Postdoctoral Fellow in Welfare and Society

The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a position as Postdoctoral Fellow in Welfare and Society at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Studies.

The objective of the position is to strengthen research, and to give researchers/scholars holding a doctoral degree the opportunity for further qualification toward top academic positions. Postdoctoral Fellow is employed for a period of 2 years.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will be affiliated with the following project: Material and social status during and after migration: a hindrance to gains in wellbeing and welfare?

The qualifying project will be carried out at the University of Stavanger. It is assumed that the appointee will work full time on the project and that she/he will participate in the academic community.

Project topic: Status thinking and happiness after migration

The project will follow changes in material and social status and how they affect happiness after migration. It will investigate the role of background culture for this effect.

Migrants often flee from unbearable circumstances. Moving to rich countries like Norway brings substantial material and personal gains for them. These gains should likewise increase happiness and subjective wellbeing, but they do this only to a limited extent – not all the material gains translate to being happier after migration. This is puzzling, and more importantly tragic. It is also likely to hinder integration into the new home society.

The project will investigate the role of status thinking in this puzzle.

Status thinking is a personal preferences about one’s own position in societal rankings. People show such preferences to different degrees, and strong status thinking tends to have negative outcomes like reduced happiness.

Status thinking appears universal in developed countries, and it may be responsible for stagnating levels of happiness. But recent investigations suggest that some distinct groups, in for example Ethiopia, do not show status thinking. Preserving this trait should increase the happiness of migrants and help them integrate after migration.

The project will explore the link between status thinking and happiness after migration, and how migrants’ happiness can be protected from erosion by status thinking.

Project proposal

You must submit a description of a research project within the subject area and plan for its completion. The project proposal must show how you will proceed to carry out the research work, what the key issues and hypotheses will be, what theories and methods you will apply, publication channels and a schedule for carrying out the work. It must be clear from the application in what way the project will add your competence. The project proposal will be included in the competence assessment.

The final project description and progress plan are drawn up in consultation with the supervisor (s) during the first three months of the employment period. It is a prerequisite that you complete the project during the employment period.

Qualification requirements

You must have a ph.d. with a specialisation relevant for the project. The ph.d. thesis must have been submitted for evaluation within the application deadline for the position and approved before accession.

You must have good command of both oral and written English.

In the assessment the following criteria will be emphasised:

• relevance, quality and feasibility of the project
• submitted scientific work and your personal skills for completing the project within the timeframe
• international experience and network
• qualifications within the areas of creativity, innovation and commercialisation of research
• good teamwork, communication skills and ability to participate in research communities across organisational units
• ability to work independently in a structured manner
• motivation, sense of responsibility and accountability, work capacity and enthusiasm for research

We offer

• varied duties in a large, exciting and socially important organisation
• an ambitious work community which is developing rapidly. We strive to include employees at all levels in strategic decisions and promote an informal atmosphere with a flat organisational structure
• salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.510, code 1352, NOK 544.000 – 590.000 gross per year. A higher salary may be considered in special cases. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
• automatic membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund, which provides favourable insurance- and retirement benefits
• favourable membership terms at a gym and at the university sports club, SiS sports club at campus
• employment with an Inclusive Workplace organisation which is committed to reducing sick leave, increasing the proportion of employees with reduced working capacity, and increasing the number of professionally active seniors
• Hjem-jobb-hjem, discounted public transport to and from work
• as an employee in Norway, you will have access to an optimal health service, as well as good pensions, generous maternity/paternity leave, and a competitive salary. Nursery places are guaranteed and reasonably priced.
• relocation programme
• language courses: On this page you can see which language courses you may be entitled to (look up “language courses” under employment conditions)

Diversity

University of Stavanger values independence, involvement and innovation. Diversity is respected and considered a resource in our work and learning environment. Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide reasonable adjustments for employees with disabilities.

You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, disability or cultural background.

Contact information

More information on the position can be obtained from Head of department Kolbjørn Kallesten Brønnick, tlf: 95 93 47 38, e-mail: kolbjorn.s.bronnick@uis.no or Dr. Richard Piech, tel: 51 83 11 92, e-mail: richard.piech@uis.no.

Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR-advisor Christina Storm, tel: 51 83 17 53, e-mail: christina.storm@uis.no.

Application

To apply for this position please follow the link «Apply for this job». Your application letter, relevant education and work experience as well as language skills must be registered here. In the application letter, you must state your research interests and motivation for the position.

The following documents must be uploaded as attachments to your application:

• project proposal
• CV with a full summary of your education and experience
• documentation of approved ph.d. If you have not completed the ph.d., you may enclose a confirmation from the institution on the expected date of obtaining the doctoral degree.
• complete list of academic publications with information on where they are published. You may also upload up to 5 publications, including your ph.d. thesis or published monograph based upon the thesis.
• transcripts and certificates, and other documentation that you consider relevant

Applications are evaluated based on the information available in Jobbnorge on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.

The documentation must be available in either a Scandinavian language or in English. If the total size of the attachments exceeds 30 MB, they must be compressed before upload.

Please note that information on applicants may be published even if the applicant has requested not to be included in the official list of applicants – see Section 25 of the Freedom of Information Act. If your request is not granted, you will be notified.

UiS only considers applications and attachments registered in Jobbnorge.

General information

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. If your application is considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter legislation, it will be rejected without further assessment.

Employment as Postdoctoral Fellow is regulated in «Regulations concerning terms and conditions of employment for the posts of post-doctoral research fellow and research fellow, research assistant and resident».

Your qualifications for the position, based on documentation registered in Jobbnorge, will be assessed by an internal expert committee. Based on the committee’s statement, relevant applicants will be invited to an interview before any recommendations are made. References will also be obtained for relevant candidates. More about the hiring process on our website.

UiS has an Acquisition of Rights Agreement for the purpose of securing rights to intellectual property created by its employees, including research results.

It is a prerequisite that you have a residence which enables you to be present at/available to the academic community during ordinary working hours.

The position has been announced in both Norwegian and English. In the case of differences of meaning between the texts, the Norwegian text takes precedence.

UiS – challenge the well-known and explore the unknown

The University of Stavanger (UiS) has about 12,000 students and 2,200 employees. The university has high ambitions. We strive to have an innovative and international profile, and be a driving force in knowledge development and in the process of societal change. Our common direction is driven by consideration for green and sustainable change and equitable social development, through new ways of managing natural resources and facilitating better cities and local communities. Energy, health and welfare, learning for life are our focus areas.

In constant collaboration and dialogue with our surroundings, regionally, nationally and internationally, we enjoy an open and creative climate for education, research, innovation, dissemination and museum activities. Academic life at the University of Stavanger is organised into six faculties comprising various departments/schools and National Research Centres, as well as the Museum of Archaeology. We are a member of the European Consortium of Innovative Universities. The university is located in the most attractive region in the country with more than 300,000 inhabitants. The Stavanger region has a dynamic labour market and exciting cultural and leisure activities.

Together with our staff and students we will challenge the well-known and explore the unknown.

The Faculty of Social Sciences has about 2,400 students and 210 employees. The studies are based on a combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, on interdisciplinarity and cooperation with public and private sectors. New knowledge is generated from both practical experience and systematic research, or a combination of them. The educational offer is varied and includes Hospitality and Tourism, Media, Sociology, Social Work and Child Welfare, amongst others. The Faculty consists of: Department of Media and Social Sciences, Department of Social Studies and the Norwegian School of Hotel Management.

The Department of Social Studies offers the following educational programs: Child welfare – three years bachelor’s degree, Sosial work (sosionom) – three years bachelor’s, Psychology – three years bachelor’s degree, Sosial work – two years master’s degree, Law in child welfare professional work – postgraduate, 30 credits, master’s degree. The department has the SWEL Research School, which is an interdisciplinary research school in Social Work and Welfare which is part of the research program at the Faculty of Social Sciences. The department’s goal is to contribute to the development of high-quality knowledge in social and child welfare work, in welfare management and in psychology. There are currently 70 employees and 890 students affiliated with the Dep.