gender quotas apply.

Diversity is a strength and enables us to solve our tasks even better. UiB therefore needs qualified employees regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and age.

We encourage applicants with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds or gaps in their CV to apply. If you check this box in the application, you may receive positive special treatment. We always invite at least one qualified applicant from each of these groups to an interview.

Life as a PhD candidate at UiB

Astrid Nybø tells about life and the daily work routine as a PhD candidate at UiB.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo3Z63yzkKA&list=PLf8ZIYfAO0qjhROTj6SthDbSScg0lSO6G&index=5

About the employer:

The University of Bergen is a recognized educational and research institution, organized into seven faculties and approximately 54 departments and academic centers. The campus is located in central parts of Bergen with university areas at Nygårdshøyden, Haukeland, Marineholmen, Møllendalsveien and Årstad.

The Faculty of Humanities consists of four departments and four centers. Les meir om fakultet and tilhøyrande institutt.