PhD Fellowship in Philosophy

About the position

At the Department of Philosophy and First Semester Studies (IFF), there is a vacancy for a PhD fellowship in philosophy. IFF is part of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Teacher Education at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

The department has an engaged academic environment with broad competence in practical and theoretical philosophy, as well as active research networks in ethics, political philosophy, environmental philosophy, and feminist philosophy. These interests have coalesced in the research group ‘Philosophy for Modern Times’ (PhilMod), which organizes a number of regular activities throughout the year, such as research seminars, work-in-progress seminars, conferences, workshops, various reading groups, as well as visits from academics from other universities. The Ph.D. candidate in this position shall be a member of PhilMod and have the opportunity to engage in all its research networks.

Our employees contribute both to basic research and to social debate, and we have a strong presence in national and international networks. The Department of Philosophy and First Semester Studies is also home to the Center for Women's and Gender Research. The department offers education at the one-year course, bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. levels. As a fellow with us, you will become part of an inclusive and academically stimulating research environment with good opportunities for academic development and international collaboration. We value open dialogue, collegial support, and curiosity when facing complex questions. Our employees and Ph.D. candidates have good schemes for supervision, mobility, and research dissemination, and we facilitate that fellows can develop their professional profile in line with both individual goals and the department's priority areas.

The fellowship is a training position and has completed researcher training up to a doctorate as its goal. Admission to the doctoral program is a prerequisite for employment, and the study period begins upon commencement of the position.

The position is for a period of 3 years and Ph.D. 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 in the position within a reasonable time after receiving an offer.

About the project / The position's research area

Humanity's extensive and profound changes to the natural environment have not only caused serious environmental problems but have also partly blurred the classical distinction between humans and nature. Some argue that this situation gives humans a right to decide what kind of nature we want to have, while others believe that we must include the interests of non-human beings in our decision-making processes. In response to the latter approach, there is a growing political and academic movement seeking to expand democracy to also include non-human entities such as other species, populations, and individuals, or larger parts of nature such as ecosystems, rivers, mountains, etc. Such ideas exist in a number of academic disciplines, such as "the political turn in animal ethics," the interest in the intrinsic value and rights of nature, as well as in the ontological turn that underlies the attention directed toward what is more-than-human.

Based on this context, we can say that more-than-human-democracies challenge who or what should count as a political subject and what criteria we set for political membership. The question of political membership and co-determination has been asked many times and in several contexts, but to what extent can previous insights that led to the inclusion of certain groups of humans be transferred to non-human entities today? Does democracy constitute the right institutional framework to include, understand, and analyze more-than-human interests? We are seeking projects that aim to develop – or criticize – the idea of a more-than-human-democracy.

The problem statement allows for a number of approaches, including, but not limited to, the following:

Several proponents of more-than-human-democracy challenge fundamental ideas about what a subject is. This includes post-humanist conceptions of our place in a larger whole where the subject is perceived as relational and fundamentally dependent. Can a democracy accommodate this type of understanding of the subject?

If we accept an expansion of who or what can count as political subjects, which subjects should be included and how should these be represented in a democratic decision-making process?

How will an inclusion of who or what can count as political subjects affect democracy as it functions today? How might it impact our ideas about and the role of, e.g., civil disobedience, deliberation, and legal processes?

If we do not accept an expansion of who or what can count as political subjects: what procedural requirements does this place on democratic decisions to preserve the environment? For example, how should scientific or other forms of knowledge about what is more-than-human be represented and counted?

Applicants are encouraged to submit projects within philosophy. We are open to different philosophical traditions and approaches, and we welcome projects that emphasize marginalized perspectives. To ensure good supervision, however, applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the research profiles of IFF's employees and take these into account when preparing the application. We are also open to projects based on empirical research, but the overall theoretical framework and focus must lie within philosophy.

