Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages

Job description

A Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1352) is available at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo.

The position is associated with the project Reconstructing the environmental, biological, and societal drivers of plague outbreaks in Eurasia between 1300 and 1900 CE (Synergy-Plague).

The project is inter-disciplinary and funded through the European Research Council’s Synergy Grant scheme and has four PIs. In addition to corresponding PI Professor Nils Chr. Stenseth at the University of Oslo, there are three co-PIs; Florent Sebbane at, INSERM, Lille, France, Philip Slavin, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK and Ulf Büntgen, University of Cambridge, Downing Place, Cambridge, UK. The overall aim of the project is to reconstruct the environmental, biological and societal drivers behind plague outbreaks in Eurasia between 1300 and 1900 AD.

The postdoctoral fellow’s research will contribute to the overall aim within the broader framework of the Synergy-Plague project and will cooperate closely with the epidemiologist/ecologists/evolutionary biologist at the Department of Biosciences at University of Oslo and with other partners of the project. The fellow will have the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages as their place of work, and will be working closely with Professor Einar Wigen on plague in the Ottoman Empire. The main task will be to plan and carry out archival research on plague occurrences in the Ottoman Empire and adjacent polities as these may be recorded in French and Italian archives, and to provide valid interpretations of these sources in relation to other findings by the project team. Applicants are asked to design and apply with a postdoctoral project that contributes along these lines (see also How to Apply).

The candidate will start in September 2024 or as soon as possible after appointment has been approved by the Faculty’s appointment committee. The position is available for a period of 3 years. There is a 10 % component of the position which is devoted to teaching and administrative duties. The main purpose of postdoctoral research fellowships is to qualify researchers for work in higher academic positions within their disciplines.

The successful candidate is expected to become a part of the research environment of the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages and contribute to its development. International candidates are expected to relocate to Oslo. The Department has 59 tenured academic staff and 40 temporary academic staff. Its ongoing research covers a wide range of topics under the broad rubrics of religious studies; cultural history; and culture, politics, and history of Asia and the Middle East and North Africa.

Qualification requirements

• PhD or equivalent academic qualifications with a specialization in the history of trans-Mediterranean networks in the early modern period (1500-1800), or other relevant specializations in history, cultural history or area studies.
• The candidate's research project must be closely connected with the historical component of the main project
• Fluent oral and written communication skills in English
• Ability to read and interpret handwritten documents in Italian, Latin and French
• Familiarity with European archives relevant to researching plague in the Ottoman Empire
• Familiarity with issues of public health in the early modern period
• Personal suitability and motivation for the position

The doctoral dissertation must be approved for public defence by the closing date. Appointment is dependent on a successful defence of the doctoral thesis.

In the evaluation of the applications, emphasis will be placed on:

• The research project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
• The project’s fit with Synergy-Plague, and its proposed contribution to the overall aims of this project
• The project design, especially the selection and planned use of archives
• The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to carry out the project within the allotted time frame
• Good co-operative skills, and the ability to successfully join in academic collaboration within and across disciplines

We offer

• Salary NOK 575 400 – 657 300 per annum depending on qualifications
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
• Attractive welfare benefits

How to apply

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)
• List of publications
• Project description (approx. 3 - 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions). The project description must present a feasible progress plan, with a detailed description of planned archival work (where, how and why). It is expected that the applicant will be able to complete the project during the period of appointment
• One academic work that the applicant wishes to be considered
• Copies of diplomas and educational certificates

The doctoral dissertation and other academic works may be requested later.

Please note that all documents must be in English or a Scandinavian language.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system.

The short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.

Formal regulations

See also Regulations concerning Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships.

Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, 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.

No one can be appointed for more than one Postdoctoral Fellow period at the University of Oslo.

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.

Contact information

For questions about the position:

• Professor Einar Wigen

For questions on how to apply:

• HR Officer Janne Gjestad