About the positions
Three Doctoral Research Fellowships (SKO 1017) are available at the Department of Media and Communication (IMK), University of Oslo (UiO).
IMK is an interdisciplinary department, approaching media and communication from social scientific, humanistic and technological perspectives. In line with the department’s new strategy for 2030, it will be prioritized to follow-up UiO’s bold efforts to develop more competence and knowledge about conservation and development of democracy, climate and the environment. The doctoral project must be innovative and relevant to the current research that takes place at IMK. The successful candidate will take part in research groups within relevant areas at the department, and applicants must enclose a project description with topics or research questions within one or more of the research areas outlined below:
Children, adolescents and digital media
Research on children’s and adolescents’ digital lives, how they use digital media, digital skills, adolescents as natives of a global media culture (global natives), digital parenting, children and adolescents’ safety and rights online, political socialization and children’s democratic rights, and regulations on children’s digital life.
Media aesthetics
Media aesthetics follows a humanistic tradition that emphasizes technologically mediated communication, sensory and experiential aspects of media expressions in a cultural and social perspective. This includes research on the form and content of media texts, perception, media history, and media development and innovation.
Political communication
Research on political communication between different actors, in different public spheres, and political influence through strategic communication. This includes research on lobbying, political rhetoric, election campaigns, opinion processes and influences, algorithms and artificial intelligence, fake news, media policy, journalism in digital media, freedom of expression, media, power and democracy.
Screen cultures
Screen cultures is a research and educational initiative that studies how screen media shape people´s experience and understanding of themselves and the world. This includes research on development, use and experience of new and established screen media, such as film, television and new digital platforms. Ambivalence, resistance and attempts at withdrawal or digital detox are relevant perspectives.
Method and analysis of digital media
Innovative/creative methods for research on communication, utterances and changed usage patterns in digital media. Including an increased focus on data collection on digital/social media and analysis of big data.
More information about IMK’s research groups and thematic subject areas.
Applicants are encouraged to contact relevant research groups at IMK for more information.
The person appointed will be affiliated with the Faculty’s organized research training. The academic work is to result in a doctoral thesis that will be defended at the Faculty with a view to obtaining the degree of PhD. The successful candidate is expected to join the existing research milieu or network and contribute to its development. Read more about the doctoral degree.
The appointment is for a duration of 3 years. All PhD Candidates who submit their doctoral dissertation for assessment with a written recommendation from their supervisor within 3 years or 3 ½ years after the start of their PhD position, will be offered, respectively, a 12 or 6 month Completion Grant.
Qualification requirements
- Master’s degree or equivalent education in media and communication, or other relevant subject area. The MA degree or equivalent must be obtained, and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline
- Candidates from other academic disciplines will be assessed based on the relevance of the project description
- Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, see Language requirements
- Personal suitability and motivation for the position
To be eligible for admission to the doctoral programmes at the University of Oslo, applicants must, as a minimum, have completed a five-year graduation course (Master’s degree or equivalent), including a Master’s thesis of at least 30 ECTS. In special cases, the Faculty may grant admission on the basis of a one-year Master course following an assessment of the study programme’s scope and quality.
In assessing the applications, the following will be considered:
- The project’s originality, quality and relevance to the research that takes place at IMK will be particularly emphasized.
- The applicant’s academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
- Results from the master’s degree and the master’s thesis
- Knowledge of theories and methods within the relevant field of research
- Ambitions to conduct high-level research
- Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities
- The applicant’s desire to join the research networks at IMK
- Publications in journals and/or presentations at conferences
We offer
- Salary from NOK 501 200 to NOK 544 400 per annum, depending on qualifications
- A professionally stimulating working environment
- Membership in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund
- Attractive welfare benefits
The Application must include
- Application letter describing the applicant’s qualifications and motivation for the position
- Curriculum Vitae (with an overview of education, employment, teaching experience, administrative experience and other qualifying activities, as well as a list of published and unpublished works)
- The certificate for your Master’s degree and transcript of records for your Bachelor’s degree. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
- Documentation on Language requirements
- Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)
- Your Master’s thesis (digital)
- A list of 2-3 reference persons (name, relationship to the candidate, e-mail and telephone number)
Other diplomas, educational certificates and the like must not be attached to the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information later.
The application with attachments must be submitted via our electronic recruitment system, please click “Apply for this job”. Please note that all documents must be in either English or a Scandinavian language.
Short-listed candidates will be invited for an interview.
Formal regulations
See also regulations as well as guidelines for the application assessment process and appointments to research fellowships.
Following the Freedom of Information Act (Offentleglova) § 25, Chapter 2, demographic 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.
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
Professor Petter Bae Brandtzæg, PhD-coordinator and Research Director
HR Adviser Mira Kramárová (for questions about Jobbnorge)