PhD Research Fellow in Human Geography within ERC research project UNRULY

Job description

One PhD research fellowship (SKO 1017) in human geography is available at the Department of Sociology and Human Geography. 

The position forms a part of the ERC Advanced Grant-funded research project UNRULY – Unruly entanglements of sociomaterial change, knowledge and power in energy frontiers. The position is for three years, or four years with a 25% teaching component. The position is dedicated to a Nepali case study.

About the project

UNRULY is dedicated to understanding uncertainty related to hydropower projects in the face of climate change. The project explores how entangled social, political and environmental processes shape change. We are especially interested in the non-linear processes of change which are not factored into existing models such that efforts to manage the future create more uncertainty. At present, existing research methods have not kept pace with social science theoretical developments which reject a conceptual separation of social from environmental and material processes. UNRULY is an ambitious, anti-colonial project that seeks to creatively challenge existing research conventions and reimagine novel approaches to our shared planetary crisis. 

The project builds from theoretical advances in geography, science and technology studies (STS), feminist theory, socioenvironmental systems and cognate disciplines on reframing ontologies of ‘environment’ and ‘society’. The project seeks to advance methodological approaches that take these conceptual insights seriously. Methodologically, the project will experiment with acoustic methods, embodied methods, story-telling and stochastic mathematics to think through how uncertainty shapes energy justice concerns and outcomes of renewable energy projects, working on the ground in Nepal and Sub-Saharan Africa to co-create new insights with local people. 

The UNRULY team is led by Professor Andrea J. Nightingale and will be comprised of two postdoctoral fellows, two doctoral fellows (PhD Candidates), three research affiliates, and an advisory board of international academic leaders. 

All project activities will be conducted in English; Norwegian and English are the main languages in use at the Department. 

Contact Prof. Nightingale for a description of the project. 

More about the position

The doctoral fellow’s independent project is expected to engage with UNRULY’s ambitions to advance theory and methods in order to understand how uncertainty and chaotic change shape efforts to expand energy access. It is desirable to demonstrate strong interdisciplinary and creative thinking skills as well as an ability to work in Nepal. 

The PhD fellow will be dedicated to advancing the Nepal case study. This case will investigate how the recent changes in governance interact with developmental ambitions to expand energy production and export. Nepal has undergone a revolution in the structure of the state in the past 12 years which combined with donor supported climate change programs, technological investments and social-cultural change have shaped the way that renewable energy is implemented and the struggles for justice that result. The fellow is expected to be able to carry out independent research in rural areas of Nepal and to achieve a level of local language competence. Experience with participatory research methods and knowledge of decolonial practices will be an advantage. The fellow will also work with local research assistants to help with translation and participatory methods. 

Fellows will be core members of the UNRULY research team as well as part of the research group on Sustainable Transformations, which provides a stimulating scientific context for research on environment-society and sustainability challenges. They will also have opportunities to engage with Professor Giulia di Nunno of the Risk and Stochastics group at the Department of Mathematics, UiO and other colleagues across the university. The project includes a close collaboration with Dr. Helene Ahlborg of the division of Environmental Systems Analysis at Chalmers Institute of Technology, and Dr. Aaron Rice of the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics at Cornell University. The positions include opportunities for research exchanges at these institutions. 

Candidates who are creative with an interest in interdisciplinarity and sociomaterial change are strongly encouraged to apply. Training in methods will be provided as needed. Note that this is not a socioenvironmental systems analysis project; candidates who come with that background need to show an ability to work outside of systems frameworks in the project proposal. 

The positions require participation in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ organized research education programme and the completion of a doctorate in human geography. The candidates who are hired will automatically be admitted to the PhD programme. 

Residence within commuting distance from Oslo is expected during the appointment, but the PhD fellows will also spend time abroad for training and research. 

Qualification requirements and assessment criteria

Applicants will be assessed on the quality and relevance of the project proposal, their academic grades and their academic and personal prerequisites to carry out the project. The hiring process will include an interview. 

Applicants must hold a master’s degree (or equivalent) with a minimum of five years at bachelor’s and master’s degree level in either geography, anthropology, science and technology studies (STS), (socio)environmental systems analysis, environmental studies, or cognate disciplines. If candidates can demonstrate suitable professional expertise related to the social sciences, master’s degrees in energy or engineering will be considered.

Applicants must have average grades of A or B in their master’s degree.

