PhD Fellowship in Multilingualism

Job description

The University of Stavanger (UiS) invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Multilingualism at the Faculty of Arts and Education, Department of Cultural Studies and Languages. The position is vacant from 01.01.2024.

This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree.

The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively, or four years with both research and 25% required duties. This will be clarified in the recruitment process.

The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Educational Sciences and Humanities. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website.

Research topic

The research topic for this PhD fellowship is multilingualism. The fellowship focuses on heritage language speakers in Norway (and beyond), i.e., individuals speaking a minoritized language and the societal majority language (Norwegian) who also learn English (and further languages) in an educational setting.

Heritage language multilinguals are an understudied subgroup of multilinguals. To date, the continued development of the heritage language in children and adults is under-investigated, especially in combination with the development of the same individual’s second and third languages. Heritage speakers find themselves in a context where another language, the societal majority language, differs from their heritage/first/family language yet is the language in which they are educated and often become increasingly dominant over time. Whereas many studies focus exclusively on the heritage language, this PhD project helps to fill an important gap by examining all languages involved, i.e., the development of a heritage language in combination with Norwegian, English, and possibly additional languages. The specific language combinations will be determined by the PhD fellow, and should be discussed in the project proposal.

The PhD Fellow will be affiliated with the research group FLUENT (FLerspråklig Utvikling og Endring i Nyere Tid / Multilingual Development and Change in Society Today) and will be anchored in the Department of Cultural Studies and Languages. FLUENT investigates multilingualism from a variety of perspectives, including acquisitional, formal, social, and educational approaches. The research group is interdisciplinary in nature and welcomes diverse approaches and perspectives. Thus, potential areas of focus for the PhD project include, but are not limited to, multilingual language acquisition and development in children and adults, linguistic properties of heritage languages, the role of extra-linguistic variables in heritage language multilingualism, cross-linguistic influence, plurilingual teaching approaches, heritage language instruction, preparedness of pre- and in-service teachers for multilingual classrooms. Projects that promote collaboration between local schools and UiS are particularly welcome.

According to the core curriculum for primary and secondary education, students “shall experience that being proficient in a number of languages is a resource, both in school and society at large” and that “[k]nowledge about the linguistic diversity in society provides […] valuable insight into different forms of expression, ideas and traditions.” These values tie in with UiS’ strategy 2030, in particular Learning for Life, which promotes education and participation in democracy and cultural understanding in all phases of life.

The thesis will be supervised and written in English.

Project proposal

As an applicant, you must prepare a preliminary project proposal for a doctoral project within the subject area, which explains the problem, relevance, theoretical and methodological approach. Your preliminary project proposal will be included in the application assessment.

During the first three months of the employment period, the project proposal and progress plan will be further developed in cooperation with your supervisors and completed for the final plan for the PhD-project. A project proposal template can be found here.

Please write your project proposal in English.

Qualification requirements

We are looking for applicants with a strong academic background who have completed a five-year master degree (3+2) within (Applied) linguistics, Multilingualism, or Teacher Education, preferably acquired recently; or who possess corresponding qualifications that could provide a basis for successfully completing a doctorate.

To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Stavanger both the grade for your master’s thesis and the weighted average grade of your master’s degree must individually be equivalent to or better than a B grade.

Applicants with an education from an institution with a different grade scale than A-F, and/or with other types of credits than sp/ECTS, must attach a confirmed conversion scale that shows how the grades can be compared with the Norwegian A-F scale and a Diploma Supplement or similar that explains the scope of the subjects that are included in the education. You can use these conversion scales  to calculate your points for admission.

Emphasis is also placed on your:

• motivation and potential for research within the field
• professional and personal skills for completing the doctoral degree within the timeframe
• ability to work independently and in a team, be innovative and creative
• ability to work structured and handle a heavy workload
• having a good command of both oral and written English

We offer

• a PhD education in a large, exciting and societally 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.
• colleague-based guidance programme (NyTi) if teaching is a part of your position
• salary in accordance with the State Salary Scale, l.pl 17.515, code 1017, NOK 575 400 gross per year with salary development according to seniority in the position. 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 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

We consider diversity as a resource in our work and learning environment, and we are committed to respecting each other’s differences and backgrounds.

Universal design characterises physical and digital learning environments, and we strive to provide adjustments for employees with disabilities.

You are encouraged to apply regardless of gender, cultural background, disability, or if you have been without employment for a period of time.

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, gaps in their CV, or immigrant backgrounds, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these groups for an interview. If you fall into any of these categories, feel free to indicate it when applying for the position.

Learn more about the criteria for being considered an applicant in these specific groups here.

Contact information

More information regarding the position, the research topic and the FLUENT research group, can be obtained from Associate Professor Nadine Kolb e-mail: nadine.kolb@uis.no and Associate Professor David Natvig e-mail: david.a.natvig@uis.no.

Information about the appointment procedure can be obtained from HR-advisor Annette Lothe Molnes, e-mail: annette.l.molnes@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 your application letter, you must state your research interests and motivation for the position. Please write your application in English.

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

• project proposal, a project proposal template can be found here.
• CV with a full summary of your education and experience
• references, certificates/diplomas and other documentation that you consider relevant
• Diploma Supplement or similar and a confirmed conversion scale if this is required
• documentation on competence in English if this is required
• publications or other relevant research work

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

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 PhD 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.

The appointee will be based at the University of Stavanger, with the exception of a stay abroad at a relevant centre of research.

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 1,900 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 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 Arts and Education is the region’s most important institution for educating teachers for kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, upper secondary schools and higher education. The Faculty also provides basic education in sport, languages, religion and history, as well as eight Master’s programmes and two doctoral programmes.
The Faculty has three national centres: The National Centre for Reading Education and Research (the Reading Centre), the National Centre for Learning Environment and Behavioural Research (The Learning Environment Centre) and the Knowledge Centre for Education (KSU), as well as the Filiorum Centre for Early Childhood Research. The Faculty collaborates with the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training and local government authorities in respect of further and continuing education. The Faculty has a total of around 3,000 students and 320 employees divided between the Faculty administration, Department of Early Childhood Education, Department of Education and Sports Science, Department of Cultural Studies and Languages, Reading Centre, Learning Environment Centre and Knowledge Centre for Education.

The Department of Cultural Studies and Languages has responsibility for the university’s teacher education programme for leves 8-13 and practical pedagogical education. The Institute also offers education Nordic languages, English, Religion, History, Norwegian for international students as well as Master’s degrees in History and History didactics, Nordic and Literacy Studies, and English and Literacy Studies. Together with other departments at the faculty, we offer a PhD programme in Educational Science and humanities. There are currently 70 employees and 1.200 students at the department.

Questions about the position

Annette Lothe Molnes

HR-rådgiver

51831361

annette.l.molnes@uis.no