Contact

More information about the position can be obtained from professor and leader of the research group PhilMod, Clare Heyward,

• email: jennifer.c.heyward@uit.no
• telephone: 77 62 51 47

and department head Melina Duarte

• email: melina.duarte@uit.no
• telephone: 77 64 43 29

Qualifications

Necessary qualifications:

• Completed master's degree or equivalent in philosophy or another relevant field, with a grade point average corresponding to a B or better (according to the ECTS scale). If you have not received your diploma by the application deadline, you can still apply – provided that the master's thesis has been submitted for assessment and this is confirmed with a letter from the supervisor. Documented completed degree is, however, a prerequisite for employment in the position.
• Documented good skills in English, both written and oral. Applicants from the Nordic countries can document this with transcripts from upper secondary school.

The Ph.D. candidate is expected to be present and actively participating in the daily academic environment on campus. This applies to both research-related activities and collegial collaboration.

Applicants must submit a project outline with the academic basis for the doctoral project. The project outline should not exceed 5-10 pages, including literature references. It must contain a description of the topic, research questions, and a justification for the choices. It should also describe which methods will be used. The final project outline 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).

In the assessment of applicants, we emphasize the following:

• Academic potential for doctoral studies. We assess the applicant's ability to complete a Ph.D. education within the standard time (three years), based on the quality of the master's thesis or other independent work, as well as any scientific publications.
• Proposed research project. The project outline is assessed with regard to academic quality, thematic relevance, and realistic feasibility within the given timeframe.
• Supplementary experience. Experiences that strengthen the prerequisites for success in a doctoral project will count positively. This can, for example, be teaching experience, dissemination of academic content, participation in research projects, or other academic or professional activities that demonstrate an ability for structured work and collaboration.

In the assessment, 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 researcher training. If you have already obtained a doctorate or have equivalent competence, you are not eligible for employment in this position.

Admission to Ph.D. programs

For employment as a fellow, it is a prerequisite that you are admitted to the Ph.D. program at the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Teacher 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 credits and a master's degree of 120 ECTS credits, or an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS credits.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to 30 ECTS credits or more if the applicant has a master's degree of 120 ECTS credits.
• A master's thesis with a scope corresponding to 20 ECTS credits or more if the applicant has an integrated master's degree of 300 ECTS credits.

To be admitted, there is a requirement for a grade point average corresponding to a B or better in the master's degree. 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 Ph.D. program. The application for final admission must be submitted no later than two months after commencement of the position.

For applicants with an international educational background, it will be assessed whether the education is equivalent to Norwegian higher education at the master's level. The assessment follows national approval practice; see The Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. Applicants with education from certain countries must have more higher education to fulfill 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 that utilizes the potential in the population's collective competence. We believe that inclusion and diversity are a strength and want employees with different competence, 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.dfo.no/strategisk-hr/inkluderingsarbeid/bli-bedre-pa-rekruttering/hvordan-skrive-stillingsannonser-som-inkluderer/positiv-saerbehandling-nar-man-soker-jobb-i-staten

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
• 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 is only assessed based on the information submitted by the application deadline via Jobbnorge. It is therefore important that you attach all necessary documents that show your qualifications for the position.

Your application must include:

• A cover letter with a description of your research interests and motivation for the position
• CV
• Official diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees in the original language
• Official transcripts for bachelor's and master's degrees in the original language
• Official translation of diplomas and transcripts 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 skills
• 2-3 references with contact information
• The master's thesis, and any other scientific works
• Project outline (5-10 pages)

Documented completed master's degree is a condition for commencing the position. You can still apply if you have not received the diploma for the master's degree, but the master's thesis must be submitted for assessment by the application deadline for the position. You must attach the master's thesis and transcripts from the degree in the application.

All documentation to be assessed must be in a Scandinavian language or English. If documentation of English language skills 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 expert committee's assessment.

Applicants who are assessed to be the most qualified will be called for an interview. The interview shall, among other things, clarify personal suitability and motivation for the position.

General information

Employment takes place in accordance with the rules and conditions that apply to state employees at any given time, and guidelines at UiT. On our websites, you can find more information for applicants to positions at UiT.

A fellowship position is paid according to the state regulations code 1017. From the salary, a 2% contribution is deducted to Statens pensjonskasse. You will become a member of Statens pensjonskasse, which gives you 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 get good terms on home loans. Read more about your employee benefits at: spk.no.

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

Personal data provided is processed in accordance with the Act on the Processing of Personal Data. Applicants can 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 broad 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 in 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. Based 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