Applicants must have native or near-native competence in English or a Scandinavian language. Applicants who have completed their education outside of the EU/EEA-area and who do not have English as a native language, must document language skills:

• TOEFL, with a minimum result of 550 on the Paper-based Test (PBT), or 80 on the Internet-Based Test (iBT) OR
• IELTS, with the result 6.0.
• Please see Admission requirements for exemptions from language criteria.
• Methodological skills in one or more of the following:
• Qualitative methods in social science, including participatory, anti-colonial and feminist methods.
• Quantitative methods in social science or research in uncertainty and risk.
• Interdisciplinary conceptual and methodological frameworks.
• Ability to do fieldwork in Nepal.
• Ability to contribute to the aims of the UNRULY project. 

Non-Norwegian speakers hired after 1.8.2025 will be required to take Norwegian language courses (15 ECTS at A2 level) 

We offer

• Salary NOK 537.000 - 580.000 per annum, depending on qualifications.
• A professionally stimulating working environment
• Attractive welfare benefits and a generous pension agreement, in addition to Oslo’s family-friendly environment with its rich opportunities for culture and outdoor activities

How to apply

The application should be written in English and must include: 

• Application letter (1-2 pages). Please describe your motivation for applying for a PhD based on a Nepal case study and explain how your background, research and experience are relevant to the UNRULY research project. Indicate which of the qualification requirements you meet.
• Project proposal. 2-3 pages (maximum, candidates who exceed his limit will be disadvantaged). Please address the following ‘working hypothesis’: ‘New relations emerging within energy transitions generate unruliness beyond existing risk assessments and justice concerns. Identifying and characterizing this space requires creative thinking.’ The proposal should address how you would approach the project conceptually and methodologically and its relationship to your current experience. Please include a timeline of suggested activities and how you imagine filling any gaps in your current experience.
• 3-page CV summarizing education, positions, research experience, and other activities. The period of enrolment (admission-completion) in the master's study program must be specified.
• A complete list of publications (if relevant).
• Academic diplomas and transcripts (university degrees only).
• List of 2 references (name, relation to candidate, e-mail and phone number). Please note that references will only be contacted for candidates invited to interview.
• Application with attachments must be submitted via our recruitment system Jobbnorge, click "Apply for the position". Foreign applicants are advised to attach an explanation of their university's grading system. Please note that all documents must be in English (or a Scandinavian language in the case of transcripts; the application materials should be in English). 

The final hiring decision is the responsibility of the department’s board and will be based on an evaluation of the overall qualifications of the shortlisted candidates as well as the department’s needs.

Contact persons

Please refer to our FAQ before making personal enquiries. 

Professor Andrea Nightingale

Head of Office Inger-Lise Schwab

Inclusive worklife and diversity at UiO

Inclusion and diversity are a strength. The University of Oslo has a personnel policy objective of achieving a balanced gender composition. Furthermore, we want employees with diverse professional expertise, life experience and perspectives. 

If there are qualified applicants with disabilities, employment gaps or immigrant background, we will invite at least one applicant from each of these categories to an interview. 

We hope that you will apply for the position. 

More information about gender equality initiatives at UiO can be found here. 

General information

The best qualified candidates will invited for interviews. 

Applicant lists can be published in accordance with Norwegian Freedom of Information Act § 25. When you apply for a position with us, your name will appear on the public applicant list. It is possible to request to be excluded from this list. You must justify why you want an exemption from publication and we will then decide whether we can grant your request. If we can't, you will hear from us. 

Please refer to Regulations for the Act on universities and colleges chapter 3 (Norwegian),  Guidelines concerning appointment to post doctoral and research posts at UiO (Norwegian) and Regulations for the degree of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) at the University of Oslo. 

The University of Oslo has a transfer agreement with all employees that is intended to secure the rights to all research results etc. 

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 Sociology and Human Geography is Norway's leading department for both Sociology and Human Geography. The Department offers four Bachelor's and three Master's programmes. Research, teaching and dissemination activities within both fields are of the highest level. The Department is renowned both for the breadth of topics and methodologies employed and for its highly qualified researchers. Gender balance among the academic staff is an important distinguishing feature. The Department has 35 permanent academic staff, nearly 40 doctoral and post doctoral research fellows and 14 administrative staff members. There are approximately 80 PhD. candidates and 1500 students enrolled in the Department.