Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Humanities

About the company

About the position The University of Stavanger has a vacant position as a postdoctoral fellow in environmental humanities at the Faculty of Education and Humanities, Department of Culture and Language Studies. The position is vacant from 01.01.2027

The postdoc will be affiliated with the Greenhouse Center for Environmental Humanities, a research center at the University of Stavanger. The center is a strong international research environment that uses history, literature, media, religion, philosophy, and art to understand how humans relate to nature and the environment. We have a dynamic intellectual environment with weekly activities that the new postdoc is expected to participate in. More information about Greenhouse can be found at https://www.uis.no/en/greenhouse

About the employer The University of Stavanger (UiS) has approximately 12,000 students and 1,900 employees. The university has great ambitions. We aim to have an innovative and international profile and be a driving force in knowledge development and social change processes. Our common direction will be driven by concern for sustainable transition and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, and lifelong learning are our priority areas. In interaction and dialogue with our surroundings regionally, nationally, and internationally, we have an open and innovative climate for education, research, artistic development, innovation, dissemination, and museum activities. The academic activities at the university are organized into six faculties with 13 departments and two national research and competence centers in addition to the Archaeological Museum. We are a member of the European network for innovative universities - European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labor market and offers a variety of exciting cultural and leisure activities. Together with our employees and students, we will lift our gaze and dare to think big and new – we want to challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.

The Faculty of Education and Humanities is the region's most important institution for the education of teachers for kindergarten, primary school, secondary school, college, and university. The faculty also offers basic education in sports, languages, religion, history, as well as eight master's programs and a doctoral program. The faculty has three national centers: The National Reading Center, the National Center for Learning Environment and Behavior Research (Learning Environment Center), and the Knowledge Center for Education (KSU), as well as the research centers Filiorum - Center for Kindergarten Research and Greenhouse – Centre for environmental humanities. Additionally, the faculty is one of five university partners in the Center for Special Needs Education and Inclusion (SpedAims). The faculty collaborates with the Directorate for Education, municipalities, and county municipalities regarding continuing and further education for employees in kindergarten, school, and PPT. The faculty has approximately 3,300 students and approximately 400 employees distributed across the faculty administration, Department of Kindergarten Teacher Education, Department of Primary School Teacher Education, Sport and Special Needs Education, Department of Culture and Language Studies, National Reading Center, Learning Environment Center, and Knowledge Center for Education.

The Department of Culture and Language Studies is responsible for the university's teacher education for grades 8-13 and practical-pedagogical education. The department also offers education in Nordic, English, religion, history, Norwegian for international students, and master's degree programs in history and historical culture, Nordic and reading science, as well as English and Literacy Studies. Additionally, the department is responsible for the interdisciplinary annual course Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), the English-language master's program Public Environmental Humanities, and a part-time study in museum pedagogy. In collaboration with other units at the faculty, doctoral education in education and humanities is offered. There are currently approximately 70 employees and approximately 800 students affiliated with the department.

Your tasks

About the project The postdoc's main task will be to develop and lead the Greenhouse Games Lab, with the aim of building an internationally recognized environment for research, development, education, and innovation within board games with environmental themes. The postdoc shall establish routines for developing and publishing board games that are quality-assured and improved through peer review. We expect the postdoc to be an active researcher who publishes at least two articles about board games and the environment during the employment period; one of these should be a review article of the research field that benefits the broader research community. We also expect the postdoc to write several applications for funding for research, development, and innovation from various sources, including the Research Council and the EU, in collaboration with social partners and with support from researchers at Greenhouse. Additionally, the postdoc shall build a European network of game researchers, game developers, institutions, and publishers, with the aim of organizing an annual workshop at Greenhouse.

Research and activity plan As an applicant, you must attach a research and activity plan with a description and plan for the implementation of a research project within the field. The plan, up to five pages, shall describe your approach to board games with environmental themes, and concrete plans for the expected research publications.

The plan shall describe how you will conduct the research work, which problems and hypotheses are to be investigated, which theories and methods are to be applied, relevant publication channels, and a plan for the implementation of the project. It must also state how the project will contribute to your competence development. The document will be included in the assessment of your qualifications.

The final project description and progress plan will be prepared in collaboration with supervisor(s) during the first three months of the employment period. It is a prerequisite that the project is completed within the employment period.

Requirements

The qualification process is conducted at the University of Stavanger. It is a prerequisite that the person employed works full-time on the project and participates actively in the academic environment.

We are seeking candidates who have both research competence within environmental humanities, including adjacent fields, and experience with game development. The position requires entrepreneurial personal qualities that go beyond pure research.

