About this role
About the position The Department of Political Science is recruiting up to two Postdoctoral Fellows (SKO 1352) with specialization in political data science or comparative politics. We are looking for an excellent candidate with the potential of pursuing a long-term career in academia. The successful applicant will be part of the research project, “Authoritarian Threats to Scientific Knowledge” (AutoKnow), which is funded by the European Research Council. The appointment is a fulltime position for a period of three years. Depending on the candidate’s competence and the teaching needs of the department, the fellowship period can be extended up to four years for other types of qualification work including various teaching tasks and obligations. The primary aim of AutoKnow is to investigate how the production of scientific knowledge is affected by authoritarian regimes and politics. The project will look at how authoritarian rule affects the contents and research trajectories of scientific fields, and which fields are targeted for repression and co-optation by authoritarian rulers and movements. It will use computational text analysis to measure content-dimensions of published science and collect different data on attacks on academic freedom. It will study how authoritarian rule affects scientific progress, topic choice, political bias, idea novelty and other dimensions. AutoKnow will answer questions such as: Which academic fields and institutions are repressed, and which are supported by authoritarian leaders? How does authoritarian rule shape the contents and political profile of academic work in different fields? What is the impact of authoritarian rule on scientific progress? A postdoctoral position is intended to help the successful candidate develop a research profile and competencies that qualify them to apply for a permanent position in academia. To this end, the main focus of this position is to conduct research, including publication and dissemination. In addition, the fellow is expected to actively contribute to the broader research agenda and environment of the AUTOKNOW project, including project workshops. If the postdoctoral researcher does not already possess the teaching/pedagogical qualifications that meet the requirements for an associate professorship (incl. formal training), the department shall facilitate the acquisition of such qualifications during the employment period. Additionally, the position may provide other competencies relevant to the postdoctoral fellow’s future career. To promote a strategic career path, all postdoctoral research fellows are expected to submit a career development plan, specifying career goals and the competencies that the postdoctoral fellow should acquire, no later than one month after commencement of the postdoctoral period. The department is responsible for ensuring that the plan is followed up and that the postdoctoral researcher has access to career guidance throughout the duration of the postdoctoral fellowship. Qualification requirements Formal qualifications Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to a Norwegian doctoral degree (PhD) in Political Science, or a closely related discipline before taking up the post. For applicants who have yet to receive their PhD degree, the Doctoral dissertation must have been submitted for evaluation, or completed and scheduled for submission and evaluation, before the application deadline. Other qualifications Applicants must have a very good to excellent command of English (written and oral). Applicants are required to possess robust empirical research knowledge within political science and be proficient in conducting quantitative analyses. Experience with computational text analysis and large language models is an advantage but not a requirement. Knowledge in comparative studies of autocracy or democracy, authoritarian politics and repression is an advantage but not a requirement. Experience with using R or comparable programs for working with large language models and machine learning is an advantage but is not required. Experience with the design and implementation of survey-experiments is an advantage but not a requirement. Alongside developing their own research ideas, applicants should be capable of turning those ideas into well-structured and coherent scholarly papers. This involves possessing strong writing abilities and the capacity to see a writing project through from the planning stages to completion. The evaluation of applicants is based on documented, academic qualifications. When assessing applicants, we generally look for candidates whose academic record and submitted publication/paper showcase their ability to independently conduct research at a high international level. We place emphasis on recent publications and the potential for future high-quality research, rather than the sheer quantity of publications, as this is a recruitment position. We will consider qualifications relative to the length of the candidate’s academic career (based on the length of the PhD program, the number of years since PhD, and career breaks). Personal suitability, motivation, and compatibility with the rest of the project team are also considered. We need different perspectives in our work UiO is an open and internationally oriented comprehensive university that strives to be an inclusive and diverse workplace and academic environment. You can read more about UiO’s work on equality, inclusion, and diversity at uio.no . We fulfill our mission most effectively when we draw upon our variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We are looking for great colleagues—could you be the next one? We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Relevant adjustments may include modifications to working hours, task adaptations, digital, technical, or physical adjustments, or other practical measures. The University of Oslo aims to achieve a balanced gender composition in the workforce and to recr