Doctoral Research Fellowship in the History of Capitalism

Social Sciences/Economics

Doctoral Research Fellowship in the History of Capitalism

Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History

Job description

A Doctoral Research Fellowship (SKO 1017) in History is available at the Department of Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH), University of Oslo.

The position is associated with the Research Group “History of Capitalism”, and in particular the Norwegian Research Council (NRC) funded project “Persistence or change? Lessons from the introduction of enhetsskolen in Denmark and Norway“

More about the position

The project contributes to the global debate about how to overcome today’s societal challenges in terms of educational inequalities and restricted educational systems by turning to history to study the long-term effects of Denmark and Norway’s inclusive school system: enhetsskolen (unity school). We follow the creation of the systems from the late 19th century over a period of 150 years and evaluate the early reforms. A Scandinavian Educational Database (1800-1950) is being developed based on student grades and graduate biographies. This Database is being linked to the Norwegian Historical Population Register and Link Lives of Denmark. Using individual level data on the complete life spans of the entire populations we examine variation in the timing of educational reforms, and regional and national variations in their implementation.

Prospective applicants need to submit a proposal that is closely aligned with the overarching NRC project. However, the proposal must stand as an independent and separate historical project in its own right. Historical topics of particular interest are (not exclusively) the building of education systems, education and travelling or migration, education and industrial development and education and knowledge transfer. While the primary geographic scope of the NRC project is Scandinavia, the project also welcomes and encourages a focus on additional geographical areas.

Applicants are asked to clearly state in their project proposal (3 to 5 pages) why they have chosen a particular approach and case study as well as the location of the sources they intend to use.

The successful applicant will be part of an international and interdisciplinary group of researchers in history, social sciences, and computer science at the University of Oslo, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, the University of Southern Denmark, and TU Dortmund University. We encourage interested candidates to contact Kristin Ranestad for more information about the project.

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 start date for the position will be in the autumn semester 2024. 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

  • A Master’s degree or equivalent in history, economic and social history, economics, or any other relevant discipline. The Master’s degree must have been obtained and the final evaluation must be available by the application deadline.
  • Fluent oral and written communication skills in English, see Language requirements
  • Excellent reading knowledge of the source languages relevant for the PhD project.
  • 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, special emphasis will be placed on:

  • The project’s scientific merit, research-related relevance and innovation
  • The applicant’s estimated academic and personal ability to complete the project within the time frame
  • The applicant’s ability to complete research training
  • Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities

Applicants who have recently graduated with excellent results may be given preference.

We offer

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, including a complete list of publications)
  • Transcript of records of your Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Applicants with education from a foreign university must attach an explanation of their university’s grading system
  • Documentation of Language requirements (if applicable)
  • Project description, including a detailed progress plan for the project (3 – 5 pages, maximum 14,000 characters. See Template for project descriptions)

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

Educational certificates, master theses and the like are not to be submitted with the application, but applicants may be asked to submit such information or works later.

The application with attachments must be delivered in our electronic recruiting system, jobbnorge.no.

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.

About the University of Oslo 

The University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and highest ranked educational and research institution, with 28 000 students and 7000 employees. With its broad range of academic disciplines and internationally recognised research communities, UiO is an important contributor to society.

The Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH) is comprised of three disciplines which in different ways study the past. The department has internationally oriented archaeologists, the only conservation program in Norway and the biggest group of historians in Scandinavia. The department has close to 100 employees, including non-permanent research fellows. The study programs span archaeology from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages, object and paintings conservation, and history from Antiquity to the present age.

Deadline: 2024-02-29 at 23:59
Unit: Social Sciences/Economics

Read the job description at the university homepage or apply.