You must have

• a doctorate within a field relevant to the project. The doctoral thesis must be submitted for evaluation by the application deadline and approved before commencement
• good skills in English, both written and oral

We also emphasize that you

• have developed a research project of high scientific quality and relevance to the field
• have high professional integrity and focus on quality in your work
• are motivated to carry out the research project and contribute to academic communities and collaboration across disciplines
• have the professional and personal prerequisites to complete the project within the employment period, including high work capacity and execution ability
• have international experience and relevant professional networks
• have experience with or interest in innovation, new ideas, and research with social application
• have the ability for critical reflection, new thinking, and independent problem-solving, and work in a structured and purposeful manner
• have good collaboration and communication skills and contribute to a constructive working environment

What we offer

The purpose of the position is that the person employed develops a research profile and acquires the qualifications required to apply for a position as Associate Professor. The position may also provide valuable experience and other competence relevant to further career development.

If the person employed does not already have educational professional competence that meets the requirements for a position as Associate Professor, UiS will facilitate that such competence can be acquired during the employment period.

A career plan will be developed describing the competence the postdoc shall acquire during the employment period. As a postdoc at UiS, you will receive support for professional and career development through guidance, competence development, and career planning.

As a postdoc at UiS, you get

• varied tasks at a university with an important social mission
• an ambitious and inclusive research environment
• support for professional and career development
• free Norwegian courses if you do not master Norwegian, Swedish, or Danish at level A2 upon employment
• access to Lifekeys, a digital service for mental health and quality of life
• salary according to the State's salary regulations, position code 1352, from NOK 590,000 to NOK 680,000 gross per year. In special cases, higher salary may be considered.
• membership in Statens pensjonskasse with good pension and insurance schemes

Read more about employee benefits and advantages at uis.no.

How to apply

Do you have questions? Please feel free to contact us if you want to know more about the position:

• Professor Finn A. Jørgensen, tel: +47 48 10 13 59, e-mail: finn.a.jorgensen@uis.no
• Department Head Kjetil Vikhamar Thengs, e-mail: kjetil.v.thengs@uis.no.

If you have questions about the recruitment process, you can contact

• HR advisor Christine Valvik, tel: +47 51 83 24 29, e-mail: christine.valvik@uis.no

How to apply Apply for the position by clicking "Søk stillingen" on this page.

In Jobbnorge, you register your application, relevant education, work experience, and language skills. In the application, we ask you to describe your research interests, your motivation for the position, and how your background is relevant to the research project.

The following documentation must be uploaded as attachments to the application:

• research and activity plan of maximum five pages
• CV with a complete overview of education, experience, and any scientific activity
• documentation of completed doctorate. If you have not completed the doctorate, you must attach confirmation from the institution of the expected date for obtaining the doctorate.
• a complete overview of scientific works with information on where they are published. You can also upload or link to up to five scientific works, including the doctoral thesis or a published monograph based on the thesis.
• diplomas, certificates, as well as documentation of other activity considered relevant

The documentation must be in a Scandinavian language or English.

The application is assessed based on the information registered in Jobbnorge by the application deadline. Therefore, ensure that the application clearly shows how your competence and experience meet the competence requirements in the announcement, and that necessary documentation is uploaded. If the attachments collectively exceed 100 MB, the files must be compressed before uploading.

UiS only processes applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.

Other

The postdoc is employed for a period of 36 months. This includes 30 months of project work as well as 6 months of administrative tasks and/or teaching at the Department of Culture and Language Studies and at the Greenhouse Center for Environmental Humanities.

Diversity and inclusion Diversity is a strength at the university. Different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds contribute to better solutions and a good working and learning environment. We want applicants with different qualifications, life experiences, and perspectives, and encourage all qualified candidates to apply, regardless of gender, age, disability, cultural background, or whether you have had gaps in your working life. UiS facilitates employees in different life stages and for employees with a need for individual accommodation.

In accordance with current regulations, at least one qualified applicant with a disability, gaps in their CV, or immigrant background will be invited to an interview. If this applies to you, you can state it in the job application portal. Read more about the scheme here.

Information about applicants may be made public even if an exemption from the public list of applicants has been requested, cf. the Freedom of Information Act § 25. If the request is not granted, you will be notified.

Terms of employment and process UiS is subject to the Security Act, and employees are expected to exhibit security-conscious behavior and follow current security and export control procedures. Upon employment, qualities such as reliability, judgment, and loyalty will be emphasized.

Employment as a postdoc is regulated in the Universities and Colleges Act, Chapter IV.

We emphasize the quality, relevance, and significance of research work and not where the work is published. This is in accordance with the principles in The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA).

UiS has signed The Agreement on Reforming Research Assessment (CoARA) with a commitment that when assessing research and researchers, we recognize different forms of results, practices, and activities.

Your qualifications for the position will be assessed by an internal committee. Based on the committee's assessment, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. Read more about the recruitment process on our websites.

The research work shall primarily be conducted at the University of Stavanger. It is a prerequisite that the person employed settles so that they can be present and available to the academic environment during ordinary working hours.

The position is announced in both Norwegian and English. In the event of any conflicting information between the texts, the Norwegian text shall prevail.